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    Piers Morgan leads calls for Arsenal star to be played in different position in huge tactical shake up for Mikel Arteta

    PIERS MORGAN joked that Gabriel Magalhaes should play up front for Arsenal after his goal against Crystal Palace.No Gunner has managed more than six Premier League goals this season.
    Gabriel clambered above his marker to scoreCredit: AP
    The Brazilian celebrates his goalCredit: Reuters
    Arsenal went into this afternoon’s match on a run of just one win in their last seven games in all competitions.
    Mikel Arteta’s side have struggled to find the net in some matches, having drawn blanks in their last two Emirates assignments, against West Ham and Liverpool respectively.
    On what would be a comfortable afternoon against a badly out-of-form Crystal Palace side, centre-back Gabriel gave his side an 11th minute lead.
    The Brazilian headed in Declan Rice’s corner, clambering above his marker to score.
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    He then rose to nod another set piece in off the back of Dean Henderson’s head on 37 minutes.
    Despite the dubious goals committee giving the second as a Henderson own goal, Sun columnist Piers liked what he saw from Gabriel.
    Tagging the defender’s Twitter handle, the 58-year-old joked: “2-0… another header by @biel_m04. Maybe we should play him as our striker..”
    And other fans even agreed.
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    One wrote: “He’s him.”
    While a second used laughing emojis as he commented: “bro is on fire.”
    Another added: “Perhaps & put havertz defender to see if he will do something.”
    Gabriel’s goal was his 13th in 147 games for the Gunners.
    Leandro Trossard added a third for Arsenal on 59 minutes after a swift counter attack.
    Gabriel Martinelli then rose from the bench to add a late double in the closing stages.
    Their win saw the Gunners climb above Aston Villa into third on goal difference.
    Arsenal trounced Palace 5-0Credit: AP
    Piers Morgan is desperate for a player to score prolifically for the GunnersCredit: Getty More

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    New TV angle shows why Gabriel has Arsenal goal taken away as Premier League release statement on controversial strike

    FANS were left raging after Arsenal’s second goal against Crystal Palace was attributed to a Dean Henderson own goal rather than Gabriel.The goal looked to have been nodded on target by the Arsenal defender, before taking a big deflection off Henderson, for his second of the game.
    Gabriel looked to have scored his second of the gameCredit: Alamy
    But the ball deflected off Henderson’s head in the chaotic scenesCredit: TNT SPORTS
    It’s a Gabriel double!Dean Henderson is left helpless as the Brazilian charges in and forces a goal off of the back of his head 🫣 pic.twitter.com/MLnDYJ1RkH— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 20, 2024

    The Brazilian had already shown he was a threat after scoring after 11 minutes courtesy of a Leandro Trossard delivery.
    And The Gunners were able to repeat the trick after 37 minutes when Bukayo Saka’s whipped corner found the head of Gabriel again.
    The goal looked to clearly be Gabriel’s given the goalbound nature of the header.
    However, the ball did bounce up off the back of Henderson’s head on its way in, leading to debate over who should be given the credit for second.
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    The punditry team in the TNT Sports studio were also convinced that it was a Henderson own goal.
    Adding to the confusion was the fact that the Premier League’s official X account (formerly known as Twitter) initially had the goal down as Gabriel’s courtesy of a Saka assist.
    But the account has since then updated fans to say the goal was in fact down to Henderson’s head rather than Gabriel’s.
    The account tweeted a statement to say: “After review, the Goal Accreditation Panel have confirmed Arsenal’s second goal to be an own goal by Dean Henderson.
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    “Gabriel is therefore awarded the assist.”
    Footage from TNT behind the goal showed why this was the case.
    Despite Gabriel losing his man to head a shot on goal, it looks as though it would have rolled across the width of the six yard box had it not been for Henderson’s head.
    One confused fan wrote: “He’s literally headed it on target, how’s that different to a deflection?”
    Another wrote: “The header was on target though.”
    While a third said: “The goal accreditation panel is wrong on this decision.”
    Footage from behind the goal shows the ball going across goal rather than in the net More

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    Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace LIVE RESULT: Gunners close gap on Premier League table toppers after thumping Eagles

    ARSENAL have beaten Crystal Palace 5-0 to close the gap on Premier League table toppers Liverpool.The Gunners took the lead after eleven minutes through Gabriel’s powerful header from a corner.
    Just past the half-hour mark, the Brazilian centre-back got on the end of Bukayo Saka’s corner yet again – and the ball ended up in the net for 2-0 with the final touch coming off Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
    In the second half, Leandro Trossard ended his goal drought after he expertly finished to make it 3-0 before Gabriel Martinelli scored a quick-fire double from the bench to seal a 5-0 for Arsenal.

    Match result: Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace
    Arsenal team: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Saka, Jesus, Trossard
    Crystal Palace team: Henderson, Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, Richards, Lerma, Hughes, Schlupp, Eze, Mateta

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    Follow our Arsenal vs Crystal Palace live blog below…
    The curious case of Kai Havertz
    Having spent £65m on the German midfielder in the summer, you have to wonder whether Mikel Arteta has ever seen a Chelsea game.
    Since arriving at The Emirates, the player has failed to impress and today was no different.
    Another anonymous performance where fans are left wondering if he is still on the pitch.

    Copy linkCopiedGunners move up table with win
    Arsenal move into third place in the Premier League, level on points with Aston Villa and Man City.
    They currently sit only two points behind leaders Liverpool.
    With Jurgen Klopp’s side due to visit The Emirates soon, this seems a mouth-watering prospect.
    Copy linkCopiedPalace fans make their voices heard
    As the goals went in towards the end of the game, the travelling fans unfurled some banners with messages for the owners.
    Things are not going well for The Eagles and there seems to be no quick fix to their problems.
    After the final whistle, Roy Hodgson stood on the touchline looking over at the away end and the messages from the Crystal Palace fans.
    Credit: Reuters
    Credit: PA
    Credit: PA
    Copy linkCopiedFrom SunSport’s Jordan Davies at The Emirates
    It only takes one moment to change the impetus of a season, and maybe Leandro Trossard’s goal to make it 3-0 was just that.
    Despite winning 2-0 thanks to two set-pieces, the mood inside the ground was flat. Arsenal were still not clicking with ball at feet and were terribly clunky in attack.
    And then came a free-flowing counter that brought the noise. David Raya’s quick throw-out, Gabriel Jesus’ driving run and pass and Trossard’s venomous finish.
    The sort of goal the swashbuckling Gunners of last season would have scored – rapid, direct and fantastically fluid. Arteta celebrated by shouting “VAMOS” while applauding Raya.
    The first open-play goal in this stadium by Arsenal since December 17.
    Maybe this is the one that brings the confidence back that this side desperately need to feed off for the rest of the campaign in the hunt for the title.
    Copy linkCopiedFT: Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace
    It is a five-star performance from The Gunners.
    Three second half goals condemn Crystal Palace to a heavy defeat.
    Mikel Arteta’s side put their poor run of form behind them.

    Copy linkCopiedFT: Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace
    The referee brings the game to a close to put the visitors out of their misery.
    A comfortable win for The Gunners from start to finish.
    Things do not look good for Roy Hodgson and his side.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace
    90+6. It is an absolute carbon-copy of the previous goal.
    Crystal Palace have not learnt anything as Martinelli ghosts in to slot the ball into the same corner once again.
    The Brazilian scores a brace from the bench.
    Copy linkCopiedGoal – Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 4-0 Crystal Palace
    90+4. The icing is put on the cake as Nketiah feeds the ball into space for Martinelli to run onto.
    As he bears down on goal, he slots the ball into the far corner.
    The fans in the away end take this as the signal to head home.
    Copy linkCopiedGoal – Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    90+2. The Crystal Palace fans have unfurled some banners showing their thoughts on the way the club is run.
    It seems the general feeling is there is not investment in the squad.
    Having lost Zaha in the summer, they haven’t really brought many players in during the summer transfer window.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    90. Mikel Arteta will be pleased with the result today.
    It was integral that his side got back to winning ways.
    There will be far harder challenges than this Palace team in the weeks to come, that is for sure.
    We are going to have six additional minutes.
    Credit: Reuters
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    88. Martinelli gets to the byline and crosses.
    It is half-cleared and ball breaks to Zinchenko in the box.
    His shot is weak and trickles through to Henderson.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    86. Tomkins comes on for Guehi for the visitors.
    Arsenal continue to pass the ball around, trying to probe and find an opening.
    Jorginho clips a ball forward but Nketiah cannot hold it up.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    84. This game is gong through the motions now.
    Crystal Palace continue to get numbers behind the ball as the hosts try to break them down.
    Martinelli has looked lively since his introduction.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    82. Jesus and Gabriel come off for Kiwior and Nketiah.
    It is another game without a goal for the former Man City striker.
    Despite the scoreline, their strikers continue to fire blanks.
    The Arsenal frontline could be renamed ‘the starting pistol’.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    80. Crystal Palace have a corner but it is headed clear by Gabriel.
    Arsenal counter attack with pace as Martinelli runs forward.
    Mitchell does well to track his run and wins the ball back.
    Credit: Getty
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    78. Arsenal whip a free kick into the box which is headed clear.
    The ball drops to Jorginho some thirty yards out, who opts to have a shot.
    It is the sort of effort you expect to see on a parks pitch on Sunday morning up and down the country.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    76. Ahamada and Franca come on for the visitors.
    They replace Schlupp and Clyne.
    This has been a disappointing performance for the Crystal Palace fans.
    Fortunately they have not had to travel far.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    74. Declan Rice comes off for Jorginho.
    Arteta has the chance to give some of his fringe players a run out now with the result in the bag.
    Arsenal look to play the ball out from a goal kick like a five-a-side game and Raya immediately puts Odegaard under pressure.
    This just seems like an accident waiting to happen with this Spanish keeper.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    72. Arsenal will get a bit of a break after today’s game.
    Next weekend sees a round of FA Cup action which no longer involves The Gunners.
    Mikel Arteta’s side are in complete control of this game now.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    70. Arsenal look most susceptible when they are trying to play out from the back, it really doesn’t work for them.
    Trossard and Havertz come off for Smith Rowe and Martinelli.
    Chance for them to make a claim for regular places in this Arsenal line-up.
    Credit: Getty
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    68. Palace look to make a change as Hughes is replaced by Ozoh.
    The visiting fans will be hoping he can make a difference.
    Arsenal look set to make a couple of changes also.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    66. Roy Hodgson’s job could really be under threat right now.
    Wins are looking hard to come by and they are stuck in a rut of poor form currently.
    You have to wonder about the presence of Graham Potter at the game today even more now.
    Copy linkCopiedArsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace
    64. Jesus is penalised for a foul on Eze just outside the box.
    This presents a chance for Crystal Palace to trouble Raya in the Arsenal goal.
    Eberechi Eze is stood over the ball and strikes it well but the Arsenal keeper palms it over the crossbar.
    It was a routine save as the Palace winger hit it straight at him.
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    Police storm away end at Arsenal to remove drum before Crystal Palace fans set off banned red and blue flares

    CRYSTAL PALACE fans set off red and blue flares at the Emirates ahead of their Premier League match at Arsenal this afternoon.The Eagles made the short trip north of the river to take on Mikel Arteta’s side.
    Crystal Palace fans let off flares in the away endCredit: Reuters
    Eagles fans are known for their unique supportCredit: PA
    Cops confiscated the palace drum ahead of the matchCredit: Getty
    Palace fans are known for producing a unique atmosphere during home matches at Selhurst Park.
    Ahead of today’s match, however, they had their drum taken by Emirates stewards.
    In response to the confiscation, Palace fans found a different way to show their support for their team.
    Moments before kick off, supporters let off huge banned red and blue flares in the away end.
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    Plumes of smoke could be seen during the TNT Sports broadcast of the match.
    Posting a video clip of the smoke, fan channel Eagle-Eyed Football wrote: “They took our drum but that ain’t stopping us.”
    Another Palace fan gushed: “My club.”
    Unfortunately for those in the away end, Arsenal took an early lead.
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    Gabriel Magalhaes clambered above his marker to nod the Gunners in front in the 11th minute.
    The Brazilian then profited on shambolic defending to double his side’s lead on 37 minutes.
    Roy Hodgson has been under pressure of late amid a poor run of form.
    Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter, who has been linked with Palace in the past, was spotted in the stands at the Emirates. More

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    Brentford vs Nottingham Forest LIVE SCORE: Ivan Toney returns from eight-month ban hoping to end Bees’ woeful Prem form

    IVAN TONEY is BACK and he’ll be determined to end Brentford’s winless run against Nottingham Forest.The sought-after striker served an eight-month suspension for breaching football betting rules.
    But Toney makes returns this evening as the Bees take on Forest in a huge relegation battle.

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    I’m a Premier League title winner with Arsenal – Mikel Arteta needs to send urgent message to Gunners stars

    MIKEL ARTETA needs to instil an important message into his players’ minds if they are to win the Premier League title this season, says club legend Ray Parlour.The Gunners’ bid to win their first league trophy since 2004, when Parlour was still playing with the Invincibles, has faltered after losing three of their last five matches to Aston Villa, West Ham and Fulham.
    Ray Parlour insists Arsenal can still win the Premier League titleCredit: Getty
    Kai Havertz, Ben White, Gabriel Jesus, Jakub Kiwior, Gabriel Martinelli and Reiss Nelson were among the Arsenal squad who escaped to Dubai for some warm weather trainingCredit: Getty
    That led to the North Londoners plunging to fourth place in the table and getting eliminated from the FA Cup by Liverpool.
    Despite recent struggles, former midfielder Parlour remains adamant Arsenal still have a massive chance of conquering the Prem as long as they win their next “three or four games” to regain their momentum.
    That in turn would help them find the required form that would allow them to become consistent, something that will be especially important in April and May when they approach the finish line.
    The ex-England international remembered how that sort of mentality helped Arsene Wenger’s side win the Double in 1998.
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    Arsenal were 12 points away from the top but a massive victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford led to a 10-game unbeaten run that saw Parlour lift one of three league trophies he won.
    But in order to do that Arteta needs to make his players understand that they’re still in a title race despite their recent poor run.
    The 50-year-old hopes these sort of necessary talks took place during the club’s recent warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
    Parlour told SunSport on behalf of NetBet Betting: “Well, all they got to do now is win their next three or four games, that is vital now [starting with] Crystal Palace next week.
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    “You know they’ve had that little bit of a blip, sometimes when a break comes around is a bad time for your club. When you do really well you want the next games to come on very, very quickly.
    “But I think this break has come at a good time for Arsenal where they’ve had three defeats to Liverpool, Fulham and West Ham but now they can go away together.
    “They can have a couple of meetings, they can get that little bit of togetherness because they are in a title race still, as much as they’ve had three disappointing results – I mean the FA Cup is always an important trophy for the club as well but they are in a title race.
    “Whether Man City drop points we’ll have to wait and see. They nearly dropped points at the weekend against Newcastle, [Kevin] De Bruyne made a big difference when he came off the bench.
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    “But you’re still in a title race and that is what Mikel Arteta has got to get across to the players. It’s an old cliche, one game at a time but the next three games for Arsenal gotta guarantee three wins.
    “As a title winner myself, it doesn’t really kick in. You got to stay in the hunt. But when you get to the last seven games, that’s when every game is so important, every single game.
    “And I’ll go back to ’98, we was 12 points behind [and] we managed to get a run going. We beat Manchester United at Old Trafford and then we went on a 10-game unbeaten run. That’s that sort of form you gotta find towards that sort of time.
    “I mean, March [and] April, is when it really starts hotting up. That’s when it starts.
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    “Every single game gets pressurised and I’m hoping the youngsters – because it’s a young squad – they’re still learning but hopefully they learned a little bit from last season and they can probably turn that around a little bit.
    “But yeah, it’s gonna be really tight up there. And I really hope it goes down to the last three games and Arsenal have got a chance.
    But Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta needs to convince his players they are still in a title raceCredit: Getty More

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    The top ten most expensive Premier League clubs for fans to follow revealed.. and it’s bad news for Londoners

    THE top 10 most expensive Premier League clubs to support have been revealed.And it’s unlucky for Londoners as it is their clubs who top the table based on affordability.
    Tottenham has been ranked as the least affordable club to support in the Premier LeagueCredit: PA
    Bournemouth has received the highest score making them the most affordable club to supportCredit: Alamy
    Being a fan of a club is not always a matter of choice – many are born into it or follow their local team.
    Bet Gambling Site has analysed the financial data and created an index ranking of the most expensive football clubs in the Premier League. 
    And Tottenham have topped the table for the first time, but it’s not the one they would want to.
    Scores were ranked from average matchday ticket price, average season ticket price, matchday food cost (price of a pint, tea and pie together), price of parking and membership cost (per year).
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    Then each ranking factor was assigned a weight to calculate an affordability score out of 100.
    The Lilywhites scored the lowest, making it the least affordable to support, with a dismal score of 19.45.
    Arsenal followed with a score of 28.5, while fellow Londoners West Ham (34.17), Fulham (41.34) and Chelsea (49.98) came in after.
    The Hammers’ London Stadium has the most expensive matchday food in the EPL, with the price of a pint, tea and pie together being £14.25.
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    And the Cottagers has the most expensive season tickets in the league, with an average price costing £1,798.
    But its the London Stadium again who have the most expensive matchday tickets on average, costing £75.
    Meanwhile, Bournemouth is the league’s most affordable club with a rating of 84.1.
    The Cherries is the most value-friendly, with no membership fees and cheap parking at just £6.00.
    This is something the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium can only dream of as parking racks up to a staggering £37.
    Completing the top ten list from the sixth spot are Aston Villa (50.53), Manchester City (51.68), Crystal Palace (57.15), Everton (58.16) and Brentford (58.74). More

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    Greece boss Gus Poyet reveals return date for injured Liverpool ace in big boost for Jurgen Klopp after Mo Salah injury

    LIVERPOOL ace Kostas Tsimikas will be back in action by March 21, according to Greece manager Gus Poyet.Tsimikas suffered a broken collar bone during last month’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Anfield in the Premier League.
    Liverpool star Kostas Tsimikas will be back from injury on March 21Credit: Getty
    Liverpool’s Tsimikas suffered a broken collarbone last monthCredit: Reuters
    A touchline tangle between the left-back and Bukayo Saka ten minutes before the break sent the former crashing into the Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp who went down with his player.
    The 27-year-old, who was filling in for Andy Robertson who’s also injured, was immediately taken to hospital where the extent of his injury was confirmed.
    However, Poyet is confident the Greece international will be back in two months at the latest.
    In fact, Tsimikas will be fighting fit for Greece’s crucial Euro 2024 play-off semi-final clash against Kazakhstan at OPAP Arena.
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    And if Ethniki make it past Magomed Adiyev’s side then the Greek star will also compete in the final on March 26 at either Luxembourg or Georgia.
    The Chelsea and Tottenham legend added that the ex-Olympiacos star is “very happy with the progression” of his rehabilitation, which is going faster than expected.
    Poyet told SunSport on behalf of William Hill: Yes, for sure [Tsimikas will play against Kazakhstan].
    “If nothing goes wrong now Tsimi is going to be back very, very soon. He’s very happy with the progression, it’s going quicker than expected.
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    “It’s typical, that when they put a range of six to eight weeks or four to six weeks.
    “For Tsimi it’s [always] going to be the shortest one, which is fantastic.
    “Obviously, then it depends on how much he will play. But, you know, I’m in contact with him and I’m sure he’s going to be available.”
    This poses as a major boost for Liverpool boss Klopp, who is currently dealing with a major injury headache.
    Tsimikas’ close friend Mohamed Salah limped off the pitch during Egypt’s 2-2 draw with Ghana on Thursday at the Africa Cup of Nations.
    The Egyptian FA announced that Salah suffered a hamstring strain and will miss his country’s next two matches.
    As a result, the winger is ruled out of their final group match against Cape Verde as well as the Round of 16, if they qualify.
    Greece manager Gus Poyet said Tsimikas will compete in the Euro 2024 play-offsCredit: AFP More