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    ‘He shouldn’t even be on the pitch’ fume Arsenal fans as Virgil van Dijk escapes red card minutes before equaliser

    VIRGIL VAN DIJK scored for Liverpool in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at the Emirates – but Arsenal fans raged that he should not have even been on the pitch.Bukayo Saka opened the scoring in the huge North London clash with a sublime solo effort on nine minutes.Virgil van Dijk escaped a red for this kick outVan Dijk equalised for LiverpoolCredit: ReutersBut just ten minutes later and Van Dijk levelled from a Liverpool corner. That was after he escaped a red card just five minutes into the game following a collision with Kai Havertz. The centre-back appeared to twice kick out at Havertz during a tussle as the Arsenal forward went to ground. So when Van Dijk popped up with the equalising goal – Gooners were not too pleased. READ MORE IN football One said: “He shouldn’t even be on the pitch, but let’s save that for later.”Another added: “So Van Dijk equalises not long after he should have been sent off. “Any other side would have seen their player off but Livarpool get away with it. Make it make sense.”One fumed: “Ah. Van Dijk who should’ve been sent off scores. Of course.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAnother raged: “Van dijk should be sent off, doesn’t even go to var and he goes and equalises, the game is f***ing destroyed.” Arsenal regained their lead before the break with Mikel Merino heading home from Declan Rice’s stunning free-kick cross.’If Arsenal lose to Liverpool, they are out of the Premier League title race… the gulf is massive’However Mo Salah scored a late leveller as the clash ended 2-1.Arsenal ratings vs LiverpoolARSENAL lost further ground in the title race with a 2-2 draw with Liverpool.Arne Slot’s side are a top team, but it will still frustrate Mikel Arteta that his team couldn’t clinch all three points having twice led the match.Here’s how SunSport’s Jordan Davies rated the Arsenal players…DAVID RAYA – 6/10Very little he could do for Liverpool’s equaliser, forced to stay on his line from the flicked-on corner, and the same goes for Mohamed Salah’s tap in from a speedy counter.JURRIEN TIMBER – 7Kept Salah quiet for the majority and proved his worth with ball at feet, but starting him was clearly a risk as he hobbled off late on.BEN WHITE – 7He may have been at centre back but his telepathy with Saka remained, curling a peach of a ball over the top for the opener and remained solid even when those around him chopped and changed.GABRIEL – 7Missed his centre-back partner but did well until he worryingly limped off. No surprise that Salah and Darwin Nunez found space when he was absent.THOMAS PARTEY – 8Was targeted in his unnatural position within the first 30 seconds but held his ground for the most part. One of Arsenal’s best players.MIKEL MERINO – 8A stray touch gifted Salah a great chance to score before getting a bang to the same shoulder that kept him out at the start of the season. And then, after a so-so performance, he steps up with a thumping header just before the break to regain the lead.DECLAN RICE – 8Did the nitty-gritty very well in the middle of the pitch with some crucial interceptions and timely tackles. Carried on covering every blade of grass until the very last.LEANDRO TROSSARD – 6Drifted in and out of the game as a floating 10 and striker but got stuck in when needed and pressed like a rabid dog. Still, was quiet given his recent form.GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7Lively enough without creating too many clear-cut chances in the first half. Unlucky not to win a penalty after being hauled down by Ibrahima Konate.BUKAYO SAKA – 9Injury? What injury? His hamstring seemed right as rain as he cruised in behind Andy Robertson, cutting it back through the full-back’s legs and firing into the roof of the net.Was understandably taken off in the second half with a need to protect him going into a hectic period of the season.KAI HAVERTZ – 7Given freedom to roam and drop deep. Missed a sitter in the box after Martinelli’s penalty shout but lacked the service via crosses to really be effective in the first half.Remained a physical nuisance after the break but never had that one golden opportunity.SUBS:JAKUB KIWIOR (GABRIEL, 54) – 6Impressive to come in out of the cold to stay firm, but again, his work with the ball at his feet left a lot to be desired.MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY (TIMBER, 76) – 6Caught out of position for Liverpool’s late leveller but showed signs of real maturity too.GABRIEL JESUS (SAKA, 85) – N/AETHAN NWANERI (MARTINELLI, 85) – N/AClick here for more Arsenal news. More

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    Premier League release statement on controversial West Ham penalty as Man Utd and Erik ten Hag left furious at decision

    THE PREMIER LEAGUE have released a statement explaining the award of West Ham’s controversial penalty against Manchester United.Referee David Coote did not give a spot kick after Matthijs de Ligt came together with Danny Ings in the area.Matthijs de Ligt was judged to have fouled Danny IngsThe penalty was given after the VAR sent referee David Coote to the monitorCredit: RexThe decision enraged Man Utd’s players and manager Erik ten HagCredit: GettyTen Hag described the decision as ‘not right’ after the gameCredit: AlamyA VAR review took place and Coote was instructed to view the incident on the monitor.He did so and ended up giving the penalty, before the Premier League made comment on their Match Centre account on X, claiming there was “sufficient contact”.They said: “The referee did not award a penalty to West Ham for a challenge by de Ligt on Ings.”The VAR deemed there was sufficient contact on Ings’ lower leg and recommended an on-field review.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”The referee overturned his original decision and awarded a penalty.”Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag confronted the officials after the game and looked incensed by the decision.When asked about the controversial call, he said: “Three times this season we feel injustice.”Unfair and unjust the way we conceded the penalty.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”It was so difficult to see. Before the season there was the instruction about VAR only interfering in clear and obvious mistakes.”That is definitely not a clear and obvious mistake from the on field referee.Watch Jose Mourinho’s hilarious reaction after Man Utd keeper Andre Onana’s ‘double worldy’ save”More frustrations but I can do nothing with that. They don’t collect points and that’s what we have to do.”We have to look in the mirror, we don’t score in a good game from our side. Create loads of chances and concede none but when you lose in this way it’s a bad feeling.”Asked whether he had talked to the officials, he added: “I spoke with them. But the decision is made. There’s no way back and that’s football.”That’s a third time I have felt injustice in the season and it has a big impact on our team and on our scores and where we are in the table. It’s not right.”Man Utd ratings vs West HamTHE LONDON STADIUM was the venue for the latest defeat in a shocker of a season.To be fair, it was a hugely controversial VAR call in the dying moments that handed West Ham a 2-1 win.And the first half from the Red Devils was impressive.Here’s how SunSport’s Jack Rosser rated the players…Andre Onana – 6Very loose with the ball at his feet early on but soon settled.Manchester United conceded from West Ham’s first shot on target, though given Ings’ deflected strike there was little Onana could have done about it.Diogo Dalot – 5Delivered one of the most entertaining missed chances you will see all season – doing so well to clip the ball past Lukasz Fabianski before smashing the ball high and wide of an open goal.Despite that, had little trouble from those in claret and blue attacking down his side until Summerville was introduced. The former Leeds man tested Dalot a number of times with his pace.Redeemed himself a touch with the header back in ahead of Casemiro’s equaliser.Matthijs de Ligt – 6Hard done by in conceding the penalty for what looked a soft challenge on Hammers striker Ings.Restricted West Ham well for the most part but United never looked entirely comfortable at the back and a more potent attack could have caused much more trouble.Lisandro Martinez – 6Struggled at times to deal with the strength and direct nature of Michail Antonio, who tested all across United’s back line well until he was replaced by Ings.Noussair Mazraoui – 5Struggled to keep a handle on both Bowen and former Manchester United man Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the most part and was thrown around by Michail Antonio at times.Having looked soft at the back he also offered very little going forwards down the left.Casemiro – 6Started strongly dominating in the middle but struggled to wrestle that back when West Ham picked up.Was denied a first half goal by Fabianski’s superb save but got one eventually as he refused to give up and made sure the ball.Christian Eriksen – 5Some flashes of creativity in the first half but could not help United keep control in the second after West Ham perked up.Marcus Rashford – 4Entirely absent throughout the hour he was on the pitch. Played down the right he was easily managed by Emerson Palmieri who had little of note to do before the winger went off.Bruno Fernandes – 7Caused huge problems for West Ham and created plenty of chances which his teammates put to waste.Fernandes made a fine run to meet a Casemiro cross but headed over the bar and had to watch both Garnacho and Dalot pass up huge chances after his good work to set them up – especially the latter, a wonderful looped ball to cut out the entire West Ham defence.Alejandro Garnacho – 5The young winger should have had two goals inside the opening eight minutes. One chance was rattled against the bar before a poor finish sent the second wide of the far post.He continued to cause trouble down the left but faded as the game went on and crucially gave the ball away in the build-up to Summerville’s goal.Rasmus Hojlund – 5Drew a couple of saves from Hammers keeper Fabianski but neither looked too difficult.The Dane was rather comfortably dealt with by West Ham’s central defenders and never looked too much of a threat.SubstitutesAmad Diallo – 6Added some life and threat to a forward line which had offered little after the break and lifted a clever ball over to Dalot in the build-up to Casemiro’s goal.Joshua Zirkzee – 5Claimed an assist but did not know a lot about it and struggled to have an impact from there on.Victor Lindelof – n/aUnused subs: Altay Bayindir, Manuel Ugarte, Jonny Evans, Ethan Wheatley, Harry Amass, Jack Fletcher.Many fans had similar feelings about the decision as they took to social media to vent their frustration.One said: “That’s a disgrace. The game is gone, I can’t believe I witnessed this being given as a penalty.”Another added: “Not enough for a penalty. Contact not sufficient. Shouldn’t even have gone to the VAR. United robbed!”A third replied: “Manchester United were robbed in my opinion. Not a penalty.”READ MORE SUN STORIESWhile a fourth responded: “VAR HAS MADE AN ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE MISTAKE!”The result lifts West Ham above Man Utd into 13th place, one spot above Ten Hag’s men who are already seven points adrift of a Champions League place. More

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    ‘Dr Tottenham’ strikes again in Crystal Palace clash as fans say ‘never fails to cure those in need’

    CRYSTAL PALACE’s winless run came to an end thanks to a dose of “Dr Tottenham”.The Eagles got their first three points of the season with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half opener separating the sides. Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou looks on in frustrationCredit: RexAnd fans say they were blessed with the visit from Dr Tottenham to cure their lack of victories. One said: “Dr. Tottenham. Never fails to cure those in need.”Another added: “Imagine not thinking Dr Tottenham is a thing.”One swiped: “Death, taxes, and the Dr Tottenham cure.”READ MORE IN football Another said: “Never underestimate Dr. Tottenham.”Spurs fell to their fourth defeat in nine Premier League matches as manager Ange Postecoglou admitted fan frustration will be rife. He said: “It was one of those games with a lot of stoppages and battles and they ended up winning a lot of them and coming out on top. “There was a lot of disruption and it was hard to get any fluency. They did better than us.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”It turned into a game they were thriving on and we should have dealt with it better.”It was a poor goal to concede, it had nothing to do with playing out from the back. That can happen.Wayne Rooney reveals nine-word message to Plymouth stars that inspired stunning comeback from being 3-0 down”I’d be very surprised if they were happy right now. Why would I be happy? If I’m unhappy then they’ll be unhappy. “If you’re suggesting that our fans weren’t happy with today then that’s a fair assessment.” More

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    Man Utd player ratings: Bruno Fernandes causes endless problems but Marcus Rashford entirely absent before being hooked

    JARROD BOWEN converted a controversial injury time penalty to heap more pressure on Erik ten Hag.The West Ham captain sealed West Ham’s third win of the season from the spot in the 92nd minute after referee David Coote was sent to the monitor by VAR Michael Oliver for a very soft challenge by Matthijs de Ligt on Danny Ings.Jarrod Bowen’s stoppage-time penalty earned West Ham the win over Man UtdCredit: GettyIt was another miserable afternoon for Erik ten Hag’s sideCredit: GettyCasemiro had earlier cancelled out Crysencio Summerville’s opener for West Ham.The visitors showed a supreme knack for incompetence in front of goal throughout the first half.Alejandro Garnacho should have had a brace before 10 minutes was even on the clock.Diogo Dalot, having skipped past Lukasz Fabianksi, then hilariously missed a glaring open net.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThere were one-on-one chances too for Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford that neither took advantage of before Fabianski pulled off a fine fingertip save from Casemiro.After a horrendous first half, Julen Lopetegui made a treble change – introducing match-winner Summerville – and West Ham were immediately on top.They were quickly creating and were ready to take their chance when United offered it up.Garnacho cheaply gave the ball away on Manchester United’s left where Jean-Clair Todibo set Jarrod Bowen away.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSIngs met his cross with a scuffed finish but it fell to Summerville at the far post to bag his first goal for the Hammers.Having been in the ascendency, West Ham sat back and looked shaky after the goal.Nicky Butt reveals time Sir Alex Ferguson caught him and Roy Keane red-handedTen Hag sent on Zirkzee to try and capitalise and they were soon level – the Dutch striker grabbing the assist.Amad Diallo, another substitute, lifted a cross to the far post where a trio of headers, from Dalot, Zirkzee and then Casemiro saw the ball past Fabianski.United’s work in getting back into the game was undone by a VAR call which left the visitors fuming, with De Ligt judged to have fouled Ings in the box – allowing Bowen to convert and claim a much needed win.Here is how SunSport’s Jack Rosser rated the Manchester United players…Andre Onana – 6Very loose with the ball at his feet early on but soon settled.Manchester United conceded from West Ham’s first shot on target, though given Ings’ deflected strike there was little Onana could have done about it.Diogo Dalot – 5Delivered one of the most entertaining missed chances you will see all season – doing so well to clip the ball past Lukasz Fabianski before smashing the ball high and wide of an open goal.Despite that, had little trouble from those in claret and blue attacking down his side until Summerville was introduced. The former Leeds man tested Dalot a number of times with his pace.Redeemed himself a touch with the header back in ahead of Casemiro’s equaliser.Matthijs de Ligt – 6Hard done by in conceding the penalty for what looked a soft challenge on Hammers striker Ings.Restricted West Ham well for the most part but United never looked entirely comfortable at the back and a more potent attack could have caused much more trouble.Lisandro Martinez – 6Struggled at times to deal with the strength and direct nature of Michail Antonio, who tested all across United’s back line well until he was replaced by Ings.Noussair Mazraoui – 5Struggled to keep a handle on both Bowen and former Manchester United man Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the most part and was thrown around by Michail Antonio at times.Having looked soft at the back he also offered very little going forwards down the left.Casemiro – 6Started strongly dominating in the middle but struggled to wrestle that back when West Ham picked up.Was denied a first half goal by Fabianski’s superb save but got one eventually as he refused to give up and made sure the ball.Christian Eriksen – 5Some flashes of creativity in the first half but could not help United keep control in the second after West Ham perked up.Marcus Rashford – 4Entirely absent throughout the hour he was on the pitch. Played down the right he was easily managed by Emerson Palmieri who had little of note to do before the winger went off.Marcus Rashford endured another difficult afternoonCredit: RexBruno Fernandes – 7Caused huge problems for West Ham and created plenty of chances which his teammates put to waste.Fernandes made a fine run to meet a Casemiro cross but headed over the bar and had to watch both Garnacho and Dalot pass up huge chances after his good work to set them up – especially the latter, a wonderful looped ball to cut out the entire West Ham defence.Bruno Fernandes’ performance was a silver lining for Ten Hag’s sideCredit: GettyAlejandro Garnacho – 5The young winger should have had two goals inside the opening eight minutes. One chance was rattled against the bar before a poor finish sent the second wide of the far post.He continued to cause trouble down the left but faded as the game went on and crucially gave the ball away in the build-up to Summerville’s goal.Rasmus Hojlund – 5Drew a couple of saves from Hammers keeper Fabianski but neither looked too difficult.The Dane was rather comfortably dealt with by West Ham’s central defenders and never looked too much of a threat.SubstitutesAmad Diallo – 6Added some life and threat to a forward line which had offered little after the break and lifted a clever ball over to Dalot in the build-up to Casemiro’s goal.READ MORE SUN STORIESJoshua Zirkzee – 5Claimed an assist but did not know a lot about it and struggled to have an impact from there on.Victor Lindelof – n/aUnused subs: Altay Bayindir, Manuel Ugarte, Jonny Evans, Ethan Wheatley, Harry Amass, Jack Fletcher. More

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    Chelsea player ratings: Cole Palmer shows why he could win Ballon d’Or but team-mate flops in new position

    ENZO MARESCA’S tricky Blues picked up a huge three points with a Cole Palmer winner seeing them bounce back from defeat at Liverpool. Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring but Alexander Isak levelled before the break. Cole Palmer scored the winning goalCredit: AFPBut star man Cole Palmer sealed victory with his second-half strike which beat Nick Pope at the near post.Find out how SunSport’s Lloyd Canfield rated the Chelsea players…Robert Sanchez – 3/10Pretty poor in all honesty. READ MORE IN football A liability in terms of distribution, and while a decent shot-stopper, he consistently seems to be a big question mark in this Chelsea eleven. Malo Gusto – 3It looks as though Chelsea may have to choose between Gusto and Reece James to start on the right with them Failed to impact the game much attacking-wise, and was bettered by Lewis Hall who crossed for Alexander Isak’s equaliser. Most read in FootballMalo Gusto failed to impact the game much attacking-wiseCredit: GettyWesley Fofana – 6Picked up a knock early on and played the rest of the game with a strapped-up knee. Nonetheless, gave as good as he got against the powerful Alexander Isak for large parts of the game, and made some crucial blocks and tackles throughout. Levi Colwill – 6Was fortunate to get away with a clumsy tackle on Bruno Guimaraes early in the first half, but was still fairly solid. For a man with such an impressive passing range, it felt like he couldn’t quite put it to use today. Seemingly prevented Alexander Isak from levelling with his aura alone…Reece James played out of positionCredit: AFPReece James  – 2Playing as a left-centre back it’s hard to see how Chelsea will get the best out of what could be one of the finest attacking wing backs in the world. He didn’t look comfortable in that position, and let Alexander Isak run away from him for Newcastle’s equaliser. He came up with two crucial blocks in the second half to deny Isak from making it two or three, before giving him a golden chance to do so which was not taken. Romeo Lavia – 7Followed up a brilliant performance in the loss to Liverpool with another good showing in the middle of the park here. Starting to look like a bargain with performances like these if he can stay fit, as he claimed the assist for Cole Palmer’s fine finish. Romeo Lavia was brilliant in midfieldCredit: GettyMoises Caicedo – 7Effective in breaking up play for the Blues, and it was a solid showing from a midfield player who has been so good this season. Steps into challenges nicely at just the right time, and is becoming a dependable figure in the same mould in which N’golo Kante and Claude Makelele were in their time here. Noni Madueke – 5Quiet in the first half, but better in the second as he looked to trouble Lewis Hall more. Was outshone by Pedro Neto on the opposite flank this time out, before being swapped out for Mykhailo Mudryk. Pedro Neto was a threat down the leftCredit: APPedro Neto – 8So much pace down the left-hand side which was utilised perfectly to leave Livramento in the dust to set up Nicolas Jackson’s opening goal. Could have had a goal early in the second half as he rattled the post with a header after leaping like a salmon. Cole Palmer – 9Started the game well with a cracking finish which VAR ruled out, only to cook the Newcastle defence a matter of moments later with an incisive pass for Neto to set up the opener. Newcastle simply could not handle the midfield man, who lit up Stamford Bridge early in the second half to claim his sixth goal of the season. Nonchalance personified, cool Cole showed why he will attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony tomorrow night, and why he can win it in coming years. Cole Palmer won the gameCredit: RexNicolas Jackson – 8A superb first-time finish opened the scoring for the Blues, and the Senegalese forward did well with the little service he had in the first half – often needing to drop deep to pick up the ball and link up the play. 14 goals in his last 14 Premier League games – leave the Didier Drogba comparisons at home, this is a superstar in his own right. SUBS:MYKHAILO MUDRYK (NONI MADUEKE, 67) – 5Had a big chance to add a third to Chelsea’s tally after replacing Madueke, but his left-footed strike was saved by Nick Pope, who didn’t have to move.ENZO FERNANDEZ  (ROMEO LAVIA, 72) – 5Didn’t add anything which Lavia wasn’t already giving, but ultimately wasn’t given much time to really impact the game. MARC CUCURELLA (MALO GUSTO  , 78) – 5Individually, didn’t have a lot of time to show what he’s made of, but Chelsea look like a better team with him in the side. He plays the inverted left-back role well, allowing Chelsea to get the most out of their right-side. CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU  ( NICOLAS JACKSON, 78) – 6READ MORE SUN STORIESHad a half-chance late on, which wasn’t taken as he dilly-dallied on the ball on the edge of the box. Thought he had won a penalty on the stroke of the 90th minute after going down under pressure from Dan Burn, but it was ruled out by VAR. Christopher Nkunku thought he had won a penaltyCredit: Reuters More

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    Chelsea 2 Newcastle 1: Cole Palmer runs the show once again as Blues regain spot in top four

    CHELSEA survived a late bombardment to return to winning ways against Newcastle.Cole Palmer went from architect to matchwinner with Nicolas Jackson also scoring his sixth Prem goal of the season.Cole Palmer notched the winner again for ChelseaCredit: GettyAlexander Isak celebrates his equaliserCredit: GettyPalmer was the star of the showCredit: ReutersNicolas Jackson clinically put away his sixth goal of the seasonCredit: RexPalmer thought he had given his side the lead minutes into the contest when he latched onto the end of Jackson’s pass to find the bottom corner – only for VAR to rule him offside.The England star then turned creator moments later as his brilliant through ball sparked a counterattack, with Pedro Neto crossing for Jackson to score.Newcastle bounced back and Alexander Isak finished off a well-worked move, converting a cross from ex-Chelsea star Lewis Hall.That was the story of the first half and Chelsea came out from the break on fire – Palmer firing beyond Nick Pope after being given acres of space to run into.READ MORE ON CHELSEAAgain Newcastle fought back and should have had an equaliser after Isak rounded Robert Sanchez after punishing a mistake by Wesley Fofana, but the striker dallied on the ball and was somehow unable to score.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSChelsea fans pelted with missiles by Panathinaikos thugs as riot police forced to protect travelling supporters More

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    Crystal Palace 1 Tottenham 0: Jean-Philippe Mateta saves Oliver Glasner’s job and finally kickstarts Prem campaign

    FRENCH SAVIOUR Jean-Philippe Mateta may have saved Oliver Glasner’s job at Crystal Palace as he finally kick-started the club’s Premier League campaign.Having been winless in their opening eight matches – their joint-worst start to a top-flight season – the Eagles are now soaring thanks to this brilliant and much-needed home win over Tottenham.Jean-Philippe Mateta got the only goal of the game as Crystal Palace beat TottenhamCredit: AFPIn all likelihood, the Austrian head coach would have been axed come the November international break if there had not been a dramatic reversal in their fortunes.And the former Europa League winner will be forever indebted to the decisive actions of striker Mateta, who celebrates by kicking a corner flag.Overall, it was a sorry display by Spurs, who have now lost for the third time in the Prem in just nine matches and are nine points behind leaders City.It was a physical battle, too, as befits any London derby, and three Tottenham stars came off worse in hard-hitting challenges in the first half alone.First, James Maddison was flattened from behind by Maxence Lacroix and needed assistance to get back up – for the next five minutes he was seen clutching his painful lower back.Dejan Kulusevski had a forearm smashed into the side of his head by Palace’s Marc Guehi and it was a surprise that neither referee Darren Bond nor VAR decided to at least caution the England centre-back.Then Spurs full-back Pedro Porro was screaming in agony after coming off worse in a collision with Tyrick Mitchell close to the touchline.Selhurst Park used to be one of the best top-flight grounds to visit for match-day atmosphere with the Holmesdale Fanatics Ultras banging the drums and making their presence felt.Most read in FootballThat has not been the case so much this season, perhaps understandably given the dreadful sequence of results.No wonder it was a bit flat to begin with but come 31 minutes they were all shouting BOOOOOOOM as they saluted Mateta’s fifth goal of the season.Tottenham were mucking about at the back – no team decides to lump it long these days, they always want to play it out of trouble.A hospital pass by captain Cristian Romero was played over to Micky van de Ven on the left side but when the speedy Dutchman slipped, possession was quickly won by Daniel Munoz.The Colombian’s cross from the right was intelligently flicked-on by the backheel of Eberechi Eze into the path of his French colleague.And the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist controlled the ball with his right and then slammed it home with his left – before booting one of the corner flags, as is his signature celebration, as the crowd went wild.Palace were indebted to goalkeeper Dean Henderson for holding the fort until half-time as he produced a brilliant reaction save when Maddison struck goal-bound.Four minutes into the second half, Eze thought he had managed to break the Spurs high line and double the lead when he received an excellent through ball by the magnificent Adam Wharton.Racing clear of the last Spurs man, he managed to squeeze his shot past the body of Guglielmo Vicario and was convinced he had remained onside.Yet the assistant ref raised his flag and after a VAR review the on-field decision was not overturned.However, where was VAR when Eze was brought down minutes later?The England winger showed off his full bag of tricks in the Tottenham box and was then brought to the ground by a combination of pressure from behind by Kulusevski and Van de Ven grabbing his red-and-blue striped shirt.Even from a distance, it looked like a clear penalty, there had been contact with an opponent and the Palace team went ballistic that no spotkick was awarded.Soon afterwards, Van de Ven – the quickest man in the Prem – brought down Ismaila Sarr and as the last man, many wanted and expected a red to be shown.Controversially, ref Bond only gave a yellow as he felt Sarr was not running directly towards Vicario’s goal when the impact happened.Prior to that Ange Postecoglou had made a triple substitution on 62 minutes, which included taking off teenager Mikey Moore.At 17 years and 77 days old, Moore is the youngest player to start a Prem match for Tottenham since Stephen Carr (17 years and 28 days) against Ipswich Town in September 1993.READ MORE SUN STORIESThough he had an excellent display last Thursday against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League – Maddison said it was like watching Neymar – the South Londoner looked a bit leggy this time and did not offer much in attack.Tottenham were unable to find the equaliser they desperately wanted and were grateful for Vicario’s exceptional one-handed save to palm away Wharton’s 25-yard strike on 83 minutes.THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. 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    Arsenal vs Liverpool LIVE SCORE: Saka & Timber START for Gunners as Nunez & Mac Allister return for the Reds – updates

    ARSENAL and Liverpool are all set to battle at the Emirates in a thrilling Premier League Super Sunday clash.Mikel Arteta was sweating over the fitness of Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber both players are fit to start.Kick-off time: 4.30pm GMTTV channel: Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Premier LeagueLive stream: NowTVArsenal XI: Arsenal: Raya, Partey, White, Gabriel, Timber, Rice, Merino, Trossard, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz.Liverpool XI: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, Salah, Diaz, Nunez.FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSFollow ALL the action from the Emirates with our live blog below…Redknapp backs the RedsFormer Tottenham and West Ham boss Harry Redknapp has predicted a 2-1 win for Liverpool at the Emirates the afternoon.He told told BetVictor: “What a game this is set to be! Things haven’t been right for Arsenal of late. Even before last week’s red, they’ve been winning games by the odd goal and haven’t been as dominant of late. “I think they badly miss Martin Odegaard’s class and composure in the final third and they seem to be accumulating more injuries.”Liverpool may not catch the eye as much as they did under Jurgen Klopp, but they look organised, they have the league’s best defensive record and that’s not by accident. A win here and they probably become the title favourites.”No William Saliba is massive. His absence probably cost them the title a couple of seasons ago and I think it’s bound to be a factor here, he’s just that good. “I think Liverpool edge it and Mohamed Salah could be the difference, particularly if it looks like Riccardo Calafiori will be out as well.”Copy linkCopiedLaur KiddingLaura Woods has claimed Arsenal are not Manchester City’s main title rivals this season.The TNT Sports host has also admitted the Gunners “don’t look the part” amid their poor disciplinary record this season.Ahead of the match, Woods admitted Arsenal’s disciplinary record is a worry.She told BetMGM: “I do worry for Arsenal, with injuries and suspensions.”No Ricardo Calafiori, no Martin Odegaard, no Jurien Timber and no William Saliba. I tell you what, it’s pretty infuriating being an Arsenal fan at the moment!”What’s even more infuriating is feeling like a broken record and mentioning that the next day Tosin Adarabioyo only got booked for a foul just like Saliba’s on Diogo Jota.”Yes, we Arsenal fans moan, but we should also all be wanting to see consistency in the league with decisions like this because next week it’ll be your team. “Taking a bit of responsibility, though, Arsenal need to stop getting themselves into these situations. We’re literally leaking points and throwing away games. We don’t look the part at all!”Credit: PACopy linkCopied30 minutes to go We’re now just 30 minutes from the big kick off at the Emirates with the Liverpool bus seen here arriving a bit earlier today.This is a massive clash between two sides who are expecting to mount a serious title challenge with Man City.Pep Guardiola’s team strolled to a 1-0 win over Southampton on Saturday to put the pressure back onto Arne Slot’s team – who can go back to the top with a win.Arsenal are currently six points of City and another defeat today would be a bitter pill to swallow, even at this early stage of the season. Copy linkCopiedWhat it all meansIt’s all change at the back for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, with Jurrien Timber coming in for Ricardo Calafiori, Ben White moving into the middle because of William Saliba’s red card and Thomas Partey starting at right-back.Raheem Sterling also loses his place with Gabriel Martinelli coming in, while Bukayo Saka is back in the team after lots of hand wringing by Gooners in the last few days.Liverpool, meanwhile, have made three changes from the win over Chelsea last weekend with Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Alexis Mac Allister coming back into the team.Diaz had missed Liverpool’s last three matches, having picked up an injury just before the international break, while Nunez and Mac Allister keep their places from midweek.Credit: GettyCopy linkCopiedLiverpool team news – Diaz returnsLiverpool: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, Salah, Diaz, Nunez.Subs: Jaros, Davies, Gomez, Endo, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Tsimikas, Quansah, Morton.Copy linkCopiedArsenal team news – Saka INArsenal: Raya, Partey, White, Gabriel, Timber, Rice, Merino, Trossard, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz. Subs: Neto, Zinchenko, Kiwior, Nichols, Myles-Skelly, Jorginho, Nwaneri, Sterling, Jesus.Copy linkCopiedLiverpool’s absentee listArne Slot’s side have some problems of their own.Alisson continues to be sidelined after suffering a major hamstring issue against Crystal Palace at the beginning of the month.And he’ll be joined in the infirmary by Harvey Elliot who sustained a foot injury, and Diogo Jota due to abdominal pain.Federico Chiesa and Conor Bradley are both uncertain.Credit: APCopy linkCopiedWill he cost the Gunners?Someone who isn’t injured but is unavailable for this match is highly-rated centre-back William Saliba.The French phenomenon earned his first-ever sending-off after VAR intervened and upgraded an initial yellow card to a red.William Saliba was initially booked for pulling back Bournemouth striker Evanilson.Saliba attempted to stop the Brazilian who was ready to burst completely clear mid-pitch.VAR Jared Gillett summoned on-pitch ref Rob Jones to the monitor.And after looking, Jones had no doubts as he waved a red to reduce the Gunners to 10 men.Credit: GettyCopy linkCopiedArsenal’s injury latest The Gunners have been struck with several injuries ahead of this huge Premier League clash.With Kieran Tierney out of the picture, Takehiro Tomiyasu suffering a fresh knee setback, Riccardo Calafiori being forced off midweek and Jurrien Timber not spotted in training, Mikel Arteta could struggle to field a back four.Looking further forward, Martin Odegaard is close to returning but this looks to be too soon and Bukayo Saka hasn’t featured since picking up a muscle strain on duties with England.However, images of Timber and Saka with the team at the hotel have been circulating on social media.Could this be mind games from Mikel Arteta?Copy linkCopiedWelcome to SunSport’s coverage of Arsenal vs LiverpoolThis is what Super Sunday’s in the Premier League are made of – English giants Arsenal and Liverpool facing off in a mouthwatering match at the Emirates – and SunSport will have the ENTIRE coverage right here.Going right back to last weekend, Arsenal suffered their first Prem away defeat since New Year’s Eve 2023 at the hands of a rejuvenated Bournemouth side.Goals from Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert was enough for the Cherries to seal all three points, but the Gunners were dealt an even bigger blow when William Saliba picked up a red card.However, Mikel Arteta’s men did bounceback with a midweek Champions League 1-0 win against Shakthar Donetsk, albeit was far from convincing.Elsewhere, Liverpool are flying as they come into this game off back-to-back wins against Chelsea and RB Leipzig.Furthermore, with all of Arsenal’s absentees, they’ll be tipped to continue this impressive winning run and climb back to the top of the tree.But one thing about the Premier League is that you have to expect the unexpected which even comes down to injuries in the squad.Copy linkCopied More