Premier League

MANCHESTER UNITED got back to winning ways by beating Newcastle 3-2 at Old Trafford.Bruno Fernandes impressed as he returned to the starting line-up following his absence through injury.Bruno Fernandes showed his importance to Manchester United against NewcastleCredit: ReutersAaron Wan-Bissaka struggled as United picked up all three points at Old TraffordCredit: AlamyYoungsters Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo and Rasmus Hojlund were all on the scoresheet for the Red Devils.However, Aaron Wan-Bissaka struggled and was caught napping for Newcastle’s first goal.Here are SunSport’s full United player ratings.Andre Onana – 6Poor clearance led to a goal for the second successive home game but made amends with smart saves from Longstaff and Joelinton to keep his team in front.  Well beaten by Hall for Toon’s second.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDiogo Dalot – 6Portuguese has had a good season. The equaliser came down his flank but otherwise solid defensively and linked up well with Garnacho going forward.Casemiro – 7Much better from the Brazilian as he made a great tackle on Gordon and cleared off the line from Burn. Could have capped his night overhead kick just over.Jonny Evans – 6Asked to play again so Martinez can get himself fully fit and once again did not let his manager down. If it proves to be his Old Trafford farewell it was a good way to sign off.Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 5Could have got closer to Gordon for equaliser and looked like he was caught napping. May turn out to be the former Palace man’s last home game if they get a suitable offer.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSKobbie Mainoo – 7Cool finish to give the home side the lead – his third Prem goal of a season he will not forget. Looks more confident when he has Fernandes alongside him and put in another good shift.Sofyan Amrabat – 7A mixed night – lucky not to concede a pen on Gordon and a fresh air kick for the Toon equaliser – but an incredible last ditch tackle on Isak saved a certain goal.Newcastle fans brutally troll Man Utd with umbrella hats, flippers, goggles and wet suits at leaky Old TraffordAmad Diallo – 8What a magnificent goal to cap an eye-catching night for the Ivorian. Also had a hand in opening goal and looked lively all night. Why hasn’t he played more this season?Scott McTominay – 6Worked hard to keep United in front but could have been on scoresheet. Header straight at Dubravka and could not quite get on the end of a curling cross by Fernandes.Alejandro Garnacho – 7A Dubravka save prevented him scoring an early goal. Heavy touch allowed Krafth to deny him but another lively display from the Argentine who just needs work on his end product.Bruno Fernandes – 9Back from injury and showed what United have been missing in the last couple of games. At the heart of everything and had a hand in all three goals while he could have had one himself.SUBSHojlund (for Diallo 82) – 7Got the goal he desperately needed within a couple of minutes of coming on.Rashford (for Garnacho 82) – 5Not much of an impact but needs minutes.READ MORE SUN STORIESMartinez (for Mainoo 82) – 5What a boost for United to get him back ahead of the cup final.Eriksen (for Fernandes 89) – 5On to give Bruno a rest and see the game out. More

ERIK TEN HAG keeps telling everyone the future is bright for Manchester United.It is just the present that continues to be a problem.Rasmus Hojlund struck a late winner for Manchester UnitedCredit: ReutersThe striker had only just come off the bench when he found the bottom cornerCredit: RexBut on a night when Kobbie Mainoo, 19, and Amad Diallo, 21, gave the Red Devils a chance of European football next season you can at least see glimmers of hope.Who knows, if Rasmus Hojlund, 21, who came on to grab their third, can regularly find his shooting boots and Alejandro Garnacho, 19, continues his progression the dark clouds could be shifted away come next season.Ten Hag certainly believes they represent a core group that could take United forward if they can collectively find the right gear.It was Mainoo who opened the scoring last night after being found by Diallo on 31 minutes.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThen after Anthony Gordon grabbed an equaliser four minutes after the break it was Diallo who thumped home to restore the lead.He will not hit a sweeter volley in his career.Ten Hag looked on with pride, maybe this pair could even carry them to an unlikely FA Cup final triumph over title winners-to-be and neighbours Manchester City a week on Saturday.Whether the Dutchman will be in place to see their development after that is another matter.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSTen Hag had made just one change to his starting line-up from the team that lost to Arsenal.He decided to play with no striker at all in a bid to ‘confuse’ the opposition.BREAKING: Marcus Rashford in angry confrontation with fan at Old Trafford as Man Utd warm up for Newcastle clashGiven that everybody else has been confused as to what Ten Hag has been trying to do with his team for most of the season, this was hardly a change from the norm.While the manager tried to also explain it as a chance to give Hojlund a rest it must have been a major vote of no confidence for the 21-year-old Dane.He has struggled since returning from injury scoring just one in ten, but it is not as if the service has been there.Indeed it looks like his team-mates don’t trust him to do anything with the ball despite that burst of eight goals in as many games from Boxing Day to mid-February.So were the Magpies wings clipped by this tactic?Well, they were a goal adrift by the break.Sofyan Amrabat, playing his last game at Old Trafford of his loan spell, found Diallo and he was able to roll it into Mainoo in the centre of the area unchallenged.The young United midfielder could barely believe the time and space he had around the penalty spot as he was allowed to control the ball, turn and pick his spot.But what was Newcastle’s returning captain Kieran Trippier doing?This was not the first clanger he has dropped this season as he hung behind the rest of the Toon’s back four to play Mainoo onside and give him that space.Even VAR did not need a second look, and they tend to have a second look at everything to try and find some fault.Mind you they didn’t see it in a very valid Newcastle penalty claim soon afterwards and replays do show Amrabat’s foot going down Anthony Gordon’s Achilles.But no pen.Undaunted Newcastle thought they had got an equaliser on 36 minutes when the towering Dan Burn rose high at the far post to meet Jacob Murphy’s cross.He did everything right, beating goalkeeper Andre Onana, but Casemiro had read the situation and was back to nod the ball off the line.Another chance quickly followed for Eddie Howe’s men when a deep Trippier corner found Bruno Guimaraes at the far side of the box but his returning header was too high.Amad Diallo celebrates his sweet strikeCredit: GettyThe Ivorian flashed a brilliant hit into the back of the netCredit: APKobbie Mainoo was played onside by Kieran Trippier before finishingCredit: GettyNewcastle did not have to wait long after the break to get the goal they craved.Manchester United goalkeeper Onana was bought for his distribution skills but for the second game running his long punt resulted in a quick return and goal.Amrabat was at fault for not being able to control a loose ball and when Alexander Isak played it wide to Murphy his low cross was perfection for Gordon to steer home with the outside of his right boot.If Amrabat was at fault for that he quickly redeemed himself to stop the visitors from taking the lead.It began with a Red Devils corner which saw Fernandes have a near post shot saved.When the ball sprung free Gordon would gather it and race forward.It was two-on-one.Anthony Gordon did well to turn the ball beyond Andre OnanaCredit: PASofyan Amrabat was not penalised for this challenge on Gordon in the areaCredit: Sky SportsGordon did the right thing squaring to Isak but Ambrabat had raced back to slide in and deflect the Newcastle striker’s shot over the bar.A big moment that seemed even bigger when five minutes later the Red Devils took the lead.Fernandes near post corner was only headed clear as far as Diallo 16 yards out and he absolutely middled his shot on the volley past Martin Dubravka.Hojlund would make things safe when on 84 minutes.He used his strength as he received a ball from Fernandes to force his way wide of two Newcastle players and shoot back across the goalkeeper.READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd it proved to be the winner as Lewis Hall struck a sweet hit in the 92nd minute to spark a nervy finale. At least the final game here has given everyone of a red persuasion a bit of belief that an FA Cup may yet sit on the mantelpiece at Old Trafford come the end of the season.Miguel Almiron came within a whisker of scoringCredit: AFPCasemiro tried an audacious overhead kickCredit: PA More

CHELSEA maintained their late push for a Europa League place as they climbed up to sixth with a 2-1 win over Brighton.Cole Palmer gave the visitors the lead at the Amex, superbly heading into the top corner from a Marc Cucurella cut-back.Cole Palmer gave Chelsea the lead with a sumptuous headerCredit: RexChristopher Nkunku swept home Chelsea’s second of the gameCredit: ReutersMauricio Pochettino’s men thought they had made it 2-0 when Nicolas Jackson nodded in, but he was correctly ruled offside.Chelsea then did double their advantage through substitute Christopher Nkunku in the 64th minute as he swept home Malo Gusto’s impressive cut-back.But there were two sour notes for Chelsea to end on as Reece James was dismissed for a ridiculous kick-out at Joao Pedro following a VAR review, before Danny Welbeck pulled a goal back in stoppage time.The result sees Chelsea move above Newcastle into sixth – a position that will be good enough for Europa League football next season providing Manchester City beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final.READ MORE ON CHELSEAHere is how SunSport’s Dylan Terry saw the performances of the Chelsea players.Djordje Petrovic – 6/10Was caught wrong-footed for Adingra’s strike and will have been thankful to see it roll the other side of the post.Had very little else to do other than a routine stop to deny a Pedro header. Could do nothing about the goal.Malo Gusto – 8Let fly with a venomous long-range attempt that forced Verbruggen into a smart save.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSRifled a cross-shot right across the six-yard box and can blame his team-mates for failing to get on the end of it.Set up the second with a wonderful piece of wide-play. An all-round complete display from the full-back.Paul Merson blasts ‘worrying’ Todd Boehly comments as he claims Chelsea owner ‘bought players who did well on YouTube’ Malo Gusto was sensational for Chelsea on Wednesday nightCredit: GettyTrevoh Chalobah – 7Accomplished in and out of possession, snuffing out any second balls for Pedro. Also played some accurate passes into midfield.Brilliantly tracked Adingra and slid in to clear the danger when up against him one-on-one in a dangerous position.Benoit Badiashile – 6Had a quiet evening by all accounts.Not as impressive as Chalobah with his distribution of the ball but still solid enough at the back.Marc Cucurella – 6Predictably received a hugely hostile atmosphere along with Caicedo and struggled in the early stages, giving the ball away and diving in to concede needless fouls.Defensively lacking, but going forward he showed his offensive attributes with a good cross for Palmer’s goal.Marc Cucurella showed both his defensive frailties and attacking qualityCredit: GettyMoises Caicedo – 7Showed the kind of quality he demonstrated at Brighton in the opening three minutes of the game with a delightful flick around the corner and pass to start a Chelsea attack.Kept things ticking over to a chorus of jeers from all corners of the South Coast stadium.Conor Gallagher – 7Crucially got his head to the ball ahead of Gross from two yards out to prevent Brighton from taking the lead.The beating heart of the Chelsea team, does all the things often overlooked in a midfielder – tracking the runner, playing the simple passes, linking defence to attack.Cole Palmer – 7You would have been forgiven for not realising he was on the pitch until he popped up with the opener. But what a header it was.As Jackson, Madueke and Mudryk continue to look a little blunt in front of goal, Palmer continues to bail them out, taking his tally to 25 for the season.Palmer scored his 25th goal of the season in all competitionsCredit: GettyNoni Madueke – 6Bright and a constant nuisance for the less mobile Igor, but lacked a final pass or shot.Drifted in and out of the game but on the whole a decent performance before he was replaced by Sterling midway through the second half.Nicolas Jackson – 5First touch let him down when he was played in behind after 15 minutes as he went wide and passed up the chance.Linked the play nicely enough for Palmer and the wide men, but his final ball simply has to improve. The pass across for Nkunku – who would have had an open goal – was unforgivable.Had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside call but really should not have strayed beyond the last defender.Replaced by Thiago in the dying embers.Mykhailo Mudryk – 6Should offer more of a threat than he does given his pace in behind. Struggled with the physicality of the Brighton defenders.Had to be replaced before half-time after being clattered by Lamptey.SubsChristopher Nkunku (for Mudryk, 42 mins) – 6Looked lively as soon as he replaced Mudryk before the break.Found space at the beginning of the second half but could only fire his effort wide.Then popped up to slot home Gusto’s pull back to make sure of the victory, producing his balloon celebration for good measure.Nkunku scored his first goal of the year and third in a Chelsea shirtCredit: GettyRaheem Sterling (for Madueke, 69 mins) – 6Did little to impact the game, but cannot be blamed for much of Chelsea’s possession going down the other side late on.Worked hard defensively once James was sent off as Chelsea dropped off to a deeper block.Reece James (for Gusto, 69 mins) – 2Showed some glimpses going forward but was then dismissed for the most ridiculous of kick-outs.READ MORE SUN STORIESA sorry end to a thoroughly frustrating season for the England right-back.Substitute Reece James was sent off for a thoughtless kick-outCredit: ReutersThiago Silva (for Jackson, 90 mins) – N/ACesare Casadei (for Palmer, 90+8 mins) – N/ALesley Ugochukwu (for Gallagher, 90+8 mins) – N/AUnused subs: Bettinelli, Chilwell, Levi Colwill. More

COLE PALMER’S season gets better and better, while Reece James’ could hardly get worse.Chelsea’s superstar Palmer has single-handedly guided the club from the depths of mid-table to what should be continental football next season with his elite goal-getting prowess.Cole Palmer scored as Chelsea beat Brighton 2-1Credit: GettyChristopher Nkunku was also on target as Chelsea moved into 6th placeCredit: GettyHis 22nd of the Premier League term – a smooth looping header in the 34th minute – helped down Brighton to lift the Blues into a Europa League-beckoning sixth spot.And as if Palmer’s shoulders are not heavy enough, he will surely be expected to replicate this stunning form for England in Germany this summer at the Euros.But what of James? An injury-plagued season and a straight red here coming off the bench which will see him miss yet more football for both club and country with a major tournament looming and friendly auditions on the horizon.It was an idiotic 88th-minute kick-out at Joao Pedro off the ball on a night when VAR was under the microscope more than ever.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLChristopher Nkunku stepped off the bench to double the lead in the 64th minute with just his third goal in a Chelsea shirt, but the away end sung Palmer’s name into the night, even after Danny Welbeck’s injury time consolation.Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate is notoriously safe in his selection process, yet you simply cannot ignore the elegance and electricity that Palmer possesses right now – and you cannot ignore James’ dramatic plummeting form.What a £40m signing Palmer has been since arriving from Manchester City, taking Pep Guardiola’s preferred main man in Erling Haaland – who has 27 Prem goals so far – all the way for that Golden Boot with one outing remaining.A fourth successive top flight victory for the first time since October 2022 has steadied the ship and calmed choppy waters at Chelsea. Progress is – finally – being made in West London.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSOn the South Coast, Robert De Zerbi’s Seagulls end this historic campaign – where they have competed on four fronts domestically and on the continent – battling for a top 10 presence.One win in their last nine in the Prem was not what De Zerbi had envisioned, yet the Italian knows that with their injury crisis soon behind them, next season bodes yet more promise.Chelsea’s top summer transfer targetsThe Italian coach – now expected to remain at Brighton for another year at least – made two changes from last weekend as Pedro and Tariq Lamptey came in.Poch altered his line-up by just one – Thiago Silva dropping out for Malo Gusto, while £115m summer signing Moises Caicedo made his first return to the Amex.But in the 16th minute, another ex-Seagull in Marc Cucurella thought he had won a penalty following Facundo Buonanotte’s lunge.Ref Michael Salisbury had no hesitation, that was until VAR requested a monitor review which showed Buonanotte had just won the ball. Who needs VAR, huh?Cole Palmer gave Chelsea the leadCredit: ReutersInjury-ravaged Christopher Nkunku fired in a secondCredit: ReutersNo intervention needed for Palmer’s brilliance – guiding Cucurella’s cross over Verbruggen with ease and arrogance, matched only by his ‘chilly’ celebration.Brighton responded. Lamptey was influential before he was involved in a nasty off-the-ball collision that decked Mykhailo Mudryk with Nkunku replacing the Ukrainian soon after.VAR checked and waved on. Palmer almost found another from Malo Gusto’s delivery but was denied by Lewis Dunk’s block. Nicolas Jackson had a flick-on ruled out for a foul in the build-up and Pedro smacked the bar with his header.Reece James was shown a straight red for kicking out at Joao PedroCredit: Premier LeagueJames faces a bumper four-game banCredit: GettyDanny Welbeck pulled one back late on but Brighton could not get an equaliserCredit: PAThe end-to-end madness continued after the break, coinciding with Brighton skipper Dunk being subbed off with injury.Palmer, Gusto and Jackson all squandered big early chances and Pascal Gross somehow knocked wide from another superb Lamptey pick-out.Poch was getting edgy over his side’s wastefulness until Nkunku tucked away Gusto’s low cross with aplomb.READ MORE SUN STORIESVAR had one more spotlight moment, rightly asking ref Salisbury to watch back footage of James – on the pitch for 19 minutes – swiping at Pedro while on the floor. Red all day.Nevertheless, Chelsea fans can start to dust off their suitcases… More

CHELSEA sub Reece James was sent off for kicking – in a regrettable replica of sister Laura’s World Cup shame.Skipper James ruined his second cameo after a long spell out injured by lashing out in the 89th minute of a 2-1 Premier League win at Brighton.Reece James saw red in the closing minutes at 2-0 upCredit: RexLauren James apologised after a dismissal for stamping on Michelle AlozieCredit: APFouled and grounded by Joao Pedro, the England wing-back struck out his leg – connecting with the thigh of the Brazilian striker.James will now be banned for the first three Prem games next season – as it’s his second dismissal of the campaign.Referee Michael Salisbury missed the retaliation at first – but flashed the red card at James after VAR asked the whistler to check replays.The defender’s sibling Lauren was dismissed last August when a VAR review showed she had stamped on Nigerian star Michelle Alozie.Chelsea were 2-0 up when James was given his marching orders – with Danny Welbeck grabbing a consolation for Brighton deep in stoppage time.Cole Palmer’s 22nd goal of the season and sub Chris Nkunku’s goal midway through the second half had earlier left the Blues seemingly coasting.But VAR controversy marred the clash.Chelsea had a penalty overturned after Salisbury watched pitch-side replays of a challenge on ex-Seagull Marc Cucurella.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAnd many Blues’ fans were seething when what they reckoned was a clear “elbow” on Mykhailo Mudryk by ex-Stamford Bridge kid Tariq Lamptey went unpunished. Mudryk’s replacement Nkunku went on to play a key role as Chelsea leapfrogged Newcastle into sixth place.Chelsea legend’s daughter cheekily shows off her bum in bold outfit as stunned fans say ‘excuse me?’ But James’ sending-off tarnished the joy for Mauricio Pochettino’s men.He’d set up a goal when he launched his comeback in Sunday’s 3-2 dramatic win at Nottingham Forest.But this time his quick reactions were of a negative kind – and almost sparked the opposite result.Sister Lauren apologised for her own rash moment nine months ago in a last-16 tie that the Lionesses only won on penalties.”I am sorry for what happened,” she said, before promising: “I promise to learn from my experience.” More

CHELSEA got their numbers in a twist in an awkward blunder at Brighton.Mauricio Pochettino was keen to ring the changes at the Amex with his side leading 2-0 in the second half.There was confusion over Chelsea’s double substitution at BrightonCredit: RexEventually Reece James could come on for Malo GustoCredit: RexBut a mix-up by one of his coaches saw the Blues forced to cancel their substitution.And that left skipper Reece James standing perplexed on the touchline waiting to come on.It appears Chelsea’s staff managed to hand the wrong digits to the fourth official Andy Davies on the south coast.So when the stadium announcer read out that Noni Madueke was going to come off for James, the coaches went into a panic and immediately tried to scrap the change to ensure the right switches took place.Eventually, though, the Chelsea bench got their admin all sorted out.And that enabled a 69th-minute double change which saw James replace fellow right-back Malo Gusto while Raheem Sterling took his place on the wing instead of Madueke. But when they did finally get done, Chelsea fans were happy with the decisions.One said: “Love the Sterling and James subs.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAnother wrote: “Good subs by Poch. Adingra doesn’t wanna track back, keeps losing gusto. Sterling and James should cause more problems down that right side now. Hopefully another goal.”The Blues were already on course for all three points away at the Seagulls. A look at Chelsea’s forgotten wonderkidsCole Palmer had put Chelsea in front as they continued their strong end to the season with a superb looping header.Then sub Christopher Nkunku, who came on for the injured Mykhailo Mudryk just before half-time, doubled his side’s lead.The French forward turned home a low Gusto cross on 64 minutes.However, Chelsea fans excited by James’ entrance soon had their hopes dashed when he was sent off.The England international kicked out at Joao Pedro in a moment of madness to see red late on. And the nerves were jangling in the away end when Danny Welbeck scored in the 97th minute to make it 2-1. But the ten men clung on to keep their hopes of a shock fifth-placed finish alive. James was sent off late on for kicking out at Joao PedroCredit: Reuters More