Arsenal have been drawn against CSKA Moscow in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

The Gunners booked their place in the last eight by defeating AC Milan, winning the second leg 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday evening to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory.

In the other quarter-final ties, Atletico Madrid face Sporting Lisbon, RB Leipzig tackle Marseille and Lazio take on Red Bull Salzburg.

Arsenal last reached a European quarter-final in 2010, when they lost to Barcelona in the Champions League.

The Gunners look unlikely to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, currently sitting in sixth place - 12 points behind fourth-spotted Liverpool.

Arsene Wenger&rsquo;s men, though, have now won their last three matches in all competitions to ease the pressure a little on the veteran Frenchman. 
&nbsp;

The Gunners booked their place in the last eight by defeating AC Milan

Arsenal have been drawn against CSKA Moscow in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. The Gunners booked their place in the last eight by defeating AC Milan, winning the second leg 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday evening to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory. In the other quarter-final ties, Atletico Madrid face Sporting Lisbon, RB Leipzig tackle Marseille and Lazio take on Red Bull Salzburg. Arsenal last reached a European quarter-final in 2010, when they lost to Barcelona in the Champions League. The Gunners look unlikely to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, currently sitting in sixth place - 12 points behind fourth-spotted Liverpool. Arsene Wenger’s men, though, have now won their last three matches in all competitions to ease the pressure a little on the veteran Frenchman.

Europa League: Arsenal draw CSKA Moscow in quarterfinals

Arsenal completed a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday (March 15) over seven-times European champions AC Milan, winning 3-1 on the night in north London after the Italians had scored first.

Hakan Calhanoglu&#39;s stunning strike put Milan ahead but the lead lasted only four minutes as Danny Welbeck was awarded a highly-dubious penalty, falling to the ground despite apparently no contact from Milan defender Ricardo Rodriguez.

Welbeck converted the 39th-minute penalty and added a late header after Granit Xhaka&#39;s goal had put the tie beyond Milan.

Gattuso said he didn&#39;t want his team to dwell on the controversial decisions in the game and said he understood why players look for an unfair advantage. He also offered his apologies to Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal for throwing the ball in his direction after also apologising to him on the pitch.

Arsenal completed a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday over seven-times European champions AC Milan, winning 3-1 on the night in north London after the Italians had scored first

Arsenal completed a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday (March 15) over seven-times European champions AC Milan, winning 3-1 on the night in north London after the Italians had scored first. Hakan Calhanoglu's stunning strike put Milan ahead but the lead lasted only four minutes as Danny Welbeck was awarded a highly-dubious penalty, falling to the ground despite apparently no contact from Milan defender Ricardo Rodriguez. Welbeck converted the 39th-minute penalty and added a late header after Granit Xhaka's goal had put the tie beyond Milan. Gattuso said he didn't want his team to dwell on the controversial decisions in the game and said he understood why players look for an unfair advantage. He also offered his apologies to Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal for throwing the ball in his direction after also apologising to him on the pitch.

Watch: Arsenal beat AC Milan to reach quarter-finals of Europa League

Arsenal eased their way past Watford 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, marking their first clean sheet in 12 league matches and settling nerves at the Emirates after a string of losses in 2018.

A first-half header from Shkodran Mustafi and second-half strikes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan sealed the win for the Gunners.

Watford won a penalty when Arsenal&#39;s Ainsley Maitland-Niles was deemed to have brought down Roberto Pereyra, but Petr Cech got his fingertips to Troy Deeney&#39;s spot kick, nudging the ball onto the post and back out to roars of approval from the home crowd.

The win leaves Arsenal 10 points off Champions League qualification in sixth place in the standings, while Watford stay in 10th.

A first-half header from Shkodran Mustafi and second-half strikes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan sealed the win for the Gunners

Arsenal eased their way past Watford 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, marking their first clean sheet in 12 league matches and settling nerves at the Emirates after a string of losses in 2018. A first-half header from Shkodran Mustafi and second-half strikes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan sealed the win for the Gunners. Watford won a penalty when Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles was deemed to have brought down Roberto Pereyra, but Petr Cech got his fingertips to Troy Deeney's spot kick, nudging the ball onto the post and back out to roars of approval from the home crowd. The win leaves Arsenal 10 points off Champions League qualification in sixth place in the standings, while Watford stay in 10th.

EPL: Arsenal beat Watford 3-0 for first clean sheet in 12 league matches

Arsenal&nbsp;manager Arsene Wenger expressed his relief after his side&#39;s Europa League success at AC Milan on Thursday by describing it as an important win after a nightmare week.

&quot;I am happy with the spirit and response we gave,&quot; said the Frenchman after a 2-0 victory at San Siro in the last 16 first leg tie ended a run of four successive defeats.

&ldquo;We were not in a position to take risks, but we could not be too cautious as you lose fluidity. We defended with resilience until the end,&quot; he said.

&quot;When you are knocked down like a boxer, you don&rsquo;t have time to react and you are only halfway up, but you have to respond. Your pride and desire to show quality has to come through in the game.

&quot;It is an important win of course after we had a nightmare week,&quot; added Wenger, whose side came to Milan after losing to Premier League leaders Manchester City -- who also beat them in last month&#39;s League Cup final -- and Brighton &amp; Hove Albion.

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Arsenal&#39;s Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil described the win in Milan as &quot;our best away performance for some time&quot;, while Aaron Ramsey, scorer of the second goal, called it a &quot;great response.&quot;

Arsenal&nbsp;are 13 points adrift of the Champions League places in the Premier League and are pinning their hopes on winning the Europa League to qualify for Europe&#39;s elite club competition.

Not surprisingly, Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso was far from happy after seeing his team&#39;s 13-match unbeaten run end.

&quot;We made too many mistakes,&quot; he said. &quot;We never played as a compact team and they deserved the win.

&quot;Every time they attacked, they could have scored. Playing at this level is something new for our lads but there were too many mistakes,&quot; he added.

However, the famously fiery coach refused to throw in the towel in the tie.

&quot;In football, you never say never,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ll go to London to try and win, we&#39;re not going on an excursion. This is Milan and there is a shirt we have to respect.&quot;

&nbsp;

It is an important win of course after we had a nightmare week: Arsene Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger expressed his relief after his side's Europa League success at AC Milan on Thursday by describing it as an important win after a nightmare week. "I am happy with the spirit and response we gave," said the Frenchman after a 2-0 victory at San Siro in the last 16 first leg tie ended a run of four successive defeats. “We were not in a position to take risks, but we could not be too cautious as you lose fluidity. We defended with resilience until the end," he said. "When you are knocked down like a boxer, you don’t have time to react and you are only halfway up, but you have to respond. Your pride and desire to show quality has to come through in the game. "It is an important win of course after we had a nightmare week," added Wenger, whose side came to Milan after losing to Premier League leaders Manchester City -- who also beat them in last month's League Cup final -- and Brighton & Hove Albion. Squad ????#WeAreTheArsenal pic.twitter.com/6WwNDnCaq3 — Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) March 9, 2018 × Arsenal's Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil described the win in Milan as "our best away performance for some time", while Aaron Ramsey, scorer of the second goal, called it a "great response." Arsenal are 13 points adrift of the Champions League places in the Premier League and are pinning their hopes on winning the Europa League to qualify for Europe's elite club competition. Not surprisingly, Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso was far from happy after seeing his team's 13-match unbeaten run end. "We made too many mistakes," he said. "We never played as a compact team and they deserved the win. "Every time they attacked, they could have scored. Playing at this level is something new for our lads but there were too many mistakes," he added. However, the famously fiery coach refused to throw in the towel in the tie. "In football, you never say never," he said. "We'll go to London to try and win, we're not going on an excursion. This is Milan and there is a shirt we have to respect."

Arsenal beat AC Milan to register much-awaited victory

Juventus relied on their warrior instincts, according to midfielder Blaise Matuidi, as they stunned Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate at Wembley on Wednesday.

Needing to score twice in the second half, the Italians appeared to be heading out until goals by Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala in the 64th and 67th minutes cancelled out Son Heung-min&#39;s opener for Tottenham, ending a poor run against English clubs in two-legged European ties.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea had all beaten Juventus in the knockout phase of the Champions League and they lost to Fulham in the Europa League.

But Massimiliano Allegri&#39;s side are made of sterner stuff, as they have proved by reaching two of the last three Champions League finals and now going on a 21-match unbeaten run in all competitions this season.

&quot;We weren&#39;t in a great position after the 2-2 at home. We knew we could score here, we did that,&quot; 30-year-old Frenchman Matuidi, who missed the first leg, told reporters.

&quot;We were up against a very very good team that has super players and plays good football. They finished top of their group. It was a challenge, one that we faced with heart and a warrior spirit and that made the difference.&quot;

No one typifies that more than 36-year-old Andrea Barzagli, a rugged no-nonsense pillar in a back four with more than 170 Champions League appearances between them.

When Tottenham threw everything at Juve in a desperate late assault to salvage their dream, he along with Giorgio Chiellini, Medhi Benatia and Alex Sandro stood firm in the storm.

Barzagli believes it is their kindred spirit that will make Juve feared quarter-final opponents.

&quot;We can really achieve anything with this great character, we played badly for over one hour and than turned everything around with two great goals,&quot; he said.

&quot;We were also lucky, but I think you deserve luck when you are ready to fight and sacrifice as we did tonight.&quot;

Chiellini said a calmness under pressure had allowed Juve to reach the quarter-final for the third time in their last five appearances in the competition.

&quot;At halftime we told ourselves that we had to remain calm despite suffering so much because our chances would come,&quot; he said.

&quot;Tottenham proved to be a great team, I think they are missing very little in becoming one of the best teams in Europe, maybe some experience.

&quot;A few years ago we were in the same place, and reaching two finals in the last three seasons helped us to better handle these kinds of games.&quot;

Allegri, whose decision to send on fresh legs in the shape of Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichtsteiner on the hour proved a masterstroke, praised his side&#39;s durability.

&quot;The lads were patient to wait for the right moment to hit them,&quot; he said. &quot;Considering the whole 180 minutes, I think our qualification was deserved.

&quot;In the first half we suffered a lot against a team with great quality. I decided that we needed fresh legs on the flanks, so I put Asamoah and Lichtsteiner in. I&#39;m happy it paid off.&quot;

Juventus relied on their warrior instincts, according to midfielder Blaise Matuidi, as they stunned Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate at Wembley

Juventus relied on their warrior instincts, according to midfielder Blaise Matuidi, as they stunned Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate at Wembley on Wednesday. Needing to score twice in the second half, the Italians appeared to be heading out until goals by Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala in the 64th and 67th minutes cancelled out Son Heung-min's opener for Tottenham, ending a poor run against English clubs in two-legged European ties. Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea had all beaten Juventus in the knockout phase of the Champions League and they lost to Fulham in the Europa League. But Massimiliano Allegri's side are made of sterner stuff, as they have proved by reaching two of the last three Champions League finals and now going on a 21-match unbeaten run in all competitions this season. "We weren't in a great position after the 2-2 at home. We knew we could score here, we did that," 30-year-old Frenchman Matuidi, who missed the first leg, told reporters. "We were up against a very very good team that has super players and plays good football. They finished top of their group. It was a challenge, one that we faced with heart and a warrior spirit and that made the difference." No one typifies that more than 36-year-old Andrea Barzagli, a rugged no-nonsense pillar in a back four with more than 170 Champions League appearances between them. When Tottenham threw everything at Juve in a desperate late assault to salvage their dream, he along with Giorgio Chiellini, Medhi Benatia and Alex Sandro stood firm in the storm. Barzagli believes it is their kindred spirit that will make Juve feared quarter-final opponents. "We can really achieve anything with this great character, we played badly for over one hour and than turned everything around with two great goals," he said. "We were also lucky, but I think you deserve luck when you are ready to fight and sacrifice as we did tonight." Chiellini said a calmness under pressure had allowed Juve to reach the quarter-final for the third time in their last five appearances in the competition. "At halftime we told ourselves that we had to remain calm despite suffering so much because our chances would come," he said. "Tottenham proved to be a great team, I think they are missing very little in becoming one of the best teams in Europe, maybe some experience. "A few years ago we were in the same place, and reaching two finals in the last three seasons helped us to better handle these kinds of games." Allegri, whose decision to send on fresh legs in the shape of Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichtsteiner on the hour proved a masterstroke, praised his side's durability. "The lads were patient to wait for the right moment to hit them," he said. "Considering the whole 180 minutes, I think our qualification was deserved. "In the first half we suffered a lot against a team with great quality. I decided that we needed fresh legs on the flanks, so I put Asamoah and Lichtsteiner in. I'm happy it paid off."

Champions league: Matuidi praises Juventus's warrior spirit after victory over Spurs

Arsene Wenger said Arsenal must recover quickly if they are to avoid suffering a fifth successive defeat when they visit AC Milan in the Europa League this week.

The under-fire Gunners manager accepted winning the competition marks his side&#39;s best hope of returning to the Champions League next season after a 2-1 defeat at Brighton left Arsenal 13 points adrift of the Premier League&#39;s top four.

But Wenger warned the effects of the London club`s recent schedule that included back-to-back 3-0 losses to Manchester City in the League Cup final and the league, had taken their toll on his players.

Wenger gave fatigue as the reason he opted to leave Aaron Ramsey, Hector Bellerin and Danny Welbeck out of his starting line-up at south coast club Brighton&#39;s Amex Stadium and the veteran manager is hoping his decision means he can call on fresh legs at the San Siro.

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&quot;It is important to recover mentally and physically, we are still jaded today, we gave a lot on Thursday night (against Manchester City) and you can see that today,&quot; he said after Sunday`s latest setback.

&quot;We have to continue, first to recover now. We play Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Sunday... it&#39;s nearly physically impossible to play this number of games.

&quot;The veteran French boss, who took charge at Arsenal in 1996, added: &quot;I left Ramsey out completely of the squad, left him at home, after everything he gave physically. We have to be realistic, we need two teams to collapse to qualify for the Champions League, and I don`t see that happening.

&quot;Two teams to drop so many points is very difficult to imagine. But we have to give our best as long as we can, and the Europa League becomes important.&quot;

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First-half goals from Brighton`s Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray put Chris Hughton&#39;s side in control, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang replying for Arsenal.

Wenger admitted his side&#39;s confidence is low after a woeful run that has brought eight defeats since the turn of the year and he said he did not wish to add to that problem by criticising the display against Brighton.

&quot;It&#39;s difficult for me to get into any negative assessment,&quot; he explained. &quot;The team needs more support at the moment. Tough objective judgement as well.&quot;

Wenger, in a somewhat bizarre analogy more befitting the occasional ramblings of compatriot Eric Cantona, the former Manchester United star, added: &quot;When you struggle for confidence, it&#39;s difficult as well when you have just the trousers on... It&#39;s easy to take the trousers off as well, but when you are naked completely you have to try and find a shirt and get dressed properly again.&quot;

Defeat intensified the pressure on Wenger but he insisted he had more immediate concerns.

&quot;At the moment, my future is not my main worry. My worry is to get Arsenal winning football games. Then we&#39;ll see where we go from there. I`ll try and give my best as long as I am here.&quot;

Brighton is now seven points clear of the bottom three and manager Hughton said: &quot;It&#39;s relieved a bit of the pressure of having to get a result. It&#39;s a nice position to be in.

&quot;Hopefully it will create some confidence. This group are working that hard, giving themselves every chance.&quot;

Hughton added: &quot;But we`re all professionals around here and, come tomorrow, our thoughts have to be in the next game -- can we get more points to make it even more comforting?&nbsp;&quot;As soon as you take your foot off the pedal, there are too many good teams around who can knock you down again.&quot;

&nbsp;

The under-fire Gunners manager accepted winning the competition marks his side's best hope of returning to the Champions League next season

Arsene Wenger said Arsenal must recover quickly if they are to avoid suffering a fifth successive defeat when they visit AC Milan in the Europa League this week. The under-fire Gunners manager accepted winning the competition marks his side's best hope of returning to the Champions League next season after a 2-1 defeat at Brighton left Arsenal 13 points adrift of the Premier League's top four. But Wenger warned the effects of the London club`s recent schedule that included back-to-back 3-0 losses to Manchester City in the League Cup final and the league, had taken their toll on his players. Wenger gave fatigue as the reason he opted to leave Aaron Ramsey, Hector Bellerin and Danny Welbeck out of his starting line-up at south coast club Brighton's Amex Stadium and the veteran manager is hoping his decision means he can call on fresh legs at the San Siro. "Couldn't have been placed better"#GoalOfTheDay @OfficialBHAFC pic.twitter.com/n9GHoSmham — Premier League (@premierleague) March 4, 2018 × "It is important to recover mentally and physically, we are still jaded today, we gave a lot on Thursday night (against Manchester City) and you can see that today," he said after Sunday`s latest setback. "We have to continue, first to recover now. We play Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Sunday... it's nearly physically impossible to play this number of games. "The veteran French boss, who took charge at Arsenal in 1996, added: "I left Ramsey out completely of the squad, left him at home, after everything he gave physically. We have to be realistic, we need two teams to collapse to qualify for the Champions League, and I don`t see that happening. "Two teams to drop so many points is very difficult to imagine. But we have to give our best as long as we can, and the Europa League becomes important." Chris Hughton is only the 3rd manager to beat Arsene Wenger in the #PL with three different clubs (after Mark Hughes & Sam Allardyce)#BHAARS pic.twitter.com/t5y8caNm4j — Premier League (@premierleague) March 4, 2018 × First-half goals from Brighton`s Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray put Chris Hughton's side in control, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang replying for Arsenal. Wenger admitted his side's confidence is low after a woeful run that has brought eight defeats since the turn of the year and he said he did not wish to add to that problem by criticising the display against Brighton. "It's difficult for me to get into any negative assessment," he explained. "The team needs more support at the moment. Tough objective judgement as well." Wenger, in a somewhat bizarre analogy more befitting the occasional ramblings of compatriot Eric Cantona, the former Manchester United star, added: "When you struggle for confidence, it's difficult as well when you have just the trousers on... It's easy to take the trousers off as well, but when you are naked completely you have to try and find a shirt and get dressed properly again." Defeat intensified the pressure on Wenger but he insisted he had more immediate concerns. "At the moment, my future is not my main worry. My worry is to get Arsenal winning football games. Then we'll see where we go from there. I`ll try and give my best as long as I am here." Brighton is now seven points clear of the bottom three and manager Hughton said: "It's relieved a bit of the pressure of having to get a result. It's a nice position to be in. "Hopefully it will create some confidence. This group are working that hard, giving themselves every chance." Hughton added: "But we`re all professionals around here and, come tomorrow, our thoughts have to be in the next game -- can we get more points to make it even more comforting? "As soon as you take your foot off the pedal, there are too many good teams around who can knock you down again."

Arsene Wenger wary of Milan as Arsenal try to snap losing run

Manchester City tore Arsenal apart for the second time in five days on Thursday, beating them 3-0 on a freezing night at The Emirates to restore their 16-point lead as they close in on the Premier League title.

Arsenal hoped for redemption after City thrashed them by the same scoreline in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday but first-half goals by Bernardo Silva, David Silva and Leroy Sane handed the Gunners their second home league loss this season.

Arsenal&#39;s club record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added to the home side&#39;s woes when his penalty was saved by Ederson early in the second half after fellow new arrival Henrikh Mkhitaryan was brought down just inside the area.

The win leaves Pep Guardiola&#39;s scintillating City side on 75 points from 28 games ahead of second-placed Manchester United and they only have to win five of their last 10 matches to be crowned champions for the third time in seven seasons.

&quot;We are close. It&#39;s in our hands, we can&#39;t deny it,&quot; Guardiola said, while stressing his team must focus on the next game at home to last season&#39;s champions Chelsea on Sunday.

He expressed some sympathy for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has faced renewed speculation over his future at the London club as the Gunners slide out of contention for Champions League football next season for the second year in a row.

&quot;He knows my admiration for him... I know all the managers can be in that situation. I&#39;m sure he&#39;s going to take the right decision for him and for the club,&quot; Guardiola told a post-match news conference without elaborating.

LOW CONFIDENCE

The result leaves Arsenal sixth, 10 points outside the top four places that guarantee Champions League football next term.

They can still qualify for Europe&#39;s elite club competition, but to do so they will almost certainly have to win the Europa League in which they meet AC Milan in the last 16.

&quot;We played with low confidence, you could see that at the start of the game and we paid for it,&quot; said Wenger.

&quot;We needed the penalty to go in, but that was another negative. We lost to a team that is the best in the country at the moment... The difference in the league is no coincidence.&quot;

On a snowy night at The Emirates, City&#39;s Portuguese forward Bernardo Silva opened the scoring in the 14th minute, collecting a pass after a long weaving run from Leroy Sane and delightfully curling his shot into the far corner past goalkeeper Petr Cech.

City sliced open Arsenal&#39;s defence again just before the half-hour, moving the ball swiftly upfield to Aguero who laid it into the path of David Silva racing up on the left, and the Spaniard drove a low shot into the corner to double the lead.

Sane made it 3-0 five minutes later, walking the ball into the goal after another quick-fire City move had bamboozled Arsenal&#39;s ramshackle defence who were left chasing shadows.

The young German&#39;s goal drew the first of many boos from the home fans in the less than full stadium as their team headed for home and away defeats by City for the first time in 42 years.

Arsenal had a chance to get back into the game when they won a penalty early in the second half but their Gabon striker Aubameyang saw his spot kick saved by Ederson to complete a miserable night that piles more pressure on Wenger&#39;s team.

Manchester City tore Arsenal apart for the second time in five day, beating them 3-0 at The Emirates to restore their 16-point lead at the top of the table

Manchester City tore Arsenal apart for the second time in five days on Thursday, beating them 3-0 on a freezing night at The Emirates to restore their 16-point lead as they close in on the Premier League title. Arsenal hoped for redemption after City thrashed them by the same scoreline in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday but first-half goals by Bernardo Silva, David Silva and Leroy Sane handed the Gunners their second home league loss this season. Arsenal's club record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added to the home side's woes when his penalty was saved by Ederson early in the second half after fellow new arrival Henrikh Mkhitaryan was brought down just inside the area. The win leaves Pep Guardiola's scintillating City side on 75 points from 28 games ahead of second-placed Manchester United and they only have to win five of their last 10 matches to be crowned champions for the third time in seven seasons. "We are close. It's in our hands, we can't deny it," Guardiola said, while stressing his team must focus on the next game at home to last season's champions Chelsea on Sunday. He expressed some sympathy for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has faced renewed speculation over his future at the London club as the Gunners slide out of contention for Champions League football next season for the second year in a row. "He knows my admiration for him... I know all the managers can be in that situation. I'm sure he's going to take the right decision for him and for the club," Guardiola told a post-match news conference without elaborating. LOW CONFIDENCE The result leaves Arsenal sixth, 10 points outside the top four places that guarantee Champions League football next term. They can still qualify for Europe's elite club competition, but to do so they will almost certainly have to win the Europa League in which they meet AC Milan in the last 16. "We played with low confidence, you could see that at the start of the game and we paid for it," said Wenger. "We needed the penalty to go in, but that was another negative. We lost to a team that is the best in the country at the moment... The difference in the league is no coincidence." On a snowy night at The Emirates, City's Portuguese forward Bernardo Silva opened the scoring in the 14th minute, collecting a pass after a long weaving run from Leroy Sane and delightfully curling his shot into the far corner past goalkeeper Petr Cech. City sliced open Arsenal's defence again just before the half-hour, moving the ball swiftly upfield to Aguero who laid it into the path of David Silva racing up on the left, and the Spaniard drove a low shot into the corner to double the lead. Sane made it 3-0 five minutes later, walking the ball into the goal after another quick-fire City move had bamboozled Arsenal's ramshackle defence who were left chasing shadows. The young German's goal drew the first of many boos from the home fans in the less than full stadium as their team headed for home and away defeats by City for the first time in 42 years. Arsenal had a chance to get back into the game when they won a penalty early in the second half but their Gabon striker Aubameyang saw his spot kick saved by Ederson to complete a miserable night that piles more pressure on Wenger's team.

EPL: Sparkling City close in on title by thrashing Arsenal again

Manchester City won the first trophy of the Pep Guardiola era with three of their veteran players scoring in an emphatic <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/aguero-kompany-silva-inspire-city-to-win-first-trophy-of-guardiola-era-34056">3-0 win against Arenal</a> at Wembley. Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva were all on the scoresheet as City lifted the trophy for the fifth time. &quot;We&#39;re so happy, and a big congratulations to all of Manchester City, and our fans. This trophy is for Manchester City and not for me,&quot; said City coach Guardiola.

Unsurprisingly, the other team, Arsenal was again overshadowed by the voodoo of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/aguero-kompany-silva-inspire-city-to-win-first-trophy-of-guardiola-era-34056">losing in the finals</a>. No manager has lost more League Cup finals than Arsene Wenger (2007, 2011 and 2018). This was the fourth time when the Gunners lost in a final clash. Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal&#39;s Carabao Cup defeat by Manchester City on Sunday was caused by their own mistakes.&nbsp;Last season was Wenger&rsquo;s worst at the club. This season is shaping up to be even poorer.

In the post-match presentation, Wenger said, &quot;Well done to (Manchester) City. Congratulations to them, they won the trophy, they won the cup and they will go happy home and we will go very <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/aguero-kompany-silva-inspire-city-to-win-first-trophy-of-guardiola-era-34056">disappointed</a>.

&quot;I feel that a little bit everything went against us today and we self-inflicted our punishment because we had an unbelievable chance at nil-nil. We gave them a goal at one-nil,&quot; he added.

Wenger also mentioned, &quot;We were a bit unlucky in the second half even if I think we didn&#39;t start well at all in the second half and we were punished but that second goal is offside.&quot;

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When Wenger complained about added time, the fourth official replied: &#39;Why would you want more time?!&#39; ???? <a href="https://t.co/7n5VL5HF1a">pic.twitter.com/7n5VL5HF1a</a>
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He also made an astonishing remark on added injury time and said, &quot;Why would you want more time?&quot;

He asked the team to focus on the next match, &quot;You have to prioritise your next game first before we speak about the Europa League. We will, of course, take the Europa League very seriously but we have to as well win big games because if you want to go far in the Europa League you have to win big games as well if you look at the opponents already in the Europa League many big teams are in there.&quot;

&nbsp;

Manchester City defeated Arsenal by 3-0 to win the first trophy of Guardiola era

Manchester City won the first trophy of the Pep Guardiola era with three of their veteran players scoring in an emphatic 3-0 win against Arenal at Wembley. Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva were all on the scoresheet as City lifted the trophy for the fifth time. "We're so happy, and a big congratulations to all of Manchester City, and our fans. This trophy is for Manchester City and not for me," said City coach Guardiola. Unsurprisingly, the other team, Arsenal was again overshadowed by the voodoo of losing in the finals. No manager has lost more League Cup finals than Arsene Wenger (2007, 2011 and 2018). This was the fourth time when the Gunners lost in a final clash. Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal's Carabao Cup defeat by Manchester City on Sunday was caused by their own mistakes. Last season was Wenger’s worst at the club. This season is shaping up to be even poorer. In the post-match presentation, Wenger said, "Well done to (Manchester) City. Congratulations to them, they won the trophy, they won the cup and they will go happy home and we will go very disappointed. "I feel that a little bit everything went against us today and we self-inflicted our punishment because we had an unbelievable chance at nil-nil. We gave them a goal at one-nil," he added. Wenger also mentioned, "We were a bit unlucky in the second half even if I think we didn't start well at all in the second half and we were punished but that second goal is offside." When Wenger complained about added time, the fourth official replied: 'Why would you want more time?!' ???? pic.twitter.com/7n5VL5HF1a — Goal UK (@GoalUK) February 25, 2018 × He also made an astonishing remark on added injury time and said, "Why would you want more time?" He asked the team to focus on the next match, "You have to prioritise your next game first before we speak about the Europa League. We will, of course, take the Europa League very seriously but we have to as well win big games because if you want to go far in the Europa League you have to win big games as well if you look at the opponents already in the Europa League many big teams are in there."

'Defeat caused by own mistakes,' says Arsene Wenger after losing to City

Manchester City rolled back the years on Sunday to win the first trophy of the Pep Guardiola era with three of their veteran players scoring in an emphatic 3-0 win against Arsenal at Wembley.

Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva were all on the scoresheet as City lifted the trophy for the fifth time -- only Liverpool have won it more.

&quot;It&#39;s important,&quot; said Guardiola. &quot;We&#39;re so happy, and a big congratulations to all of Manchester City, and our fans. This trophy is for Manchester City and not for me.

&quot;The first half we were not good, there were a lot of mistakes. In the second half we played with a lot more courage and personality -- we were outstanding.&quot;

City&#39;s first goal, in the first half, came in unlikely circumstances for a side lauded for their slick passing style.

A long punt upfield from goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was controlled by Sergio Aguero, who coolly lifted the ball over a helpless David Ospina in the Arsenal goal.

Captain Kompany doubled the lead in the second half with just over half an hour to go and Silva put the game out of the reach of Arsene Wenger&#39;s team.&nbsp;

The runaway Premier League leaders will be hoping to use the victory as a springboard to greater glory as the season approaches its final stretch but defeat for Wenger means he has never lifted the League Cup.

Control

On a bitterly cold, clear day in London, City, in their light blue kit, took control early, playing measured football and enjoying the lion&#39;s share of possession against a side who have made Wembley a second home in recent years.

But Arsenal went closest to taking the lead within the first 10 minutes, with new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang seeing his scuffed shot saved by a sprawling Bravo.

Seconds later Aguero found the side netting after an incisive break from City, who looked short of their fluent best.&nbsp;

But it was Aguero who broke the deadlock, controlling the ball as Arsenal&#39;s defence failed to deal with the danger.

The Argentine striker has scored in each of his past five games in all competitions against Arsenal and this was his 199th goal in City colours.

It was an unusual goal for Guardiola&#39;s team, who have been lauded for their silky passing game this season, which has already seen them hailed as one of the finest sides in Premier League history.

City made a bright start to the second half and captain Kompany was in the right place to steer home Ilkay Gundogan&#39;s shot from the edge of the box after a Kevin De Bruyne corner in the 58th minute.

It was no more than City deserved against a lacklustre Arsenal and the Belgian celebrated wildly in front of his own fans.

Just seven minutes later Arsenal was left with a mountain to climb when Silva smashed the ball past Ospina into the far corner of the net to make it 3-0.

Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola kept faith with reserve goalkeeper Bravo for the Wembley showpiece ahead of first-choice Ederson. Bravo has played in every round of the competition so far.

Wenger also played his number two between the sticks, fielding Ospina ahead of Petr Cech.

A disappointed Wenger bemoaned his side&#39;s failure to take the lead through Aubameyang.

&quot;I felt the game, we had the first good chance, a very easy one that we missed,&quot; he said.

&quot;After that we made a big mistake for their first goal. But we controlled them pretty well in the first half, but they came out in the second half, and we were unlucky because the second goal was offside. But congratulations to Man City, they deserve the win.&quot;

&nbsp;

Manchester City defeats Arsenal to register their first victory of the season

Manchester City rolled back the years on Sunday to win the first trophy of the Pep Guardiola era with three of their veteran players scoring in an emphatic 3-0 win against Arsenal at Wembley. Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva were all on the scoresheet as City lifted the trophy for the fifth time -- only Liverpool have won it more. "It's important," said Guardiola. "We're so happy, and a big congratulations to all of Manchester City, and our fans. This trophy is for Manchester City and not for me. "The first half we were not good, there were a lot of mistakes. In the second half we played with a lot more courage and personality -- we were outstanding." City's first goal, in the first half, came in unlikely circumstances for a side lauded for their slick passing style. A long punt upfield from goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was controlled by Sergio Aguero, who coolly lifted the ball over a helpless David Ospina in the Arsenal goal. Captain Kompany doubled the lead in the second half with just over half an hour to go and Silva put the game out of the reach of Arsene Wenger's team. The runaway Premier League leaders will be hoping to use the victory as a springboard to greater glory as the season approaches its final stretch but defeat for Wenger means he has never lifted the League Cup. Control On a bitterly cold, clear day in London, City, in their light blue kit, took control early, playing measured football and enjoying the lion's share of possession against a side who have made Wembley a second home in recent years. But Arsenal went closest to taking the lead within the first 10 minutes, with new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang seeing his scuffed shot saved by a sprawling Bravo. Seconds later Aguero found the side netting after an incisive break from City, who looked short of their fluent best. But it was Aguero who broke the deadlock, controlling the ball as Arsenal's defence failed to deal with the danger. The Argentine striker has scored in each of his past five games in all competitions against Arsenal and this was his 199th goal in City colours. It was an unusual goal for Guardiola's team, who have been lauded for their silky passing game this season, which has already seen them hailed as one of the finest sides in Premier League history. City made a bright start to the second half and captain Kompany was in the right place to steer home Ilkay Gundogan's shot from the edge of the box after a Kevin De Bruyne corner in the 58th minute. It was no more than City deserved against a lacklustre Arsenal and the Belgian celebrated wildly in front of his own fans. Just seven minutes later Arsenal was left with a mountain to climb when Silva smashed the ball past Ospina into the far corner of the net to make it 3-0. Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola kept faith with reserve goalkeeper Bravo for the Wembley showpiece ahead of first-choice Ederson. Bravo has played in every round of the competition so far. Wenger also played his number two between the sticks, fielding Ospina ahead of Petr Cech. A disappointed Wenger bemoaned his side's failure to take the lead through Aubameyang. "I felt the game, we had the first good chance, a very easy one that we missed," he said. "After that we made a big mistake for their first goal. But we controlled them pretty well in the first half, but they came out in the second half, and we were unlucky because the second goal was offside. But congratulations to Man City, they deserve the win."

Aguero, Kompany, Silva inspire City to win first trophy of Guardiola era

Pep Guardiola is anxious to play down suggestions that winning his first piece of silverware for Manchester City in Sunday&#39;s League Cup final against Arsenal would herald a period of dominance.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach takes his side to Wembley with the Premier League title virtually in the bag and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals looking certain.

But despite City&#39;s dominance this season, Guardiola will be eager to get his hands on a trophy, even if it would have been fourth on the list of his priorities when the campaign began.

City are clear favourites to beat Arsenal but Arsene Wenger&#39;s men have made a habit of cup success in recent years, winning the FA Cup in three of the past four seasons.

&quot;Not even in Barcelona when we won the first title in the cup did I expect to win 14 titles in four years,&quot; said Guardiola, anxious not to over-burden his players. &quot;I&#39;m more pragmatic.

&quot;I think in football it&#39;s a big mistake to think what might happen in the next three years. It&#39;s a big mistake for our heads, our targets, it makes no sense.

&quot;When people asked in the beginning, about winning four titles (this season), I said of course we&#39;ll try, but the big teams have not been able to do that -- the big Liverpools, the big Uniteds, the big Arsenals, the big Chelseas.&quot;

Defeat for City could lead to a certain feeling of anti-climax at the Etihad as it would follow hot on the heels of their FA Cup exit at the hands of lowly Wigan Athletic -- ending their quest for a historic quadruple.

Shock Jesus return?

Striker Gabriel Jesus could make a shock return at Wembley after being out with a knee injury since the end of December, although there are doubts over Raheem Sterling&#39;s fitness.

Guardiola confirmed second-choice goalkeeper Claudio Bravo will start, having done so in all domestic cup matches this season, but Fabian Delph is suspended after being sent off against Wigan.

The Catalan boss earlier this season questioned the value of the League Cup, saying &quot;you waste a lot of energy&quot; but it could serve as a springboard to further success, as it has done previously for the likes of Jose Mourinho.

Wenger has won the FA Cup a record seven times since he took the helm at Arsenal but has twice been beaten in the final of the League Cup, by Chelsea in 2007 and Birmingham City in 2011.

The French manager was asked at his pre-match press conference what the key was to beating City.

&quot;To first of all have a strong belief that we can do it, be well-organised and take every opportunity to go forward and play our offensive game,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

He acknowledged the threat from players such as Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne but said it was difficult to focus on shutting down individuals.

&quot;One of the big strengths of Man City is De Bruyne of course, because he has become a very complete player,&quot; Wenger said.&nbsp;

&quot;He is a modern midfielder for me, he can be decisive in the final third, he works very hard, he is right-footed, left-footed and he is a fighter as well so overall I am not surprised he has done well.

&quot;They have so many players that you have to stop that it is better to focus on the team plan rather than on any individual.&quot;

Alexandre Lacazette is unavailable because of injury and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is ineligible because he played in the competition for Manchester United earlier this season.

Wenger said David Ospina would play in goal at the expense of Petr Cech, continuing his role as the go-to &#39;keeper for cup matches.

He said Mesut Ozil was likely to play and he would make a decision on Aaron Ramsey on Saturday.

&nbsp;

But despite City's dominance this season, Guardiola will be eager to get his hands on a trophy, even if it would have been fourth on the list of his priorities when the campaign began

Pep Guardiola is anxious to play down suggestions that winning his first piece of silverware for Manchester City in Sunday's League Cup final against Arsenal would herald a period of dominance. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach takes his side to Wembley with the Premier League title virtually in the bag and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals looking certain. But despite City's dominance this season, Guardiola will be eager to get his hands on a trophy, even if it would have been fourth on the list of his priorities when the campaign began. City are clear favourites to beat Arsenal but Arsene Wenger's men have made a habit of cup success in recent years, winning the FA Cup in three of the past four seasons. "Not even in Barcelona when we won the first title in the cup did I expect to win 14 titles in four years," said Guardiola, anxious not to over-burden his players. "I'm more pragmatic. "I think in football it's a big mistake to think what might happen in the next three years. It's a big mistake for our heads, our targets, it makes no sense. "When people asked in the beginning, about winning four titles (this season), I said of course we'll try, but the big teams have not been able to do that -- the big Liverpools, the big Uniteds, the big Arsenals, the big Chelseas." Defeat for City could lead to a certain feeling of anti-climax at the Etihad as it would follow hot on the heels of their FA Cup exit at the hands of lowly Wigan Athletic -- ending their quest for a historic quadruple. Shock Jesus return? Striker Gabriel Jesus could make a shock return at Wembley after being out with a knee injury since the end of December, although there are doubts over Raheem Sterling's fitness. Guardiola confirmed second-choice goalkeeper Claudio Bravo will start, having done so in all domestic cup matches this season, but Fabian Delph is suspended after being sent off against Wigan. The Catalan boss earlier this season questioned the value of the League Cup, saying "you waste a lot of energy" but it could serve as a springboard to further success, as it has done previously for the likes of Jose Mourinho. Wenger has won the FA Cup a record seven times since he took the helm at Arsenal but has twice been beaten in the final of the League Cup, by Chelsea in 2007 and Birmingham City in 2011. The French manager was asked at his pre-match press conference what the key was to beating City. "To first of all have a strong belief that we can do it, be well-organised and take every opportunity to go forward and play our offensive game," he said. He acknowledged the threat from players such as Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne but said it was difficult to focus on shutting down individuals. "One of the big strengths of Man City is De Bruyne of course, because he has become a very complete player," Wenger said. "He is a modern midfielder for me, he can be decisive in the final third, he works very hard, he is right-footed, left-footed and he is a fighter as well so overall I am not surprised he has done well. "They have so many players that you have to stop that it is better to focus on the team plan rather than on any individual." Alexandre Lacazette is unavailable because of injury and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is ineligible because he played in the competition for Manchester United earlier this season. Wenger said David Ospina would play in goal at the expense of Petr Cech, continuing his role as the go-to 'keeper for cup matches. He said Mesut Ozil was likely to play and he would make a decision on Aaron Ramsey on Saturday.

Arsenal stand in way of Pep's first Man City silverware

The official draw for round of 16 of UEFA Europa League is out&nbsp;as the&nbsp;second Leg was concluded on Thursday but with some bittersweet memories. A lot of things happened in the Leg 2 of the round of 32. On one hand, some mediocre clubs fought their ways back and entered last 16 but on the other hand, one Basque police officer died on Thursday as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow in the Spanish city of Bilbao. Arsenal, the north London giants survived entry to Leg 2 because of a 4-2 win on aggregate despite 2-1 second-leg defeat by Ostersunds. The Swedish club displayed a quality run and gave a tough fight Arsenal.&nbsp;Here is the result of draw:

<ul>
	<li>Lazio VS&nbsp;Dynamo Kyiv</li>
	<li>RB Leipzig VS&nbsp;Zenit Saint-Petersburg</li>
	<li>Atletico Madrid VS&nbsp;Lokomotiv Moscow</li>
	<li>Lyon VS&nbsp;CSKA Moscow</li>
	<li>Athletic Club VS&nbsp;Marseille</li>
	<li>Sporting CP VS&nbsp;Plzen</li>
	<li>Borussia Dortmund VS&nbsp;Salzburg</li>
	<li>Arsenal VS&nbsp;AC Milan</li>
</ul>

Arsenal, the last surviving British club, on Friday drew seven-time European champion AC Milan in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Arsenal struggled to overcome Swedish minnows Ostersunds in the last round, being booed off by their fans at the Emirates after losing 2-1 on Thursday but going through 4-2 win on aggregate.

Atletico Madrid and French striker Antoine Griezmann were paired with Lokomotiv Moscow.&nbsp;

Bilbao will face 1993 European champions Marseille for the matches on March 8 and 15.

Another French side, Lyon, must overcome CSKA Moscow to keep alive their hopes of appearing in the final which will be played at their own stadium on May 16.

Lyon were comfortable 4-1 aggregate winners over Villarreal in the round of 32 and former club stalwart Bernard Lacombe welcomed the draw which sees the second leg played in France.

&quot;We qualified well against Villarreal, who is a good club. Obviously, it would be fantastic to play in our own stadium (in the final) but there are high-level opponents left in the competition and we have to respect that,&quot; he told beIN Sports.

RB Leipzig, who dropped into the competition after being eliminated from the Champions League, will play Zenit Saint-Petersburg, who won the Europa League in 2008.

Borussia Dortmund meanwhile faces potentially the weakest team in the last 16, Czech side Plzen.

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The official result of the Round of 16 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UELdraw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UELdraw</a>! 
 
Most exciting tie? ???? <a href="https://t.co/t8txcYPtwg">pic.twitter.com/t8txcYPtwg</a>
&mdash; UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague/status/967011107931066368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It had to be hat-trick hero and goalscoring sensation <a href="https://twitter.com/ciroimmobile?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ciroimmobile</a> ????????????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/LEVfxZM3Vq">pic.twitter.com/LEVfxZM3Vq</a>
&mdash; UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague/status/967046237043286016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The official draw for round of 16 of UEFA Europa League is out as the second Leg was concluded on Thursday

The official draw for round of 16 of UEFA Europa League is out as the second Leg was concluded on Thursday but with some bittersweet memories. A lot of things happened in the Leg 2 of the round of 32. On one hand, some mediocre clubs fought their ways back and entered last 16 but on the other hand, one Basque police officer died on Thursday as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow in the Spanish city of Bilbao. Arsenal, the north London giants survived entry to Leg 2 because of a 4-2 win on aggregate despite 2-1 second-leg defeat by Ostersunds. The Swedish club displayed a quality run and gave a tough fight Arsenal. Here is the result of draw: Lazio VS Dynamo Kyiv RB Leipzig VS Zenit Saint-Petersburg Atletico Madrid VS Lokomotiv Moscow Lyon VS CSKA Moscow Athletic Club VS Marseille Sporting CP VS Plzen Borussia Dortmund VS Salzburg Arsenal VS AC Milan Arsenal, the last surviving British club, on Friday drew seven-time European champion AC Milan in the last 16 of the Europa League. Arsenal struggled to overcome Swedish minnows Ostersunds in the last round, being booed off by their fans at the Emirates after losing 2-1 on Thursday but going through 4-2 win on aggregate. Atletico Madrid and French striker Antoine Griezmann were paired with Lokomotiv Moscow. Bilbao will face 1993 European champions Marseille for the matches on March 8 and 15. Another French side, Lyon, must overcome CSKA Moscow to keep alive their hopes of appearing in the final which will be played at their own stadium on May 16. Lyon were comfortable 4-1 aggregate winners over Villarreal in the round of 32 and former club stalwart Bernard Lacombe welcomed the draw which sees the second leg played in France. "We qualified well against Villarreal, who is a good club. Obviously, it would be fantastic to play in our own stadium (in the final) but there are high-level opponents left in the competition and we have to respect that," he told beIN Sports. RB Leipzig, who dropped into the competition after being eliminated from the Champions League, will play Zenit Saint-Petersburg, who won the Europa League in 2008. Borussia Dortmund meanwhile faces potentially the weakest team in the last 16, Czech side Plzen. The official result of the Round of 16 #UELdraw! Most exciting tie? ???? pic.twitter.com/t8txcYPtwg — UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 23, 2018 × It had to be hat-trick hero and goalscoring sensation @ciroimmobile ????????????#UEL pic.twitter.com/LEVfxZM3Vq — UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 23, 2018 ×

Europa League last 16: Arsenal will face Milan, Dortmund to meet Salzburg

The second Leg of the round of 32 in Europa league concluded with some bittersweet memories. A lot of things happened in the Leg 2 of the round of 32. On one hand, some mediocre clubs&nbsp;fought their ways back and entered last 16 but on the other hand, one Basque <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/europa-league-police-officer-dies-as-violence-mars-bilbao-vs-spartak-clash-33751">police officer died</a>&nbsp;on Thursday as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow in the Spanish city of Bilbao. Arsenal, the north London giants survived entry to Leg 2 because of a 4-2 win on aggregate despite 2-1 second-leg defeat by Ostersunds. The Swedish club displayed a quality run and gave a tough fight Arsenal.

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Your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UEL</a> round of 16 line-up ???? 
 
???????? Milan 
???????????????????????????? Arsenal 
???????? Athletic 
???????? Atl&eacute;tico 
???????? CSKA Moskva 
???????? Dortmund 
???????? Dynamo Kyiv 
???????? Lazio 
???????? Lokomotiv Moskva 
???????? Lyon 
???????? Marseille 
???????? Plzeň 
???????? Leipzig 
???????? Salzburg 
???????? Sporting CP 
???????? Zenit <a href="https://t.co/4XdIf4eYQ3">pic.twitter.com/4XdIf4eYQ3</a>
&mdash; UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague/status/966796933913370626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Napoli came agonisingly close to pulling off a dramatic Europa League comeback when they won 2-0 at RB Leipzig but went out on away goals at the last 32 stage on Thursday while Arsenal got through despite an embarrassing 2-1 home defeat by Ostersund.

Borussia Dortmund snatched a late goal at Atalanta to progress with a 1-1 draw, while AC Milan and Atletico Madrid, both with a three-goal lead from the away legs, completed the formality of qualifying with 1-0 wins at home on Thursday.

The evening was marred by the death of a policeman in Bilbao after rivals fans fought in the streets before the match between local side Athletic and Spartak Moscow, won 2-1 by the Russian team who still went out 4-3 on aggregate.

Arsenal had a three-goal lead from last week&#39;s win in Sweden but was rattled when Hosam Aiesh and Ken Sema scored twice in two minutes for Ostersund midway through the first half.

The North London side was spared further humiliation, though, after Ronald Mukiibi miscued when trying to clear a cross and defender Sead Kolasinac thumped the ball into the net from close range two minutes into the second half.

Napoli lost 3-1 in last week&#39;s first leg against Leipzig with a performance that embarrassed coach Maurizio Sarri, though he has emphasised that winning Serie A is the priority.

They restored some pride in the return as Piotr Zielinski scored from a rebound in the 33rd minute and Lorenzo Insigne turned in Jose Callejon&#39;s cross with five minutes to go.

That set up a rousing finale and Callejon could even have won the tie in stoppage time but his shot sailed over.

Last gasp Dortmund

Atalanta scored against Dortmund when Rafael Toloi prodded the ball home at the far post after Mattia Caldara flicked on a corner in the 11th minute to make it 3-3 on aggregate.

There were then chances at both ends until Dortmund&#39;s Marcel Schmelzer snapped up the rebound after Etrit Berisha failed to hold a Marco Reus shot, to put the Bundesliga side through.

Lazio striker Ciro Immobile got a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest, after a 1-0 first-leg loss.

Russian pair Lokomotiv Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg both won at home in frigid conditions to also progress.

Igor Denisov&#39;s first-half goal gave Lokomotiv a 1-0 win over Nice, completing a 4-2 aggregate victory, while Zenit beat Celtic 3-0 to go through 3-1 with goals from Branislav Ivanovic, Daler Kuzyaev, and Aleksandr Kokorin.

&quot;We dominated the game. We didn&rsquo;t concede any chances until the 70th minute,&quot; said Zenit coach Roberto Mancini after a match which kicked off at a temperature of minus 13 Celsius.

&quot;After 70 minutes we tired a bit but this is normal, but in the end, we deserved to win.&quot;

Atletico Madrid, leading 4-1 from the first leg, completed their tie at home to FC Copenhagen when Kevin Gameiro&#39;s early goal gave them a 1-0 victory and AC Milan beat Ludogorets by the same score with a Fabio Borini goal for a 4-0 aggregate win.

Dynamo Kiev, Sporting, Viktoria Plzen, Olympique Lyonnais, Olympique Marseille and Salzburg also qualified and will go into the hat for the last 16 draw which will be made on Friday.

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Arsenal entered into the last 16 of the Europa League despite a 2-1 second-leg defeat by Ostersunds but the round of 32 ended with a tragic death of a police officer as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow

The second Leg of the round of 32 in Europa league concluded with some bittersweet memories. A lot of things happened in the Leg 2 of the round of 32. On one hand, some mediocre clubs fought their ways back and entered last 16 but on the other hand, one Basque police officer died on Thursday as security forces clashed with fans of Russian club Spartak Moscow in the Spanish city of Bilbao. Arsenal, the north London giants survived entry to Leg 2 because of a 4-2 win on aggregate despite 2-1 second-leg defeat by Ostersunds. The Swedish club displayed a quality run and gave a tough fight Arsenal. Your #UEL round of 16 line-up ???? ???????? Milan ???????????????????????????? Arsenal ???????? Athletic ???????? Atlético ???????? CSKA Moskva ???????? Dortmund ???????? Dynamo Kyiv ???????? Lazio ???????? Lokomotiv Moskva ???????? Lyon ???????? Marseille ???????? Plzeň ???????? Leipzig ???????? Salzburg ???????? Sporting CP ???????? Zenit pic.twitter.com/4XdIf4eYQ3 — UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 22, 2018 × Napoli came agonisingly close to pulling off a dramatic Europa League comeback when they won 2-0 at RB Leipzig but went out on away goals at the last 32 stage on Thursday while Arsenal got through despite an embarrassing 2-1 home defeat by Ostersund. Borussia Dortmund snatched a late goal at Atalanta to progress with a 1-1 draw, while AC Milan and Atletico Madrid, both with a three-goal lead from the away legs, completed the formality of qualifying with 1-0 wins at home on Thursday. The evening was marred by the death of a policeman in Bilbao after rivals fans fought in the streets before the match between local side Athletic and Spartak Moscow, won 2-1 by the Russian team who still went out 4-3 on aggregate. Arsenal had a three-goal lead from last week's win in Sweden but was rattled when Hosam Aiesh and Ken Sema scored twice in two minutes for Ostersund midway through the first half. The North London side was spared further humiliation, though, after Ronald Mukiibi miscued when trying to clear a cross and defender Sead Kolasinac thumped the ball into the net from close range two minutes into the second half. Napoli lost 3-1 in last week's first leg against Leipzig with a performance that embarrassed coach Maurizio Sarri, though he has emphasised that winning Serie A is the priority. They restored some pride in the return as Piotr Zielinski scored from a rebound in the 33rd minute and Lorenzo Insigne turned in Jose Callejon's cross with five minutes to go. That set up a rousing finale and Callejon could even have won the tie in stoppage time but his shot sailed over. Last gasp Dortmund Atalanta scored against Dortmund when Rafael Toloi prodded the ball home at the far post after Mattia Caldara flicked on a corner in the 11th minute to make it 3-3 on aggregate. There were then chances at both ends until Dortmund's Marcel Schmelzer snapped up the rebound after Etrit Berisha failed to hold a Marco Reus shot, to put the Bundesliga side through. Lazio striker Ciro Immobile got a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest, after a 1-0 first-leg loss. Russian pair Lokomotiv Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg both won at home in frigid conditions to also progress. Igor Denisov's first-half goal gave Lokomotiv a 1-0 win over Nice, completing a 4-2 aggregate victory, while Zenit beat Celtic 3-0 to go through 3-1 with goals from Branislav Ivanovic, Daler Kuzyaev, and Aleksandr Kokorin. "We dominated the game. We didn’t concede any chances until the 70th minute," said Zenit coach Roberto Mancini after a match which kicked off at a temperature of minus 13 Celsius. "After 70 minutes we tired a bit but this is normal, but in the end, we deserved to win." Atletico Madrid, leading 4-1 from the first leg, completed their tie at home to FC Copenhagen when Kevin Gameiro's early goal gave them a 1-0 victory and AC Milan beat Ludogorets by the same score with a Fabio Borini goal for a 4-0 aggregate win. Dynamo Kiev, Sporting, Viktoria Plzen, Olympique Lyonnais, Olympique Marseille and Salzburg also qualified and will go into the hat for the last 16 draw which will be made on Friday.

Europa League: Arsenal enters last 16 despite losing in second leg

Napoli went down 3-1 at home to RB Leipzig, Arsenal and AC Milan enjoyed comfortable away wins, and Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Michy Batshuayi scored twice to secure a 3-2 victory in Europa League last 32, first leg action on Thursday.

Italian league leaders Napoli went ahead against Leipzig but slumped to a 3-1 defeat after a Timo Werner brace, Arsenal overcame Sweden&#39;s Ostersunds 3-0 helped by an own goal and Milan won by the same score against Bulgarian champions Ludogorets.

Batshuayi took his tally to five goals in three games since joining Dortmund on loan from Chelsea, with his double against Atalanta hauling the Germans side back from 2-1 down after Josip Ilicic scored twice in five minutes for the Italians.

Nice striker Mario Balotelli also scored two goals against Lokomotiv Moscow only to be upstaged by a Manuel Fernandes hat-trick as the visitors hit back to win 3-2.

Twice former winners Atletico Madrid recovered from an early fright to win 4-1 at FC Copenhagen as Saul Niguez, Kevin Gameiro, Antoine Griezmann and Vitolo shared the goals after Victor Fischer had put the Danish side in front.

FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest, beat Lazio 1-0 and Celtic overcame Zenit St Petersburg by the same score.

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri has made it clear that his priority lies in Serie A and a disappointingly sparse crowd turned up for the visit of Leipzig.

Adam Ounas gave Napoli the lead early in the second half, the Algerian&#39;s first goal for the club, but the away side made the most of shoddy defending to turn the game around.

Werner levelled with an opportunist finish, then Bruma finished off a counter-attack and Werner added another in stoppage time as Napoli were again caught on the break.

Best Hope

Arsenal&#39;s Nacho Monreal and Mesut Ozil were on target at Ostersunds either side of a Sotirios Papagiannopoulos own goal.

Like the Londoners, Milan&#39;s best hope of Champions League football next season appears to be by winning the Europa League. Patrick Cutrone, a Ricardo Rodriguez penalty and Fabio Borini gave them an impressive win at Bulgarian champions Ludogorets.

Balotelli took his tally to 21 goals this term for Nice, where he is in his second season enjoying a new lease of life.

The maverick Italian slotted home after four minutes and converted a penalty in the 28th, sending Lokomotiv keeper Guilherme the wrong way after a Nemanja Pejcinovic handball.

Not to be outdone, Fernandes replied with a penalty before halftime and curled in a free kick to equalize in the 67th before completing his second Europa League hat-trick this term from Anton Miranchuk&#39;s cross.

Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz, 37, scored twice in a 3-1 win at Spartak Moscow, while their Basque rivals Real Socieded were held 2-2 at home by Salzburg.

Sporting&#39;s Bruno Fernandes, Gelson Martins and Seydou Doumbia scored in an eight-minute spell after halftime as they came from behind to win 3-1 on Astana&#39;s artificial pitch in Kazakhstan where Marin Tomasov gave the hosts an early lead.

The roof was closed for the match with temperatures hovering around minus 20 Celsius outside.

&nbsp;

Napoli went down 3-1 at home to RB Leipzig, Arsenal and AC Milan enjoyed comfortable away wins, and Borussia Dortmund's Michy Batshuayi scored twice to secure a 3-2 victory in Europa League last 32, first leg

Napoli went down 3-1 at home to RB Leipzig, Arsenal and AC Milan enjoyed comfortable away wins, and Borussia Dortmund's Michy Batshuayi scored twice to secure a 3-2 victory in Europa League last 32, first leg action on Thursday. Italian league leaders Napoli went ahead against Leipzig but slumped to a 3-1 defeat after a Timo Werner brace, Arsenal overcame Sweden's Ostersunds 3-0 helped by an own goal and Milan won by the same score against Bulgarian champions Ludogorets. Batshuayi took his tally to five goals in three games since joining Dortmund on loan from Chelsea, with his double against Atalanta hauling the Germans side back from 2-1 down after Josip Ilicic scored twice in five minutes for the Italians. Nice striker Mario Balotelli also scored two goals against Lokomotiv Moscow only to be upstaged by a Manuel Fernandes hat-trick as the visitors hit back to win 3-2. Twice former winners Atletico Madrid recovered from an early fright to win 4-1 at FC Copenhagen as Saul Niguez, Kevin Gameiro, Antoine Griezmann and Vitolo shared the goals after Victor Fischer had put the Danish side in front. FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest, beat Lazio 1-0 and Celtic overcame Zenit St Petersburg by the same score. Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri has made it clear that his priority lies in Serie A and a disappointingly sparse crowd turned up for the visit of Leipzig. Adam Ounas gave Napoli the lead early in the second half, the Algerian's first goal for the club, but the away side made the most of shoddy defending to turn the game around. Werner levelled with an opportunist finish, then Bruma finished off a counter-attack and Werner added another in stoppage time as Napoli were again caught on the break. Best Hope Arsenal's Nacho Monreal and Mesut Ozil were on target at Ostersunds either side of a Sotirios Papagiannopoulos own goal. Like the Londoners, Milan's best hope of Champions League football next season appears to be by winning the Europa League. Patrick Cutrone, a Ricardo Rodriguez penalty and Fabio Borini gave them an impressive win at Bulgarian champions Ludogorets. Balotelli took his tally to 21 goals this term for Nice, where he is in his second season enjoying a new lease of life. The maverick Italian slotted home after four minutes and converted a penalty in the 28th, sending Lokomotiv keeper Guilherme the wrong way after a Nemanja Pejcinovic handball. Not to be outdone, Fernandes replied with a penalty before halftime and curled in a free kick to equalize in the 67th before completing his second Europa League hat-trick this term from Anton Miranchuk's cross. Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz, 37, scored twice in a 3-1 win at Spartak Moscow, while their Basque rivals Real Socieded were held 2-2 at home by Salzburg. Sporting's Bruno Fernandes, Gelson Martins and Seydou Doumbia scored in an eight-minute spell after halftime as they came from behind to win 3-1 on Astana's artificial pitch in Kazakhstan where Marin Tomasov gave the hosts an early lead. The roof was closed for the match with temperatures hovering around minus 20 Celsius outside.

Europa League: Napoli lose at home, Arsenal and Milan win away

Alexis Sanchez said Monday he was &quot;thrilled to be joining the biggest club in the world&quot; as he moved to Manchester United from Arsenal in a swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The 29-year-old Chile striker, who came close to joining Manchester City last summer, has signed what is believed to be a four-and-a-half-year contract that will make him the highest-paid player in the Premier League.

It has been widely reported that Sanchez will earn a pre-tax salary of &pound;500,000 ($695,000, 567,000 euros) a week.

Armenia international winger Mkhitaryan, also 29, will head to the Emirates after he fell out of favour with United manager Jose Mourinho during 18 months at Old Trafford.

Sanchez joined Arsenal for &pound;31.7 million in 2014 after three years at Barcelona but his relationship with the Gunners soured after he tried to orchestrate a move to City last year.

Hit back at criticism

In an Instagram post, he took a parting shot at ex-Arsenal players who have criticised his attitude.

&quot;There are people (former club players) who have spoken with no knowledge of what happens inside the club and cause damage,&quot; Sanchez wrote.

&quot;I must say I always gave 100%, until the last day, when I asked the Mister (Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger) to be in the team because I wanted to be a contribution.&quot;

Last week, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown called Sanchez &quot;football&#39;s biggest mercenary&quot;.

In a statement issued by United, Sanchez said he had spent &quot;three-and-a-half wonderful years&quot; at Arsenal &quot;and I bring with me very positive memories of that great club and its fans&quot;.

Referring to Old Trafford, he said: &quot;The chance to play in this historic stadium and to work with Jose Mourinho was something I could not turn down.

&quot;I am very proud to be the first Chilean player ever to play for United&#39;s first team and I hope I can show our fans all around the world why the club wanted to bring me here.&quot;

&#39;One of world&#39;s best&#39;

United will be hoping their substantial investment helps close the gap on their Emirati-backed cross-city rivals Manchester City, who are streaking away with the Premier League title this season.&nbsp;

Sanchez will partner Romelu Lukaku in the United forward line, with England strikers Marcus Rashford, 20, and the in-form Jesse Lingard, 25, forced to fight for their places.

Mourinho said: &quot;Alexis is one of the best-attacking players in the world and he will complete our very young and talented group of attacking players.&quot;

Sanchez spent three years at Barcelona, winning La Liga in 2013. At Arsenal, he twice lifted the FA Cup, but did not come close to a Premier League title and his frustration has been evident this season amid reports of rows with teammates.

He has played 119 times for Chile and helped his nation win back-to-back Copa America titles in 2015 and 2016, although they failed to qualify for next year&#39;s World Cup in Russia.

His move to United was celebrated in his homeland, where fans on social media lauded the Red Devils&#39; &quot;winning&quot; mentality, in contrast to the paucity of recent success at Arsenal.

&quot;The golden destiny of Alexis,&quot; said daily newspaper La Tercera.

Mkhitaryan joined United for around &pound;30 million in 2016 after three years at Borussia Dortmund.

The highlight of his stay in Manchester was scoring in the Europa League final victory over Ajax last season and he also helped United win the League Cup.

&quot;I would like to wish Henrikh all the success and happiness that I am sure he is going to get. He is a player that we will not forget, especially for his contribution to our Europa League victory,&quot; added Mourinho.

Mkhitaryan told the Arsenal website he had &quot;always dreamed of playing for Arsenal&quot;.

&quot;Now that I&#39;m here, I&#39;ll do my best for this club to create history,&quot; he said.

Arsenal boss Wenger said he was happy to acquire Mkhitaryan in the deal.

&quot;Henrikh is a complete player. He creates chances, he defends well, he can absorb distances and he&#39;s very committed as well.

&quot;I must say he&#39;s a player who has all the attributes.&quot;

The Sanchez-Mkhitaryan deal is the latest move of a January transfer window during which Liverpool sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for 160 million euros and signed central defender Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton for &pound;75 million (85.5 million euros).

Reports in Germany say striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be on his way to Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund.

 
&nbsp;

Alexis Sanchez signs for Man Utd, Henrikh Mkhitaryan joins Arsenal

Alexis Sanchez said Monday he was "thrilled to be joining the biggest club in the world" as he moved to Manchester United from Arsenal in a swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The 29-year-old Chile striker, who came close to joining Manchester City last summer, has signed what is believed to be a four-and-a-half-year contract that will make him the highest-paid player in the Premier League. It has been widely reported that Sanchez will earn a pre-tax salary of £500,000 ($695,000, 567,000 euros) a week. Armenia international winger Mkhitaryan, also 29, will head to the Emirates after he fell out of favour with United manager Jose Mourinho during 18 months at Old Trafford. Sanchez joined Arsenal for £31.7 million in 2014 after three years at Barcelona but his relationship with the Gunners soured after he tried to orchestrate a move to City last year. Hit back at criticism In an Instagram post, he took a parting shot at ex-Arsenal players who have criticised his attitude. "There are people (former club players) who have spoken with no knowledge of what happens inside the club and cause damage," Sanchez wrote. "I must say I always gave 100%, until the last day, when I asked the Mister (Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger) to be in the team because I wanted to be a contribution." Last week, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown called Sanchez "football's biggest mercenary". In a statement issued by United, Sanchez said he had spent "three-and-a-half wonderful years" at Arsenal "and I bring with me very positive memories of that great club and its fans". Referring to Old Trafford, he said: "The chance to play in this historic stadium and to work with Jose Mourinho was something I could not turn down. "I am very proud to be the first Chilean player ever to play for United's first team and I hope I can show our fans all around the world why the club wanted to bring me here." 'One of world's best' United will be hoping their substantial investment helps close the gap on their Emirati-backed cross-city rivals Manchester City, who are streaking away with the Premier League title this season. Sanchez will partner Romelu Lukaku in the United forward line, with England strikers Marcus Rashford, 20, and the in-form Jesse Lingard, 25, forced to fight for their places. Mourinho said: "Alexis is one of the best-attacking players in the world and he will complete our very young and talented group of attacking players." Sanchez spent three years at Barcelona, winning La Liga in 2013. At Arsenal, he twice lifted the FA Cup, but did not come close to a Premier League title and his frustration has been evident this season amid reports of rows with teammates. He has played 119 times for Chile and helped his nation win back-to-back Copa America titles in 2015 and 2016, although they failed to qualify for next year's World Cup in Russia. His move to United was celebrated in his homeland, where fans on social media lauded the Red Devils' "winning" mentality, in contrast to the paucity of recent success at Arsenal. "The golden destiny of Alexis," said daily newspaper La Tercera. Mkhitaryan joined United for around £30 million in 2016 after three years at Borussia Dortmund. The highlight of his stay in Manchester was scoring in the Europa League final victory over Ajax last season and he also helped United win the League Cup. "I would like to wish Henrikh all the success and happiness that I am sure he is going to get. He is a player that we will not forget, especially for his contribution to our Europa League victory," added Mourinho. Mkhitaryan told the Arsenal website he had "always dreamed of playing for Arsenal". "Now that I'm here, I'll do my best for this club to create history," he said. Arsenal boss Wenger said he was happy to acquire Mkhitaryan in the deal. "Henrikh is a complete player. He creates chances, he defends well, he can absorb distances and he's very committed as well. "I must say he's a player who has all the attributes." The Sanchez-Mkhitaryan deal is the latest move of a January transfer window during which Liverpool sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for 160 million euros and signed central defender Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton for £75 million (85.5 million euros). Reports in Germany say striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be on his way to Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund.

Finally, the Sanchez-Mkhitaryan deal done

Pep Guardiola saw his Manchester City side pushed hard before defeating second-tier Bristol City in an entertaining League Cup semi-final on Tuesday to leave him one game away from winning his first major trophy in English football.&nbsp;

Guardiola&#39;s runaway Premier League leaders, eyeing an unprecedented season quadruple given they also remain involved in both the FA Cup and Champions League, won 3-2 on the night for a 5-3 aggregate win over the Championship side.

They kicked off with a narrow advantage at Ashton Gate after a 2-1 first-leg win at the Etihad Stadium.

But goals either side of half-time from Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero effectively saw Manchester City to a win on Tuesday and success over the two legs as they reached their first final under former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Guardiola.

Bristol City was undaunted, however, with Marlon Pack pulling a goal back in the 64th minute before Aden Flint scored deep into stoppage time.

However, there was still time for Kevin De Bruyne to round off the scoring for Manchester City.

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Manchester City&#39;s manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the English League Cup semi-final. (AFP)
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Guardiola&#39;s men will now face the winners of Wednesday&#39;s Emirates Stadium semi-final between their Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley on February 25, with the two London clubs deadlocked at 0-0 after a first-leg stalemate.

&quot;We are so happy to be there, to reach this final,&quot; Guardiola, whose debut season as City boss last term saw him end a campaign without a trophy for the first time in his managerial career, told Sky Sports.

&quot;We played an amazing game until 2-0 and then we lost control, these type of games never end until the end.

&quot;This is a lesson for next weekend in Cardiff in the FA Cup and especially for the Champions League,&quot; the Spaniard warned.

&#39;Judged on trophies&#39;

&quot;At 2-0 we knew it would be easier because they needed three or four goals but with one minute left it was 2-2 and anything could happen.&quot;

Guardiola played down the personal importance of reaching a Wembley final, saying: &quot;It&#39;s not for me, it&#39;s for Manchester City, a club who are trying to reach another level.&nbsp;

&quot;I know that we will be judged by trophies we win but we are so happy,&quot; he insisted. &quot;Nobody can take away what we have done, but Chelsea or Arsenal are strong teams.&quot;

Meanwhile, Pack summed up the mood of the home side by saying: I&#39;m proud of the boys and proud to be part of this team. Hopefully, we can take this into the league now and keep it going.&quot;

It looked as if Bristol City would deny Manchester City a goal in the first half of Tuesday&#39;s match.

But three minutes before the break, Hordur Magnusson made the mistake of trying to shepherd the ball out of play rather than clearing and was dispossessed near the byline by Bernardo Silva.

His cross was fired in by Sane and left Bristol City, chasing promotion to the lucrative Premier League, with a mountain to climb.

Four minutes after the re-start Aguero, Manchester City&#39;s all-time leading goalscorer seemed to put the result of the tie beyond doubt.

The Argentina striker, fresh from a hat-trick in a 3-1 league win over Newcastle United last weekend, still had plenty to do following De Bruyne&#39;s cross-field ball.

But he made light of a tight angle by letting fly with a shot into the top corner from 18 yards out.

It would have been easy for Bristol City to be overwhelmed from then on in but, to their credit, it was the southwest side who scored next, in the 64th minute.

John Stones made a mess of a clearance and when it came back into the box, Pack guided a well-directed header across Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and into the top corner.

Flint turned in a header late on to give Bristol City fans hope of extra time but, pressing for that goal, their side were wide-open to a counter-attack, with Sane cutting the ball back for De Bruyne to fire home.

&nbsp;

Manchester City will now face either Arsenal or Chelsea in the finals on February 25

Pep Guardiola saw his Manchester City side pushed hard before defeating second-tier Bristol City in an entertaining League Cup semi-final on Tuesday to leave him one game away from winning his first major trophy in English football. Guardiola's runaway Premier League leaders, eyeing an unprecedented season quadruple given they also remain involved in both the FA Cup and Champions League, won 3-2 on the night for a 5-3 aggregate win over the Championship side. They kicked off with a narrow advantage at Ashton Gate after a 2-1 first-leg win at the Etihad Stadium. But goals either side of half-time from Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero effectively saw Manchester City to a win on Tuesday and success over the two legs as they reached their first final under former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Guardiola. Bristol City was undaunted, however, with Marlon Pack pulling a goal back in the 64th minute before Aden Flint scored deep into stoppage time. However, there was still time for Kevin De Bruyne to round off the scoring for Manchester City. Manchester City's manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the English League Cup semi-final. (AFP) × Guardiola's men will now face the winners of Wednesday's Emirates Stadium semi-final between their Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley on February 25, with the two London clubs deadlocked at 0-0 after a first-leg stalemate. "We are so happy to be there, to reach this final," Guardiola, whose debut season as City boss last term saw him end a campaign without a trophy for the first time in his managerial career, told Sky Sports. "We played an amazing game until 2-0 and then we lost control, these type of games never end until the end. "This is a lesson for next weekend in Cardiff in the FA Cup and especially for the Champions League," the Spaniard warned. 'Judged on trophies' "At 2-0 we knew it would be easier because they needed three or four goals but with one minute left it was 2-2 and anything could happen." Guardiola played down the personal importance of reaching a Wembley final, saying: "It's not for me, it's for Manchester City, a club who are trying to reach another level. "I know that we will be judged by trophies we win but we are so happy," he insisted. "Nobody can take away what we have done, but Chelsea or Arsenal are strong teams." Meanwhile, Pack summed up the mood of the home side by saying: I'm proud of the boys and proud to be part of this team. Hopefully, we can take this into the league now and keep it going." It looked as if Bristol City would deny Manchester City a goal in the first half of Tuesday's match. But three minutes before the break, Hordur Magnusson made the mistake of trying to shepherd the ball out of play rather than clearing and was dispossessed near the byline by Bernardo Silva. His cross was fired in by Sane and left Bristol City, chasing promotion to the lucrative Premier League, with a mountain to climb. Four minutes after the re-start Aguero, Manchester City's all-time leading goalscorer seemed to put the result of the tie beyond doubt. The Argentina striker, fresh from a hat-trick in a 3-1 league win over Newcastle United last weekend, still had plenty to do following De Bruyne's cross-field ball. But he made light of a tight angle by letting fly with a shot into the top corner from 18 yards out. It would have been easy for Bristol City to be overwhelmed from then on in but, to their credit, it was the southwest side who scored next, in the 64th minute. John Stones made a mess of a clearance and when it came back into the box, Pack guided a well-directed header across Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and into the top corner. Flint turned in a header late on to give Bristol City fans hope of extra time but, pressing for that goal, their side were wide-open to a counter-attack, with Sane cutting the ball back for De Bruyne to fire home.

EFL: Man City beats Bristol City to reach finals

FA Cup holders Arsenal were sensationally dumped out of the competition by Nottingham Forest on Sunday, joining Leeds United as big-name casualties on a day of shocks.

Elsewhere, West Ham stayed alive with a goalless draw at Shrewsbury and Tottenham scored three goals in eight second-half minutes to see off the challenge of League One side AFC Wimbledon.

Championship side Forest revived memories of their glory years under Brian Clough, putting 13-times winners Arsenal to the sword in an incident-packed 4-2 win at the City Ground.

&quot;It was good. My wife told me that if I score a hat-trick at any point this year then I get a dog, so I was trying to get the penalty,&quot; said two-goal hero Eric Lichaj.

&quot;Vaughany (David Vaughan) told me politely -- I won&#39;t say what he said to me -- to go away.&quot;

US international Lichaj opened the scoring for the home side with a header midway through the first half but Per Mertesacker equalised for the much-changed away team just three minutes later.

However, Forest continued to probe an inexperienced Arsenal line-up and got their reward just before half-time when Lichaj volleyed in spectacularly from the edge of the box.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, serving a touchline ban, was forced to watch powerless from the stands as Rob Holding conceded a penalty that teenager Ben Brereton converted in the 64th minute to stretch the home side&#39;s lead to 3-1.

Danny Welbeck gave Arsenal hope with just over 10 minutes to go but Kieran Dowell netted from the penalty spot again to seal a 4-2 win for the second-tier side over the Premier League visitors.

In a breathless final few minutes Forest`s Joe Worrall was sent off but it was too late for Arsenal.In the early kick-off, on-loan forward Shawn McCoulsky headed in a dramatic 89th-minute winner for Welsh club Newport to seal a 2-1 victory against 1972 Cup winners Leeds.

Leeds had taken an early lead at Rodney Parade when Gaetano Berardi`s deflected long-range shot found the net.

But Newport, currently 11th in League Two -- the fourth tier of the English game -- levelled 14 minutes from time when Leeds defender Conor Shaughnessy sliced into his own net.

Infused with fresh belief in front of a passionate Welsh crowd, Newport pressed for a winner, and with a minute to go on-loan substitute McCoulsky rose highest at a corner to head in the decisive goal and send the stadium into raptures.

Much-changed Leeds were then reduced to 10 men when substitute Samuel Saiz was immediately sent off over an off-the-ball incident.

&quot;This is much better beating Championship teams like Leeds,&quot; said Newport manager Michael Flynn. &quot;I don`t want to be winning relegation battles, I want to be winning FA Cup ties and climbing the table.&quot;West Ham had goalkeeper

Joe Hart to thank for keeping them in the Cup with a 0-0 draw after an uninspired performance against Shrewsbury Town of the third tier.

The England goalkeeper, returning to the club where he started his career, made a fine save from Mat Sadler with about 10 minutes to go until the interval and repeated the trick against Alex Rodman to keep the score at 0-0. 
&quot;The players are a little bit deflated almost,&quot; said Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Hurst.

&quot;But we have a replay to look forward to,&quot; he added. &quot;We know it will be tough. They will be at home, more comfortable in their own stadium.&quot;

At Wembley, Harry Kane broke the deadlock against AFC Wimbledon with just under half an hour to go before Kane again and Jan Vertonghen made it 3-0 to put the game beyond the reach of the visitors.

On Saturday, League Two Coventry City sent Premier League side Stoke City crashing out, prompting the sacking of Mark Hughes.

FA Cup holders Arsenal were sensationally dumped out of the competition by Nottingham Forest on Sunday

FA Cup holders Arsenal were sensationally dumped out of the competition by Nottingham Forest on Sunday, joining Leeds United as big-name casualties on a day of shocks. Elsewhere, West Ham stayed alive with a goalless draw at Shrewsbury and Tottenham scored three goals in eight second-half minutes to see off the challenge of League One side AFC Wimbledon. Championship side Forest revived memories of their glory years under Brian Clough, putting 13-times winners Arsenal to the sword in an incident-packed 4-2 win at the City Ground. "It was good. My wife told me that if I score a hat-trick at any point this year then I get a dog, so I was trying to get the penalty," said two-goal hero Eric Lichaj. "Vaughany (David Vaughan) told me politely -- I won't say what he said to me -- to go away." US international Lichaj opened the scoring for the home side with a header midway through the first half but Per Mertesacker equalised for the much-changed away team just three minutes later. However, Forest continued to probe an inexperienced Arsenal line-up and got their reward just before half-time when Lichaj volleyed in spectacularly from the edge of the box. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, serving a touchline ban, was forced to watch powerless from the stands as Rob Holding conceded a penalty that teenager Ben Brereton converted in the 64th minute to stretch the home side's lead to 3-1. Danny Welbeck gave Arsenal hope with just over 10 minutes to go but Kieran Dowell netted from the penalty spot again to seal a 4-2 win for the second-tier side over the Premier League visitors. In a breathless final few minutes Forest`s Joe Worrall was sent off but it was too late for Arsenal.In the early kick-off, on-loan forward Shawn McCoulsky headed in a dramatic 89th-minute winner for Welsh club Newport to seal a 2-1 victory against 1972 Cup winners Leeds. Leeds had taken an early lead at Rodney Parade when Gaetano Berardi`s deflected long-range shot found the net. But Newport, currently 11th in League Two -- the fourth tier of the English game -- levelled 14 minutes from time when Leeds defender Conor Shaughnessy sliced into his own net. Infused with fresh belief in front of a passionate Welsh crowd, Newport pressed for a winner, and with a minute to go on-loan substitute McCoulsky rose highest at a corner to head in the decisive goal and send the stadium into raptures. Much-changed Leeds were then reduced to 10 men when substitute Samuel Saiz was immediately sent off over an off-the-ball incident. "This is much better beating Championship teams like Leeds," said Newport manager Michael Flynn. "I don`t want to be winning relegation battles, I want to be winning FA Cup ties and climbing the table."West Ham had goalkeeper Joe Hart to thank for keeping them in the Cup with a 0-0 draw after an uninspired performance against Shrewsbury Town of the third tier. The England goalkeeper, returning to the club where he started his career, made a fine save from Mat Sadler with about 10 minutes to go until the interval and repeated the trick against Alex Rodman to keep the score at 0-0. "The players are a little bit deflated almost," said Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Hurst. "But we have a replay to look forward to," he added. "We know it will be tough. They will be at home, more comfortable in their own stadium." At Wembley, Harry Kane broke the deadlock against AFC Wimbledon with just under half an hour to go before Kane again and Jan Vertonghen made it 3-0 to put the game beyond the reach of the visitors. On Saturday, League Two Coventry City sent Premier League side Stoke City crashing out, prompting the sacking of Mark Hughes.

Football: Arsenal dumped out of FA Cup, Leeds shocked

Hector Bellerin came to Arsenal&#39;s rescue as the defender&#39;s last-gasp strike earned a dramatic 2-2 draw in a heated London derby against Chelsea on Wednesday.

Bellerin looked set to be the villain of the piece for Arsenal after the Spaniard&#39;s foul on Eden Hazard conceded a penalty that allowed the Chelsea star to cancel out Jack Wilshere&#39;s opener.

When Marcos Alonso put Chelsea in front with just six minutes left at the Emirates Stadium, Bellerin&#39;s misery seemed complete.

But the 22-year-old enjoyed a sweet moment of redemption in the 90th minute as he lashed in only his second goal of the season.

The frenetic conclusion to a thrilling encounter actually did little for either team&#39;s prospects in the Premier League.

Chelsea remain in third place, one point behind Manchester United and 16 adrift of runaway leaders Manchester City.

Arsenal, who have now won only once in 13 league meetings with Chelsea, are languishing in sixth place, five points behind fourth placed Liverpool in the battle to qualify for the Champions League.

In an early sign of the drama to come, Alvaro Morata squandered a golden opportunity to put Chelsea ahead when Arsenal defender Calum Chambers completely misjudged a long pass.

Morata pounced on the loose ball and sprinted clear but with only Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech to beat, the Spain striker scuffed woefully wide.

Foreshadowing the penalty angst to come for Wenger, Ainsley Maitland-Niles had a spot-kick appeal turned down following Victor Moses&#39; challenge.

It looked a good decision by referee Anthony Taylor however and there was more frustration for Wenger moments later.

Alexis Sanchez wriggled into position for a powerful shot that Thibaut Courtois pushed onto one post, with the ball rolling agonisingly along the goalline, then hitting the other post before rebounding into the keeper&#39;s arms.

If that was a stroke of luck for Chelsea, there was no fortune about Courtois&#39;s next contribution as he produced a fine save to deny Alexandre Lacazette after the Arsenal forward turned Gary Cahill and unleashed a powerful low strike.

Arsenal&#39;s Mesut Ozil almost opened the scoring just before half-time with a stinging drive that whistled narrowly wide.

- Conspiracies - 
Cech was called into action twice in quick succession after the interval as he repelled Hazard&#39;s low shot and palmed away Alonso&#39;s header.

Courtois was matching Cech save for save and the Belgian produced another brilliant block to stop Lacazette&#39;s close-range effort.

But the Chelsea keeper was finally beaten in the 63rd minute.

Ozil picked out Rob Holding on the edge of the area and when the defender&#39;s pass was deflected into Wilshere&#39;s path, he reacted instinctively to drive his shot high into the net at Courtois&#39;s near post.

It was Wilshere&#39;s first league goal since May 2015, although he might have been fortune to still be on the pitch after avoiding a second booking for a theatrical tumble just before he scored.

Yet the crucial moment in a pulsating clash came just four minutes later.&nbsp;

As Hazard twisted and turned inside the Arsenal area, Bellerin rashly stuck out a leg to halt his progress and Taylor pointed to the spot.

Hazard stepped up to convert the 67th minute penalty for his ninth Chelsea goal this season.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had ranted darkly about refereeing conspiracies after Arsenal&#39;s Calum Chambers conceded a debatable penalty for handball in Sunday&#39;s draw at West Bromwich Albion.

The Frenchman has already been charged by the Football Association for his angry protests at the weekend, but his expression after the decision suggests another blast is in the offing.

When Alonso timed his run perfectly to meet Davide Zappacosta&#39;s cross with a cool finish in the 84th minute, it seemed certain Chelsea would start 2018 in winning style.

But Bellerin was determined not to end the night as the fall guy and the wing-back pounced on Alonso&#39;s weak header to crash in the equaliser.

Even then there was almost a sting in the tale when Zappacosta smashed against the bar in stoppage-time.

The defender's last-gasp strike earned Arsenal a dramatic 2-2 draw in a heated London derby

Hector Bellerin came to Arsenal's rescue as the defender's last-gasp strike earned a dramatic 2-2 draw in a heated London derby against Chelsea on Wednesday. Bellerin looked set to be the villain of the piece for Arsenal after the Spaniard's foul on Eden Hazard conceded a penalty that allowed the Chelsea star to cancel out Jack Wilshere's opener. When Marcos Alonso put Chelsea in front with just six minutes left at the Emirates Stadium, Bellerin's misery seemed complete. But the 22-year-old enjoyed a sweet moment of redemption in the 90th minute as he lashed in only his second goal of the season. The frenetic conclusion to a thrilling encounter actually did little for either team's prospects in the Premier League. Chelsea remain in third place, one point behind Manchester United and 16 adrift of runaway leaders Manchester City. Arsenal, who have now won only once in 13 league meetings with Chelsea, are languishing in sixth place, five points behind fourth placed Liverpool in the battle to qualify for the Champions League. In an early sign of the drama to come, Alvaro Morata squandered a golden opportunity to put Chelsea ahead when Arsenal defender Calum Chambers completely misjudged a long pass. Morata pounced on the loose ball and sprinted clear but with only Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech to beat, the Spain striker scuffed woefully wide. Foreshadowing the penalty angst to come for Wenger, Ainsley Maitland-Niles had a spot-kick appeal turned down following Victor Moses' challenge. It looked a good decision by referee Anthony Taylor however and there was more frustration for Wenger moments later. Alexis Sanchez wriggled into position for a powerful shot that Thibaut Courtois pushed onto one post, with the ball rolling agonisingly along the goalline, then hitting the other post before rebounding into the keeper's arms. If that was a stroke of luck for Chelsea, there was no fortune about Courtois's next contribution as he produced a fine save to deny Alexandre Lacazette after the Arsenal forward turned Gary Cahill and unleashed a powerful low strike. Arsenal's Mesut Ozil almost opened the scoring just before half-time with a stinging drive that whistled narrowly wide. - Conspiracies - Cech was called into action twice in quick succession after the interval as he repelled Hazard's low shot and palmed away Alonso's header. Courtois was matching Cech save for save and the Belgian produced another brilliant block to stop Lacazette's close-range effort. But the Chelsea keeper was finally beaten in the 63rd minute. Ozil picked out Rob Holding on the edge of the area and when the defender's pass was deflected into Wilshere's path, he reacted instinctively to drive his shot high into the net at Courtois's near post. It was Wilshere's first league goal since May 2015, although he might have been fortune to still be on the pitch after avoiding a second booking for a theatrical tumble just before he scored. Yet the crucial moment in a pulsating clash came just four minutes later. As Hazard twisted and turned inside the Arsenal area, Bellerin rashly stuck out a leg to halt his progress and Taylor pointed to the spot. Hazard stepped up to convert the 67th minute penalty for his ninth Chelsea goal this season. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had ranted darkly about refereeing conspiracies after Arsenal's Calum Chambers conceded a debatable penalty for handball in Sunday's draw at West Bromwich Albion. The Frenchman has already been charged by the Football Association for his angry protests at the weekend, but his expression after the decision suggests another blast is in the offing. When Alonso timed his run perfectly to meet Davide Zappacosta's cross with a cool finish in the 84th minute, it seemed certain Chelsea would start 2018 in winning style. But Bellerin was determined not to end the night as the fall guy and the wing-back pounced on Alonso's weak header to crash in the equaliser. Even then there was almost a sting in the tale when Zappacosta smashed against the bar in stoppage-time.

EPL: Bellerin strikes late to rescue Arsenal in Chelsea thriller

Alexis Sanchez scored twice in four second half minutes to give Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger victory on the night he equalled Alex Ferguson&#39;s Premier League record of matches in charge with a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.

Sanchez&#39;s brace yesterday - the second a beauty from Jack Wilshere&#39;s superb pass - added to Shkodran Mustafi&#39;s first ever away goal for the Gunners was just enough to get them past the Eagles in Wenger&#39;s 810th Premier League game as a manager.

James Tomkins&#39;s 89th minute header - Andros Townsend had drawn them level at 1-1 early in the second-half before Sanchez&#39;s scoring burst - ensured a nervy finish, but the Gunners deserved to run out winners and end Palace&#39;s eight- game unbeaten run.

Arsenal drew level with fourth-placed north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur but with a worse goal difference whilst Palace remain firmly embroiled in a battle against relegation just a point above the bottom three.

Palace were able to apply some pressure during the opening stages, the closest they came to testing Petr Cech came when Yohan Cabaye shot narrowly wide from 20 yards out.

Wenger&#39;s side gradually took charge and they forced the breakthrough in the 24th minute when Palace&#39;s failure to clear Mesut Ozil&#39;s free-kick eventually led to Mustafi&#39;s opening goal.

The ball was played back towards the right side of the area where Alexandre Lacazette drew a good save from Julian Speroni only for the ball to fall to Mustafi who finished neatly with a first time shot.

Six minutes later, Arsenal would have been two up but for Speroni who produced an excellent, one-handed reaction save after Ozil had latched onto Sanchez&#39;s superbly weighted through ball.

Wilfried Zaha was Palace&#39;s most threatening player throughout the first half with the Ivorian maintaining the form that has seen him linked with a number of top clubs this season.

It also made the winger a target for some robust treatment with Callum Chambers booked for pulling him back.

Zaha made the point he believed he deserved more protection too vigorously to referee Michael Oliver as they left the pitch at half time and could have been sent off after sarcastically reacting to the match official&#39;s decision to show him a yellow card.

Zaha though reacted in a more positive way after the restart as he eased his way past Chambers before pulling the ball back towards Townsend who struck a first time shot past Cech from near the penalty spot.

At that point Palace were in the ascendancy but Sanchez&#39;s quick double soon killed off the home side&#39;s hopes.

The first came after Chambers played a deep ball into the home penalty area that was controlled by Sanchez before the Chile international exchanged passes with Lacazette and drilled the ball past Speroni.

Then four minutes later, the forward had his second after collecting Wilshere&#39;s long ball over the top with his first touch and finishing with his second. 
Tomkins late header from a corner came too late for the home side.

Sanchez's brace yesterday - the second a beauty from Jack Wilshere's superb pass - added to Shkodran Mustafi's first ever away goal for the Gunners was just enough to get them past the Eagles in Wenger's 810th Premier League game as a manager.

Alexis Sanchez scored twice in four second half minutes to give Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger victory on the night he equalled Alex Ferguson's Premier League record of matches in charge with a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace. Sanchez's brace yesterday - the second a beauty from Jack Wilshere's superb pass - added to Shkodran Mustafi's first ever away goal for the Gunners was just enough to get them past the Eagles in Wenger's 810th Premier League game as a manager. James Tomkins's 89th minute header - Andros Townsend had drawn them level at 1-1 early in the second-half before Sanchez's scoring burst - ensured a nervy finish, but the Gunners deserved to run out winners and end Palace's eight- game unbeaten run. Arsenal drew level with fourth-placed north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur but with a worse goal difference whilst Palace remain firmly embroiled in a battle against relegation just a point above the bottom three. Palace were able to apply some pressure during the opening stages, the closest they came to testing Petr Cech came when Yohan Cabaye shot narrowly wide from 20 yards out. Wenger's side gradually took charge and they forced the breakthrough in the 24th minute when Palace's failure to clear Mesut Ozil's free-kick eventually led to Mustafi's opening goal. The ball was played back towards the right side of the area where Alexandre Lacazette drew a good save from Julian Speroni only for the ball to fall to Mustafi who finished neatly with a first time shot. Six minutes later, Arsenal would have been two up but for Speroni who produced an excellent, one-handed reaction save after Ozil had latched onto Sanchez's superbly weighted through ball. Wilfried Zaha was Palace's most threatening player throughout the first half with the Ivorian maintaining the form that has seen him linked with a number of top clubs this season. It also made the winger a target for some robust treatment with Callum Chambers booked for pulling him back. Zaha made the point he believed he deserved more protection too vigorously to referee Michael Oliver as they left the pitch at half time and could have been sent off after sarcastically reacting to the match official's decision to show him a yellow card. Zaha though reacted in a more positive way after the restart as he eased his way past Chambers before pulling the ball back towards Townsend who struck a first time shot past Cech from near the penalty spot. At that point Palace were in the ascendancy but Sanchez's quick double soon killed off the home side's hopes. The first came after Chambers played a deep ball into the home penalty area that was controlled by Sanchez before the Chile international exchanged passes with Lacazette and drilled the ball past Speroni. Then four minutes later, the forward had his second after collecting Wilshere's long ball over the top with his first touch and finishing with his second. Tomkins late header from a corner came too late for the home side.

Alexis Sanchez gives record-equalling Wenger victory

Liverpool must learn to switch off their attacking flair and tighten up defensively in certain situations to prevent opponents from scoring, midfielder James Milner said after Friday`s frantic 3-3 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League.

Liverpool held a 1-0 lead at half-time and made it 2-0 early in the second half but their defensive frailties were exposed once again as Arsenal scored thrice in five minutes to take the lead before Roberto Firmino equalised in the 71st minute.

&quot;We`ve got to be more boring. Obviously, we`re very good going forward but those are the times in the game when you`ve got to tighten up, not make mistakes for those five minutes,&quot; Milner said.&nbsp;

&quot;All the goals were our fault, really, and that`s something we have to learn from and we need to do it quick,&nbsp;because it seems to be a thing for us this year.

&quot;We play such good football and sometimes we just need to switch that off for five to 10 minutes in a game and learn about the game, since the situations when it`s time to take it easy, play a bit tighter and keep the ball...&quot;

Liverpool`s poor defending has constantly negated their free-flowing attack this season with the team hosting prolific goalscorers in Mohamed Salah, Phillipe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Firmino, but failing to keep the door shut on their opponents.

Juergen Klopp`s side sits 17 points behind league leaders Manchester City in the fourth position, having conceded the most goals among the league`s top four teams.

Liverpool held a 1-0 lead at half-time and made it 2-0 early in the second half before Arsenal scored thrice in five minutes

Liverpool must learn to switch off their attacking flair and tighten up defensively in certain situations to prevent opponents from scoring, midfielder James Milner said after Friday`s frantic 3-3 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League. Liverpool held a 1-0 lead at half-time and made it 2-0 early in the second half but their defensive frailties were exposed once again as Arsenal scored thrice in five minutes to take the lead before Roberto Firmino equalised in the 71st minute. "We`ve got to be more boring. Obviously, we`re very good going forward but those are the times in the game when you`ve got to tighten up, not make mistakes for those five minutes," Milner said. "All the goals were our fault, really, and that`s something we have to learn from and we need to do it quick, because it seems to be a thing for us this year. "We play such good football and sometimes we just need to switch that off for five to 10 minutes in a game and learn about the game, since the situations when it`s time to take it easy, play a bit tighter and keep the ball..." Liverpool`s poor defending has constantly negated their free-flowing attack this season with the team hosting prolific goalscorers in Mohamed Salah, Phillipe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Firmino, but failing to keep the door shut on their opponents. Juergen Klopp`s side sits 17 points behind league leaders Manchester City in the fourth position, having conceded the most goals among the league`s top four teams.

James Milner urges Liverpool to become 'more boring' after Arsenal draw

Former Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky has retired from football at the age of 37.

Following 10 years in the Premier League with Arsenal, the former Czech Republic international returned to Sparta Prague, where he started his career, in 2016.

Rosicky&#39;s career was&nbsp;plagued by injury for much of that decade and put his decision to hang up his boots down to being unable to keep up with the physical demands of football.

&quot;After careful consideration, I have realised I am no longer able to fully prepare my body for what the professional football requires,&quot; Rosicky said, explaining his mid-season announcement.

&quot;I would like to thank Sparta for raising me, for being the first step in my career in big clubs, and for allowing me to say goodbye at the place I love the most.&quot;

Rosicky won two FA Cups at Arsenal but failed to make more than 28 Premier League appearances in any campaign at the club.

The midfielder made more than 100 appearances for his national team.

The former Czech Republic international returned to Sparta Prague, where he started his career, in 2016 following 10 years in the Premier League with Arsenal.

Former Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky has retired from football at the age of 37. Following 10 years in the Premier League with Arsenal, the former Czech Republic international returned to Sparta Prague, where he started his career, in 2016. Rosicky's career was plagued by injury for much of that decade and put his decision to hang up his boots down to being unable to keep up with the physical demands of football. "After careful consideration, I have realised I am no longer able to fully prepare my body for what the professional football requires," Rosicky said, explaining his mid-season announcement. "I would like to thank Sparta for raising me, for being the first step in my career in big clubs, and for allowing me to say goodbye at the place I love the most." Rosicky won two FA Cups at Arsenal but failed to make more than 28 Premier League appearances in any campaign at the club. The midfielder made more than 100 appearances for his national team.

Tomas Rosicky retires after career in Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund and Sparta Prague

Manchester City set a new top-flight record of 15 consecutive wins as their seemingly unstoppable march towards the Premier League title continued with a 4-0 romp at bottom club Swansea City on Wednesday.

David Silva struck twice for Pep Guardiola&#39;s side as they went past Arsenal&#39;s 14-match winning sequence, although unlike the London club&#39;s, City&#39;s streak has been in a single season.

Manchester United kept up a distant pursuit as they toiled to a 1-0 defeat of Bournemouth at Old Trafford to remain 11 points adrift in second place, Romelu Lukaku&#39;s ninth league goal of the season proving just enough.

Liverpool and Arsenal could only draw 0-0 with struggling West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United respectively, allowing Tottenham Hotspur to move into fourth spot behind Chelsea thanks top a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion as Serge Aurier scored his first goal for the club.

City have 49 points to United&#39;s 38 with champions Chelsea, who won at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday, on 35. Tottenham have 31, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference while Arsenal dropped to seventh with 30 points.

It was an enjoyable night for managers returning to former clubs as Sam Allardyce watched his Everton side win 1-0 at Newcastle United and Claude Puel&#39;s fast-improving Leicester City triumphed 4-1 at Southampton, the club who sacked him at the end of last season despite taking them to the League Cup final.

City hardly broke sweat as they turned their trip to south Wales into a training session despite making four changes to the side that won 2-1 at Manchester United on Sunday.

Silva opened the scoring from Bernardo Silva&#39;s cross and Kevin De Bruyne made it 2-0 with a free kick.

It was all over when the silky Silva played a one-two with Raheem Sterling to make it 3-0 early in the second half with his fourth goal in his last three games.

Sergio Aguero, back in the side with Gabriel Jesus rested, fired past Lukasz Fabianski to complete another masterclass from Guardiola&#39;s City slickers.

City form

While the purists are purring at City&#39;s form, you could only sympathise with Swansea boss Paul Clement who summed up what many of his peers might be feeling.

&quot;At times it was horrible to be on the sideline watching that, seeing my side trying but suffering for long periods,&quot; he said.

&quot;It was hard to watch at times because they were so dominant. One of the best sides I&#39;ve ever come across.&quot;

United looked flat after their chastening defeat against City and were indebted to Lukaku&#39;s powerful header and several good saves by David de Gea against a plucky Bournemouth.

Manager Jose Mourinho, distracted by reports of a fracas after the City defeat in which he was reported to have had milk thrown at him, admitted his side had been low on energy.

&quot;It was difficult match. They had one more day&#39;s rest than us, they were fresher than us, and mentally fresher because a big match takes more from our players,&quot; he said.

&quot;They were difficult opponents and difficult conditions. If we had scored the second it would have been a calm night.&quot;

Liverpool were left to rue a late disallowed goal for Dominic Solanke as they could find no way past West Brom, their second home draw in four days.

&quot;We can do better and we have to do better but on a night like this when you are not at your best you need a bit of luck,&quot; manager Juergen Klopp said.

Shinji Okazaki scored twice for Leicester as they racked up a fourth consecutive win, while Wayne Rooney earned Everton a 1-0 win at Newcastle United whose night ended in depressing fashion with a red card for Jonjo Shelvey.

United kept up a distant pursuit as they toiled to a 1-0 defeat of Bournemouth at Old Trafford to remain 11 points adrift in second place

Manchester City set a new top-flight record of 15 consecutive wins as their seemingly unstoppable march towards the Premier League title continued with a 4-0 romp at bottom club Swansea City on Wednesday. David Silva struck twice for Pep Guardiola's side as they went past Arsenal's 14-match winning sequence, although unlike the London club's, City's streak has been in a single season. Manchester United kept up a distant pursuit as they toiled to a 1-0 defeat of Bournemouth at Old Trafford to remain 11 points adrift in second place, Romelu Lukaku's ninth league goal of the season proving just enough. Liverpool and Arsenal could only draw 0-0 with struggling West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United respectively, allowing Tottenham Hotspur to move into fourth spot behind Chelsea thanks top a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion as Serge Aurier scored his first goal for the club. City have 49 points to United's 38 with champions Chelsea, who won at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday, on 35. Tottenham have 31, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference while Arsenal dropped to seventh with 30 points. It was an enjoyable night for managers returning to former clubs as Sam Allardyce watched his Everton side win 1-0 at Newcastle United and Claude Puel's fast-improving Leicester City triumphed 4-1 at Southampton, the club who sacked him at the end of last season despite taking them to the League Cup final. City hardly broke sweat as they turned their trip to south Wales into a training session despite making four changes to the side that won 2-1 at Manchester United on Sunday. Silva opened the scoring from Bernardo Silva's cross and Kevin De Bruyne made it 2-0 with a free kick. It was all over when the silky Silva played a one-two with Raheem Sterling to make it 3-0 early in the second half with his fourth goal in his last three games. Sergio Aguero, back in the side with Gabriel Jesus rested, fired past Lukasz Fabianski to complete another masterclass from Guardiola's City slickers. City form While the purists are purring at City's form, you could only sympathise with Swansea boss Paul Clement who summed up what many of his peers might be feeling. "At times it was horrible to be on the sideline watching that, seeing my side trying but suffering for long periods," he said. "It was hard to watch at times because they were so dominant. One of the best sides I've ever come across." United looked flat after their chastening defeat against City and were indebted to Lukaku's powerful header and several good saves by David de Gea against a plucky Bournemouth. Manager Jose Mourinho, distracted by reports of a fracas after the City defeat in which he was reported to have had milk thrown at him, admitted his side had been low on energy. "It was difficult match. They had one more day's rest than us, they were fresher than us, and mentally fresher because a big match takes more from our players," he said. "They were difficult opponents and difficult conditions. If we had scored the second it would have been a calm night." Liverpool were left to rue a late disallowed goal for Dominic Solanke as they could find no way past West Brom, their second home draw in four days. "We can do better and we have to do better but on a night like this when you are not at your best you need a bit of luck," manager Juergen Klopp said. Shinji Okazaki scored twice for Leicester as they racked up a fourth consecutive win, while Wayne Rooney earned Everton a 1-0 win at Newcastle United whose night ended in depressing fashion with a red card for Jonjo Shelvey.

Unstoppable City break record, United edge out Bournemouth

Second-half substitute Olivier Giroud rescued Arsenal with a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at St Mary&#39;s on Sunday after Southampton had looked like holding on for all three points.

The France international, who replaced compatriot Alexandre Lacazette in the 72nd minute of a lively game, scored two minutes from fulltime with a glancing header off an Alexis Sanchez cross.

Southampton had made Arsenal sweat until then with Charlie Austin grabbing a fourth goal from his last three league starts with a third-minute shot past Petr Cech after being fed through by Dusan Tadic.

It was the 17th time Giroud has scored as a substitute for Arsenal, equalling Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer&#39;s record with Manchester United for most goals scored off the bench for a single club.

If the draw remained a lost opportunity for the Gunners, the goal at least staved off a second successive league defeat after a stinging 3-1 loss to Manchester United at the Emirates last weekend.

&quot;Last week had an influence on today&#39;s game,&quot; Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose side played in the Europa League on Thursday, told Sky Sports television.

&quot;They wanted to start strong but it took us time to get into the game again,&quot; added the manager, who criticised the amount of time-wasting in the match.

&quot;I think he (Giroud) has come back into a very good shape, he&#39;s shown that today again. He&#39;s mentally extremely strong as well. It&#39;s a remarkable achievement what he has done again today.&quot;

Arsenal moved up to fifth place, behind Liverpool on goal difference, but 14 adrift of leaders Manchester City who were playing Manchester United later in the day.

Southampton moved up to 10th, ahead of Huddersfield Town and Everton, who were playing the Merseyside derby at Liverpool.

&quot;We started really well, got the goal. Should have got the second really,&quot; said Austin, who had a low shot from the right well saved by Cech minutes after scoring.

&quot;Against Arsenal, you give them one chance and the big man&#39;s come on and scored. It&#39;s just one of those things...we take away a point from here but we should have taken all three.&quot;

Austin also hit the post with another effort in the eighth minute with the Arsenal defence in disarray but the linesman flagging for offside.

Arsenal worked their way back, picking up the tempo as Southampton were forced on the defensive but without giving home goalkeeper Fraser Forster much to worry about.

Southampton were still dangerous against the run of play, however, with Spanish defensive midfielder Oriol Romeu firing in a long-range shot that smacked the crossbar in the 62nd.

Arsenal took off defender Per Mertesacker shortly afterwards, bringing on Danny Welbeck to add firepower, but Southampton could still feel unlucky not to increase their advantage.

Ryan Bertrand had a golden opportunity when he shook off Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, but lofted the ball high over Cech, while Austin saw another opportunity trickle past the post.

Giroud came on as a second-half substitute, the equaliser came late

Second-half substitute Olivier Giroud rescued Arsenal with a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at St Mary's on Sunday after Southampton had looked like holding on for all three points. The France international, who replaced compatriot Alexandre Lacazette in the 72nd minute of a lively game, scored two minutes from fulltime with a glancing header off an Alexis Sanchez cross. Southampton had made Arsenal sweat until then with Charlie Austin grabbing a fourth goal from his last three league starts with a third-minute shot past Petr Cech after being fed through by Dusan Tadic. It was the 17th time Giroud has scored as a substitute for Arsenal, equalling Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's record with Manchester United for most goals scored off the bench for a single club. If the draw remained a lost opportunity for the Gunners, the goal at least staved off a second successive league defeat after a stinging 3-1 loss to Manchester United at the Emirates last weekend. "Last week had an influence on today's game," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose side played in the Europa League on Thursday, told Sky Sports television. "They wanted to start strong but it took us time to get into the game again," added the manager, who criticised the amount of time-wasting in the match. "I think he (Giroud) has come back into a very good shape, he's shown that today again. He's mentally extremely strong as well. It's a remarkable achievement what he has done again today." Arsenal moved up to fifth place, behind Liverpool on goal difference, but 14 adrift of leaders Manchester City who were playing Manchester United later in the day. Southampton moved up to 10th, ahead of Huddersfield Town and Everton, who were playing the Merseyside derby at Liverpool. "We started really well, got the goal. Should have got the second really," said Austin, who had a low shot from the right well saved by Cech minutes after scoring. "Against Arsenal, you give them one chance and the big man's come on and scored. It's just one of those things...we take away a point from here but we should have taken all three." Austin also hit the post with another effort in the eighth minute with the Arsenal defence in disarray but the linesman flagging for offside. Arsenal worked their way back, picking up the tempo as Southampton were forced on the defensive but without giving home goalkeeper Fraser Forster much to worry about. Southampton were still dangerous against the run of play, however, with Spanish defensive midfielder Oriol Romeu firing in a long-range shot that smacked the crossbar in the 62nd. Arsenal took off defender Per Mertesacker shortly afterwards, bringing on Danny Welbeck to add firepower, but Southampton could still feel unlucky not to increase their advantage. Ryan Bertrand had a golden opportunity when he shook off Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, but lofted the ball high over Cech, while Austin saw another opportunity trickle past the post.

Giroud to the rescue as Arsenal draw 1-1 at Southampton

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-warns-north-korean-leadership-will-be-utterly-destroyed-in-case-of-war-25470" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-warns-north-korean-leadership-will-be-utterly-destroyed-in-case-of-war-25470" target="_blank"> warns North Korean leadership will be &#39;utterly destroyed&#39; if war breaks out</a>

The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be &quot;utterly destroyed&quot; if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/now-assams-brahmaputra-river-also-turns-black-report-25476" target="_blank">Now, Assam&#39;s Brahmaputra river also turns black: Report</a>

After reports that the colour of the water of the river Siang in Arunachal Pradesh turned black, comes a report that the water downstream of the river Brahmaputra in Assam has changed to black as well.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-attacks-british-pm-may-after-she-criticises-his-retweeting-of-anti-islam-videos-25473" target="_blank">Trump attacks British PM May after she criticises his retweeting of anti-Islam videos</a>

Donald Trump hit back publicly at British Prime Minister Theresa May after she criticised his retweeting of anti-Islam videos.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bosnian-croat-war-crimes-convict-dies-after-taking-poison-in-court-report-25472" target="_blank">Bosnian-Croat war crimes convict dies after taking &#39;poison&#39; in court: Report</a>

A Bosnian Croat wartime commander died after swallowing what he said was poison in a UN war crimes courtroom on Wednesday after losing an appeal against a 20-year prison sentence, Croatian state TV said.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/epl-league-leaders-manchester-city-win-chasers-keep-chasing-25474" target="_blank">EPL: League leaders Manchester City win, chasers keep chasing</a>

With Manchester United having cut the gap with league leaders Manchester City to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola&#39;s side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

US warns North Korean leadership will be 'utterly destroyed' if war breaks out The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range. Now, Assam's Brahmaputra river also turns black: Report After reports that the colour of the water of the river Siang in Arunachal Pradesh turned black, comes a report that the water downstream of the river Brahmaputra in Assam has changed to black as well. Trump attacks British PM May after she criticises his retweeting of anti-Islam videos Donald Trump hit back publicly at British Prime Minister Theresa May after she criticised his retweeting of anti-Islam videos. Bosnian-Croat war crimes convict dies after taking 'poison' in court: Report A Bosnian Croat wartime commander died after swallowing what he said was poison in a UN war crimes courtroom on Wednesday after losing an appeal against a 20-year prison sentence, Croatian state TV said. EPL: League leaders Manchester City win, chasers keep chasing With Manchester United having cut the gap with league leaders Manchester City to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola's side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

WION morning news brief, November 30, 2017

Just when the chasing pack thought the Manchester City juggernaut was suffering a misfire Raheem Sterling scored a stunning stoppage-time winner to give the Premier League leaders a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Wednesday.

With Manchester United having cut the gap to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola&#39;s side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

Former Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu had cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne&#39;s opener in the 75th minute but six minutes into stoppage time Sterling, for the third match running, snatched City&#39;s winner, this time with a sublime curling shot.

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<h5>Manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a verbal meltdown at Stamford Bridge as his Chelsea side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of struggling Swansea City</h5>
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Manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a verbal meltdown at Stamford Bridge as his Chelsea side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of struggling Swansea City at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Rudiger&#39;s first Premier League goal sealed victory.

&quot;I have apologised because I did the wrong thing,&quot; Conte said of his angry reaction to a fourth official when his side were denied a corner in the first half.

&quot;I have been in to see them after the game. It&#39;s right to speak and apologise with them.&quot;

Arsenal struck three goals in four second-half minutes as they thrashed Huddersfield Town 5-0 with Mesut Ozil scoring one and supplying assists for Olivier Giroud, who scored a brace, and Alexis Sanchez.

Alexandre Lacazette&#39;s early goal had separated the sides before the interval although the French striker went off with a suspected groin injury and will probably miss Saturday&#39;s home clash against Manchester United. Arsenal have won 12 consecutive home matches.

Liverpool moved into fifth place with Mohamed Salah taking his tally for the season to a chart-topping 12 thanks to a double in a 3-0 victory at Stoke City.

After 14 games City have 40 points, with United on 32, Chelsea 29, Arsenal 28 and Liverpool 26.

Heady sixth

Burnley rose to a heady sixth, ahead of a sliding Tottenham Hotspur, as Chris Wood and Robbie Brady scored in a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth - their fourth win in five league games.

&quot;Where we are in the league, everyone will be surprised by that,&quot; Burnley boss Sean Dyche said.

Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick, the third with a wonder goal from inside his own half, as Everton thrashed West Ham United 4-0 on a horrible return to Goodison Park for David Moyes whose West Ham side remained in the bottom three.

Sam Allardyce, who will be named shortly as Everton&#39;s new manager, watched on from the stands as caretaker boss David Unsworth signed off with a victory that lifted Everton to 13th.

Whatever happens below them, City are looking unstoppable and with 40 points from 14 games and a goal difference of 35 they have recorded the best start in Premier League history.

They were not at their fluent best and Southampton came closest to scoring before the break with Wesley Hoedt striking the woodwork for the visitors.

But Sterling&#39;s effort sparked wild celebrations at the Etihad as the former Liverpool player struck yet another late goal to take his tally for the season to 13.

He has now earned City nine extra points this season with his timely interventions and his latest effort was arguably his best, picking out the top corner with an unstoppable effort.

&quot;Raheem is a match-winner, I am so happy for him. He is special, it was an amazing goal. It is more than important, it is beautiful,&quot; Guardiola, whose side have dropped only two points this season, said.

City are now two wins away from matching Arsenal&#39;s record 14-match winning run in the Premier League.

City beat Southampton 2-1. This was City's 12th successive league victory

Just when the chasing pack thought the Manchester City juggernaut was suffering a misfire Raheem Sterling scored a stunning stoppage-time winner to give the Premier League leaders a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Wednesday. With Manchester United having cut the gap to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola's side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory. Former Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu had cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne's opener in the 75th minute but six minutes into stoppage time Sterling, for the third match running, snatched City's winner, this time with a sublime curling shot. Manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a verbal meltdown at Stamford Bridge as his Chelsea side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of struggling Swansea City × Manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a verbal meltdown at Stamford Bridge as his Chelsea side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of struggling Swansea City at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Rudiger's first Premier League goal sealed victory. "I have apologised because I did the wrong thing," Conte said of his angry reaction to a fourth official when his side were denied a corner in the first half. "I have been in to see them after the game. It's right to speak and apologise with them." Arsenal struck three goals in four second-half minutes as they thrashed Huddersfield Town 5-0 with Mesut Ozil scoring one and supplying assists for Olivier Giroud, who scored a brace, and Alexis Sanchez. Alexandre Lacazette's early goal had separated the sides before the interval although the French striker went off with a suspected groin injury and will probably miss Saturday's home clash against Manchester United. Arsenal have won 12 consecutive home matches. Liverpool moved into fifth place with Mohamed Salah taking his tally for the season to a chart-topping 12 thanks to a double in a 3-0 victory at Stoke City. After 14 games City have 40 points, with United on 32, Chelsea 29, Arsenal 28 and Liverpool 26. Heady sixth Burnley rose to a heady sixth, ahead of a sliding Tottenham Hotspur, as Chris Wood and Robbie Brady scored in a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth - their fourth win in five league games. "Where we are in the league, everyone will be surprised by that," Burnley boss Sean Dyche said. Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick, the third with a wonder goal from inside his own half, as Everton thrashed West Ham United 4-0 on a horrible return to Goodison Park for David Moyes whose West Ham side remained in the bottom three. Sam Allardyce, who will be named shortly as Everton's new manager, watched on from the stands as caretaker boss David Unsworth signed off with a victory that lifted Everton to 13th. Whatever happens below them, City are looking unstoppable and with 40 points from 14 games and a goal difference of 35 they have recorded the best start in Premier League history. They were not at their fluent best and Southampton came closest to scoring before the break with Wesley Hoedt striking the woodwork for the visitors. But Sterling's effort sparked wild celebrations at the Etihad as the former Liverpool player struck yet another late goal to take his tally for the season to 13. He has now earned City nine extra points this season with his timely interventions and his latest effort was arguably his best, picking out the top corner with an unstoppable effort. "Raheem is a match-winner, I am so happy for him. He is special, it was an amazing goal. It is more than important, it is beautiful," Guardiola, whose side have dropped only two points this season, said. City are now two wins away from matching Arsenal's record 14-match winning run in the Premier League.

EPL: League leaders Manchester City win, chasers keep chasing

Arsene Wenger says it will be &quot;difficult&quot; for any team to stop Manchester City from winning the Premier League after his Arsenal side lost 3-1 at the Etihad on Sunday - a result which left him fuming at referee Michael Oliver.

Wenger said City&#39;s quality, shown in their club record 15 straight wins in all competitions, makes it hard to imagine any team overtaking them but he also took aim at the officials after his team suffered a disputed penalty and a goal which appeared offside.

The win gave City an eight-point lead over Manchester United ahead of their game at Chelsea later on Sunday and left them 12 points clear of the Gunners.

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<h5>Can anyone stop them? It will be difficult this season, the way they have started the quality they have, but you never know. If, on top of that, they have decisions at home like that, they will be unstoppable,&#39; Wenger told reporters</h5>
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&quot;Can anyone stop them? It will be difficult this season, the way they have started the quality they have, but you never know. If, on top of that, they have decisions at home like that, they will be unstoppable,&quot; Wenger told reporters.

City went 2-0 up five minutes into the second half after referee Oliver ruled that Nacho Monreal had bundled over Raheem Sterling inside the area and Sergio Aguero converted from the spot.

Arsenal players disputed that decision and were also upset that City&#39;s third goal came after a pass from David Silva whom television replays showed was narrowly in an offside position.

&quot;I don&rsquo;t want to take anything away from the quality but it happened at a moment when we were really in the game at 2-1 and it killed the game. It is the second year. We got two offside goals here last year and one this year,&quot; Wenger added.

The Frenchman felt his team had created opportunities and were in the contest until the controversial third goal.

&quot;I felt it was an intense game of quality of both sides. Man City are on a high but I felt we had plenty of dangerous situations and chances,&quot; he said.

&quot;Overall, once again, the referee made the decision again, with a penalty and an offside goal. We are used to it when we come here,&quot; he said.

&quot;I feel they (referees) don&rsquo;t work enough, because it happens every season. It is unacceptable&quot;.

Arsenal lost 3-1 to City at the Etihad on Sunday

Arsene Wenger says it will be "difficult" for any team to stop Manchester City from winning the Premier League after his Arsenal side lost 3-1 at the Etihad on Sunday - a result which left him fuming at referee Michael Oliver. Wenger said City's quality, shown in their club record 15 straight wins in all competitions, makes it hard to imagine any team overtaking them but he also took aim at the officials after his team suffered a disputed penalty and a goal which appeared offside. The win gave City an eight-point lead over Manchester United ahead of their game at Chelsea later on Sunday and left them 12 points clear of the Gunners. Can anyone stop them? It will be difficult this season, the way they have started the quality they have, but you never know. If, on top of that, they have decisions at home like that, they will be unstoppable,' Wenger told reporters × "Can anyone stop them? It will be difficult this season, the way they have started the quality they have, but you never know. If, on top of that, they have decisions at home like that, they will be unstoppable," Wenger told reporters. City went 2-0 up five minutes into the second half after referee Oliver ruled that Nacho Monreal had bundled over Raheem Sterling inside the area and Sergio Aguero converted from the spot. Arsenal players disputed that decision and were also upset that City's third goal came after a pass from David Silva whom television replays showed was narrowly in an offside position. "I don’t want to take anything away from the quality but it happened at a moment when we were really in the game at 2-1 and it killed the game. It is the second year. We got two offside goals here last year and one this year," Wenger added. The Frenchman felt his team had created opportunities and were in the contest until the controversial third goal. "I felt it was an intense game of quality of both sides. Man City are on a high but I felt we had plenty of dangerous situations and chances," he said. "Overall, once again, the referee made the decision again, with a penalty and an offside goal. We are used to it when we come here," he said. "I feel they (referees) don’t work enough, because it happens every season. It is unacceptable".

EPL: Wenger says 'difficult' to see anyone stopping City

Everton&#39;s miserable Europa League run continued as they lost 2-1 at home to Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday and remained bottom of their group as Arsenal beat 10-man Red Star Belgrade 1-0 thanks to an acrobatic late goal by Olivier Giroud.

Everton badly needed a win against Lyon after taking one point from their previous two games but they went behind in the sixth minute to a penalty by Nabil Fekir.

Ashley Williams headed them level in the 69th after being fortunate to only be yellow-carded for igniting a mass brawl when he shoved visiting goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

Everton nearly went ahead when a Gilfi Sigurdsson free kick came off the far post but former Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore struck to restore Lyon&#39;s lead, leaving Ronald Koeman&#39;s side at the foot of Group E with one point from three games.

The Dutch coach is under pressure as his side have only won three games out of 12 in all competitions and are 16th in the Premier League standings.

&quot;We always feel pressure, from ourselves and pressure from outside,&quot; Everton defender Williams told reporters.

&quot;It&rsquo;s disappointing we didn&rsquo;t get a result tonight because I felt we had a good attitude, and I thought we had a lot of chances.&quot;

Serie A side Atalanta lead the group on seven points after beating Apollon Limassol.

Arsenal were given a fright in Belgrade when Richmond Boaqye hit the woodwork but they took advantage of Milan Rodic getting sent off in the 81st minute as Giroud leapt to scoop a cushioned header from Theo Walcott into the top corner, completing a sweeping move through the middle.

Arsenal top Group H with a maximum nine points from three games after returning to winning ways following their 2-1 defeat by Watford in the Premier League.

&quot;It was a very difficult game amid high and heated intensity,&quot; said Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger.

&quot;The (home crowd) support was absolutely amazing, it was fantastic. Red Star are a massive club with a big history and the people here know their football.&quot;

BATE Borisov are second after beating Bundesliga side FC Koln, who have lost all three games in their first European campaign in 20 years.

Zenit St Petersburg, FCSB and Lazio are the only other teams to have won all three of their group games as seven-times European champions AC Milan lost their 100 percent record after a goalless home draw with AEK Athens.

Mario Balotelli opened the scoring for Nice against Lazio but the Serie A side quickly turned the game on its head to win 3-1, with Felipe Caicedo levelling soon after Balotelli&#39;s opener and Serb Sergej Milinkovic-Savic striking twice after halftime.

RECORD AWAY WIN

Real Sociedad hammered FK Vardar 6-0 to set a competition record for the biggest away win with the help of four goals from Brazilian forward Willian Jose, while fellow Liga side Athletic Bilbao were left on the brink of elimination as they drew 2-2 at Swedish side Ostersund.

A late goal from veteran striker Aritz Aduriz prevented a second consecutive defeat for the 2012 finalists, who are third in Group J on two points, four behind second-placed Zorya and five behind leaders Ostersund.

FC Copenhagen&#39;s game at Czech side Fastav Zlin was suspended in the 70th minute due to fog, but play resumed soon afterwards and the match ended 1-1.

Everton's miserable Europa League run continued as they lost 2-1 at home to Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday and remained bottom of their group as Arsenal beat 10-man Red Star Belgrade 1-0 thanks to an acrobatic late goal by Olivier Giroud.

Everton's miserable Europa League run continued as they lost 2-1 at home to Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday and remained bottom of their group as Arsenal beat 10-man Red Star Belgrade 1-0 thanks to an acrobatic late goal by Olivier Giroud. Everton badly needed a win against Lyon after taking one point from their previous two games but they went behind in the sixth minute to a penalty by Nabil Fekir. Ashley Williams headed them level in the 69th after being fortunate to only be yellow-carded for igniting a mass brawl when he shoved visiting goalkeeper Anthony Lopes. Everton nearly went ahead when a Gilfi Sigurdsson free kick came off the far post but former Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore struck to restore Lyon's lead, leaving Ronald Koeman's side at the foot of Group E with one point from three games. The Dutch coach is under pressure as his side have only won three games out of 12 in all competitions and are 16th in the Premier League standings. "We always feel pressure, from ourselves and pressure from outside," Everton defender Williams told reporters. "It’s disappointing we didn’t get a result tonight because I felt we had a good attitude, and I thought we had a lot of chances." Serie A side Atalanta lead the group on seven points after beating Apollon Limassol. Arsenal were given a fright in Belgrade when Richmond Boaqye hit the woodwork but they took advantage of Milan Rodic getting sent off in the 81st minute as Giroud leapt to scoop a cushioned header from Theo Walcott into the top corner, completing a sweeping move through the middle. Arsenal top Group H with a maximum nine points from three games after returning to winning ways following their 2-1 defeat by Watford in the Premier League. "It was a very difficult game amid high and heated intensity," said Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger. "The (home crowd) support was absolutely amazing, it was fantastic. Red Star are a massive club with a big history and the people here know their football." BATE Borisov are second after beating Bundesliga side FC Koln, who have lost all three games in their first European campaign in 20 years. Zenit St Petersburg, FCSB and Lazio are the only other teams to have won all three of their group games as seven-times European champions AC Milan lost their 100 percent record after a goalless home draw with AEK Athens. Mario Balotelli opened the scoring for Nice against Lazio but the Serie A side quickly turned the game on its head to win 3-1, with Felipe Caicedo levelling soon after Balotelli's opener and Serb Sergej Milinkovic-Savic striking twice after halftime. RECORD AWAY WIN Real Sociedad hammered FK Vardar 6-0 to set a competition record for the biggest away win with the help of four goals from Brazilian forward Willian Jose, while fellow Liga side Athletic Bilbao were left on the brink of elimination as they drew 2-2 at Swedish side Ostersund. A late goal from veteran striker Aritz Aduriz prevented a second consecutive defeat for the 2012 finalists, who are third in Group J on two points, four behind second-placed Zorya and five behind leaders Ostersund. FC Copenhagen's game at Czech side Fastav Zlin was suspended in the 70th minute due to fog, but play resumed soon afterwards and the match ended 1-1.

Everton lose to Lyon, Giroud's acrobatic goal lifts Arsenal

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could not pinpoint the reason behind his team&#39;s 4-0 drubbing by Liverpool at Anfield as the London club sunk to its worst defeat in the English Premier League.

A disconsolate Wenger said,&quot;Given our first two games, our performances were quite good, but today the performance was not acceptable at that level.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;I think from the first minute to the last minute we were not at the level requested for such a game,&quot; he added.

Wenger has been under fire from the Arsenal board who want the club to at least finish in the top-3 so that the beleaguered London giants can remain in the lucrative European Championships but the abject performance at Anfield has clouded the club&#39;s hope to remain in Europe early in the season.

&quot;Not physically, not technically, not mentally and we were punished. That&#39;s basically it,&quot; Wenger said.

&quot;Of course, you can analyse the chances we gave away, but I just think overall the performance was not at the requested level.&quot;

Arsenal who finished second best to Leicester City last season lagging by 10 points failed in almost every department of the game on Sunday against Liverpool.

&quot;Last season I said that after 30 games. Now we have played three games. We have played one home game and two away games. The result is a consequence of our performance,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;We were not good enough,&quot; Wenger felt. 
&nbsp;

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could not pinpoint the reason behind his team's 4-0 drubbing by Liverpool at Anfield

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could not pinpoint the reason behind his team's 4-0 drubbing by Liverpool at Anfield as the London club sunk to its worst defeat in the English Premier League. A disconsolate Wenger said,"Given our first two games, our performances were quite good, but today the performance was not acceptable at that level." "I think from the first minute to the last minute we were not at the level requested for such a game," he added. Wenger has been under fire from the Arsenal board who want the club to at least finish in the top-3 so that the beleaguered London giants can remain in the lucrative European Championships but the abject performance at Anfield has clouded the club's hope to remain in Europe early in the season. "Not physically, not technically, not mentally and we were punished. That's basically it," Wenger said. "Of course, you can analyse the chances we gave away, but I just think overall the performance was not at the requested level." Arsenal who finished second best to Leicester City last season lagging by 10 points failed in almost every department of the game on Sunday against Liverpool. "Last season I said that after 30 games. Now we have played three games. We have played one home game and two away games. The result is a consequence of our performance," he said. "We were not good enough," Wenger felt.

We were punished, says Wenger after Liverpool humiliation

Arsene&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;has told Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke he will accept the Premier League club&#39;s offer of a new two-year contract, according to reports on Tuesday.

Wenger&nbsp;met Gunners majority shareholder Kroenke and chief executive Ivan Gazidis on Monday to discuss his future before his contract expires next month.

The 67-year-old has been heavily criticised this season, with Arsenal fans calling for his resignation after their team failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.

Suggestions that Arsenal may insist on hiring a director of football to work with&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;had sparked claims the Frenchman was considering ending his 21-year reign.

But after leading Arsenal to an impressive 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Premier League champions Chelsea with Kroenke watching from the stands on Saturday,&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;had hinted he was willing to stay.

And the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror reported&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;has informed American tycoon Kroenke, who remains a firm supporter of his manager, that he wants to remain in charge of the north London club.

A formal announcement of&nbsp;Wenger&#39;s new contract is expected to come on Wednesday.

&quot;The club are planning to make an announcement on Wednesday afternoon,&quot; a spokesman said after refusing to confirm the reports of&nbsp;Wenger&#39;s decision.

Wenger, who has won three Premier League titles and a record seven FA Cups with the Gunners, will attend an Arsenal board meeting on Tuesday when the contract should be rubber-stamped.

Wenger&nbsp;will outline his plans for close-season signings and while there may still be some tinkering with his backroom staff it will not be without his approval.

Gazidis would still like to bring in a sporting director to coordinate issues ranging from scouting and medicine to youth development and analytics.

But&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;has been told he will retain control of the key areas of team selection and transfers.

Tough task&nbsp;

With his reign set to reach 23 years if he sees out the new deal,&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;has a chance to salvage what was in danger of becoming a tarnished reputation.

First on his to-do list will be making improved contract offers to Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

The unsettled Arsenal stars are holding out for weekly wages of around &pound;300,000 ($385,000) per week with their present deals due to expire at the end of next season.

With no Champions League football to offer to potential new recruits,&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;still faces a tough task to win the Premier League for the first time since 2004.

Fifth-placed Arsenal finished 18 points behind Chelsea, with embarrassing defeats at Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion ruining their chances of staying in the top four.

Those losses, combined with a Champions League last 16 thrashing by Bayern Munich, prompted the most sustained fan protests against&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;in his two-decade reign.

Fans staged protest marches, flew planes over Arsenal matches trailing banners calling for&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;to go and even stayed away in droves when the Gunners faces Sunderland in their penultimate home match.

Wenger, who has won the FA Cup three times in the last four years, showed how much the abuse had affected him last week when he spoke to the BBC before the Wembley showdown with Chelsea.&nbsp;

&quot;I believe there&#39;s a difference between being criticised and being treated in a way that human beings don&#39;t deserve,&quot; he said.

&quot;The lack of respect from some has been a disgrace and I will never accept that. I will never forget it.

&quot;The behaviour of some people during the season, that is what hurts me most.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s not my person that is hurt but the impeccable image of the club around the world.

&quot;That kind of behaviour does not reflect what Arsenal is.&quot;

(AFP)

Arlene Wenger met the club's top brass on Monday to discuss his future

Arsene Wenger has told Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke he will accept the Premier League club's offer of a new two-year contract, according to reports on Tuesday. Wenger met Gunners majority shareholder Kroenke and chief executive Ivan Gazidis on Monday to discuss his future before his contract expires next month. The 67-year-old has been heavily criticised this season, with Arsenal fans calling for his resignation after their team failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years. Suggestions that Arsenal may insist on hiring a director of football to work with Wenger had sparked claims the Frenchman was considering ending his 21-year reign. But after leading Arsenal to an impressive 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Premier League champions Chelsea with Kroenke watching from the stands on Saturday, Wenger had hinted he was willing to stay. And the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror reported Wenger has informed American tycoon Kroenke, who remains a firm supporter of his manager, that he wants to remain in charge of the north London club. A formal announcement of Wenger's new contract is expected to come on Wednesday. "The club are planning to make an announcement on Wednesday afternoon," a spokesman said after refusing to confirm the reports of Wenger's decision. Wenger, who has won three Premier League titles and a record seven FA Cups with the Gunners, will attend an Arsenal board meeting on Tuesday when the contract should be rubber-stamped. Wenger will outline his plans for close-season signings and while there may still be some tinkering with his backroom staff it will not be without his approval. Gazidis would still like to bring in a sporting director to coordinate issues ranging from scouting and medicine to youth development and analytics. But Wenger has been told he will retain control of the key areas of team selection and transfers. Tough task With his reign set to reach 23 years if he sees out the new deal, Wenger has a chance to salvage what was in danger of becoming a tarnished reputation. First on his to-do list will be making improved contract offers to Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. The unsettled Arsenal stars are holding out for weekly wages of around £300,000 ($385,000) per week with their present deals due to expire at the end of next season. With no Champions League football to offer to potential new recruits, Wenger still faces a tough task to win the Premier League for the first time since 2004. Fifth-placed Arsenal finished 18 points behind Chelsea, with embarrassing defeats at Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion ruining their chances of staying in the top four. Those losses, combined with a Champions League last 16 thrashing by Bayern Munich, prompted the most sustained fan protests against Wenger in his two-decade reign. Fans staged protest marches, flew planes over Arsenal matches trailing banners calling for Wenger to go and even stayed away in droves when the Gunners faces Sunderland in their penultimate home match. Wenger, who has won the FA Cup three times in the last four years, showed how much the abuse had affected him last week when he spoke to the BBC before the Wembley showdown with Chelsea. "I believe there's a difference between being criticised and being treated in a way that human beings don't deserve," he said. "The lack of respect from some has been a disgrace and I will never accept that. I will never forget it. "The behaviour of some people during the season, that is what hurts me most. "It's not my person that is hurt but the impeccable image of the club around the world. "That kind of behaviour does not reflect what Arsenal is." (AFP)

Wenger to stay on at Arsenal for two more years: Reports

Aaron Ramsey scored a 79th-minute header to earn Arsenal a stunning 2-1 win over Double-chasing Chelsea on Saturday and deliver embattled manager Arsene Wenger a record seventh FA Cup.

Wenger has been barracked by his own fans and failed to secure Champions League qualification for the first time in 20 years, but he ends the season by surpassing Aston Villa&#39;s George Ramsey as the FA Cup&#39;s greatest manager.

Alexis Sanchez&#39;s early opener for Arsenal, allowed to stand despite an apparent handball, was cancelled out by Diego Costa, only for Ramsey to reply immediately with the second FA Cup-winning goal of his career.

&quot;This team has suffered,&quot; said Wenger. &quot;They&#39;ve united and responded. They showed strength and unity and played spectacular football today.

&quot;I&#39;m proud to have won seven of these cups.&quot;

Arsenal, plagued by defensive selection issues, claimed a third FA Cup win in four seasons and 13th in total, making them the outright most successful team in the competition&#39;s history ahead of Manchester United.

Antonio Conte&#39;s Chelsea, who had Victor Moses sent off after he received a second booking for diving, were thwarted in their attempt to complete a Premier League and FA Cup Double for the second time.

It meant no glorious farewell for departing skipper John Terry, who bows out on 717 appearances and 17 major honours after spending the match on the bench.

Victory was rich vindication for Wenger, whose Arsenal future is due to be decided by a board meeting on Tuesday, and allowed him to salvage something from the most difficult season of his 21-year tenure.

He is reported to have been offered a two-year contract and while dissent against him has mounted this season, the stirring nature of his side&#39;s win will surely have won back some of his team&#39;s disgruntled fans.

Ramsey said: &quot;Of course I want him to stay at the club. He deserves this.

&quot;I&#39;ve got the winner again. I love this competition.&quot;

Mertesacker magnificent&nbsp;

Arsenal took a fourth-minute lead with a goal that will be debated long after the final whistle.

After blocking N&#39;Golo Kante&#39;s attempted clearance on the edge of Chelsea&#39;s box, Sanchez ran through to skewer a shot past Thibaut Courtois, only for an offside flag to be raised against Ramsey.

Referee Anthony Taylor consulted his assistant referee before concluding, correctly, that Ramsey had not been interfering with play, but replays showed Sanchez had handled the ball as he charged down Kante&#39;s clearance.

Arsenal&#39;s play brimmed with belief, Mesut Ozil forcing Gary Cahill to clear off his own line and Danny Welbeck and Ramsey hitting the same post in quick succession from a corner.

The absences of the suspended Laurent Koscielny, the injured Gabriel and the concussed Shkodran Mustafi brought club captain Per Mertesacker into Arsenal&#39;s back three for his first start of the season.

But there were few signs of ring-rust as the former Germany defender produced three crucial last-ditch blocks to thwart Costa.

Chelsea&nbsp;stepped things up in the second half, with Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina foiling Kante and Moses and Pedro curling narrowly wide.

But Arsenal continued to threaten on the break, Hector Bellerin working Courtois with a firm, low shot, and in the 68th minute the momentum tilted yet further in their direction.

Already booked for holding back Welbeck on the touchline, Moses was shown a second yellow card for hurling himself to the ground in the Arsenal box in anticipation of an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain challenge that never came.

Despite going a man down, Chelsea contrived to equalise in the 76th minute when Costa chested down substitute Willian&#39;s pass before beating Ospina with the aid of a slight deflection off Mertesacker.

But Wenger reacted by sending on Olivier Giroud and within a minute of coming on for Welbeck, he crossed from the byline on the left and Ramsey charged in to net the winner with a stooping header.

Bellerin shot just wide and Ozil hit the post after cutting inside Cesar Azpilicueta, but just as in the 2014 final against Hull City, Ramsey&#39;s goal was to prove the winner.

(AFP)

Arsenal's Ramsey scored the winning goal to hand embattled manager Arsene Wenger his seventh FA Cup

Aaron Ramsey scored a 79th-minute header to earn Arsenal a stunning 2-1 win over Double-chasing Chelsea on Saturday and deliver embattled manager Arsene Wenger a record seventh FA Cup. Wenger has been barracked by his own fans and failed to secure Champions League qualification for the first time in 20 years, but he ends the season by surpassing Aston Villa's George Ramsey as the FA Cup's greatest manager. Alexis Sanchez's early opener for Arsenal, allowed to stand despite an apparent handball, was cancelled out by Diego Costa, only for Ramsey to reply immediately with the second FA Cup-winning goal of his career. "This team has suffered," said Wenger. "They've united and responded. They showed strength and unity and played spectacular football today. "I'm proud to have won seven of these cups." Arsenal, plagued by defensive selection issues, claimed a third FA Cup win in four seasons and 13th in total, making them the outright most successful team in the competition's history ahead of Manchester United. Antonio Conte's Chelsea, who had Victor Moses sent off after he received a second booking for diving, were thwarted in their attempt to complete a Premier League and FA Cup Double for the second time. It meant no glorious farewell for departing skipper John Terry, who bows out on 717 appearances and 17 major honours after spending the match on the bench. Victory was rich vindication for Wenger, whose Arsenal future is due to be decided by a board meeting on Tuesday, and allowed him to salvage something from the most difficult season of his 21-year tenure. He is reported to have been offered a two-year contract and while dissent against him has mounted this season, the stirring nature of his side's win will surely have won back some of his team's disgruntled fans. Ramsey said: "Of course I want him to stay at the club. He deserves this. "I've got the winner again. I love this competition." Mertesacker magnificent Arsenal took a fourth-minute lead with a goal that will be debated long after the final whistle. After blocking N'Golo Kante's attempted clearance on the edge of Chelsea's box, Sanchez ran through to skewer a shot past Thibaut Courtois, only for an offside flag to be raised against Ramsey. Referee Anthony Taylor consulted his assistant referee before concluding, correctly, that Ramsey had not been interfering with play, but replays showed Sanchez had handled the ball as he charged down Kante's clearance. Arsenal's play brimmed with belief, Mesut Ozil forcing Gary Cahill to clear off his own line and Danny Welbeck and Ramsey hitting the same post in quick succession from a corner. The absences of the suspended Laurent Koscielny, the injured Gabriel and the concussed Shkodran Mustafi brought club captain Per Mertesacker into Arsenal's back three for his first start of the season. But there were few signs of ring-rust as the former Germany defender produced three crucial last-ditch blocks to thwart Costa. Chelsea stepped things up in the second half, with Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina foiling Kante and Moses and Pedro curling narrowly wide. But Arsenal continued to threaten on the break, Hector Bellerin working Courtois with a firm, low shot, and in the 68th minute the momentum tilted yet further in their direction. Already booked for holding back Welbeck on the touchline, Moses was shown a second yellow card for hurling himself to the ground in the Arsenal box in anticipation of an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain challenge that never came. Despite going a man down, Chelsea contrived to equalise in the 76th minute when Costa chested down substitute Willian's pass before beating Ospina with the aid of a slight deflection off Mertesacker. But Wenger reacted by sending on Olivier Giroud and within a minute of coming on for Welbeck, he crossed from the byline on the left and Ramsey charged in to net the winner with a stooping header. Bellerin shot just wide and Ozil hit the post after cutting inside Cesar Azpilicueta, but just as in the 2014 final against Hull City, Ramsey's goal was to prove the winner. (AFP)

Arsenal beat ten-man Chelsea to lift FA Cup

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said an &quot;absolutely horrendous&quot; atmosphere had been partly responsible for his club&#39;s failure to secure a Champions League place for the first time in 20 years.

Speaking after a 3-1 victory over Everton on the final day of the Premier League season, Wenger accepted that uncertainty over his future as manager, which has divided fans, had polluted the air at the Emirates Stadium.

He said there were other explanatory factors behind the club&#39;s difficulties, but refused to go into greater detail.

&quot;Overall I believe that we played since January in a very difficult environment for different reasons,&quot; Wenger told reporters at the Emirates on Sunday.

&quot;Some obviously that you know about and that is very difficult for the group of players to cope with that. Some other reasons, where we will talk about another day.

&quot;But the psychological environment for the group of players was absolutely horrendous. I am very proud of what they have done, the way they responded and finished the season.&quot;

He added: &quot;It has been difficult. Certainly my personal situation has contributed to that.&quot;

Wenger said earlier this year that he would make an announcement about his future before the end of the season, but he has repeatedly ducked opportunities to reveal his intentions.

Asked why his personal situation had not been resolved, he replied: &quot;I don&#39;t know.&quot;

Pressed as to when exactly he felt the uncertainty about his future had affected his players, he said: &quot;It&#39;s a good question. I cannot give you the answer today. I will give you an answer one day. But not today.&quot;

The 67-year-old would only say his future would be sorted out &quot;soon&quot;.

With Arsenal having finished fifth in the league, attention now turns to Saturday&#39;s FA Cup final against Chelsea, when victory would give Wenger a record seventh success in the competition.

But he will be missing Laurent Koscielny after the French centre-back was sent off for a rash challenge on Enner Valencia and also expects to be without Gabriel, who was stretchered off with a knee injury.

Wenger defends Kroenke

Arsenal&#39;s 10 men prevailed courtesy of goals from Hector Bellerin, Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey, with Romelu Lukaku replying from the penalty spot.

Wenger suggested his decision not to take part in the post-match lap of appreciation had been influenced by fears of a negative reaction from fans.

&quot;The players, they have been disturbed enough,&quot; he said.

&quot;I was out there, to show respect, but I wanted the players to have the quiet lap of honour they deserved.&quot;

Wenger also said Arsenal&#39;s supporters&#39; protests against shareholder Stan Kroenke -- who was loudly and repeatedly told to &quot;get out of our club&quot;, were misplaced.

&quot;I think you respect everybody in life. I respect Stan Kroenke a lot,&quot; Wenger said.

&quot;He is not at fault if we did not reach the Champions League tonight. It is the technical department who is responsible for that. I don&#39;t see what he has to do with that.&quot;

Everton playmaker Ross Barkley, who is stalling over a new contract, came off the bench to replace Tom Davies as part of a 26th-minute reshuffle by visiting manager Ronald Koeman.

Koeman said his decision to leave Barkley out had nothing to do with his contract situation, but said he expected to be able to make an announcement about the England midfielder&#39;s future imminently.

&quot;I will speak to the board tomorrow and we will make a statement about that,&quot; said the Dutchman, whose side finished seventh and will enter the Europa League next season.

On his ambitions for the close-season transfer window, Koeman said: &quot;First of all we need more numbers in to be prepared for a long, tough season with different competitions.

&quot;And I think we need more aggression in the team. The big point is to get in players who will have more productivity. That&#39;s what we try to find and that&#39;s not easy.&quot;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

He accepted uncertainty over his future as manager had polluted the air at the Emirates Stadium

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said an "absolutely horrendous" atmosphere had been partly responsible for his club's failure to secure a Champions League place for the first time in 20 years. Speaking after a 3-1 victory over Everton on the final day of the Premier League season, Wenger accepted that uncertainty over his future as manager, which has divided fans, had polluted the air at the Emirates Stadium. He said there were other explanatory factors behind the club's difficulties, but refused to go into greater detail. "Overall I believe that we played since January in a very difficult environment for different reasons," Wenger told reporters at the Emirates on Sunday. "Some obviously that you know about and that is very difficult for the group of players to cope with that. Some other reasons, where we will talk about another day. "But the psychological environment for the group of players was absolutely horrendous. I am very proud of what they have done, the way they responded and finished the season." He added: "It has been difficult. Certainly my personal situation has contributed to that." Wenger said earlier this year that he would make an announcement about his future before the end of the season, but he has repeatedly ducked opportunities to reveal his intentions. Asked why his personal situation had not been resolved, he replied: "I don't know." Pressed as to when exactly he felt the uncertainty about his future had affected his players, he said: "It's a good question. I cannot give you the answer today. I will give you an answer one day. But not today." The 67-year-old would only say his future would be sorted out "soon". With Arsenal having finished fifth in the league, attention now turns to Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea, when victory would give Wenger a record seventh success in the competition. But he will be missing Laurent Koscielny after the French centre-back was sent off for a rash challenge on Enner Valencia and also expects to be without Gabriel, who was stretchered off with a knee injury. Wenger defends Kroenke Arsenal's 10 men prevailed courtesy of goals from Hector Bellerin, Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey, with Romelu Lukaku replying from the penalty spot. Wenger suggested his decision not to take part in the post-match lap of appreciation had been influenced by fears of a negative reaction from fans. "The players, they have been disturbed enough," he said. "I was out there, to show respect, but I wanted the players to have the quiet lap of honour they deserved." Wenger also said Arsenal's supporters' protests against shareholder Stan Kroenke -- who was loudly and repeatedly told to "get out of our club", were misplaced. "I think you respect everybody in life. I respect Stan Kroenke a lot," Wenger said. "He is not at fault if we did not reach the Champions League tonight. It is the technical department who is responsible for that. I don't see what he has to do with that." Everton playmaker Ross Barkley, who is stalling over a new contract, came off the bench to replace Tom Davies as part of a 26th-minute reshuffle by visiting manager Ronald Koeman. Koeman said his decision to leave Barkley out had nothing to do with his contract situation, but said he expected to be able to make an announcement about the England midfielder's future imminently. "I will speak to the board tomorrow and we will make a statement about that," said the Dutchman, whose side finished seventh and will enter the Europa League next season. On his ambitions for the close-season transfer window, Koeman said: "First of all we need more numbers in to be prepared for a long, tough season with different competitions. "And I think we need more aggression in the team. The big point is to get in players who will have more productivity. That's what we try to find and that's not easy." (AFP)

Arsenal hurt by 'horrendous' atmosphere: Wenger

Arsene Wenger says his future as Arsenal manager will likely be decided at the club&#39;s board meeting after the May 27 FA Cup final.

The 67-year-old has just two matches remaining before his contract expires but has yet to announce publicly if he will sign fresh terms to remain at the north London club, where he has been in charge for 20 years.

The Frenchman has been batting away questions over his future for the last few months, but confirmed a meeting held in the days following the final against Chelsea -- he will be looking to win a record eighth FA Cup -- will be when his fate is discussed.

Asked when the board meeting is scheduled for, Wenger replied: &quot;I think it is after the FA Cup final.&quot;

When pushed on whether that is when a decision on his future will be finalised, he said: &quot;Yes.

&quot;You have certainly to know that there are many aspects of a football club which have to be discussed at a board meeting.

&quot;One of them is, of course, what is happening with the manager, the future, the players who have to come in, the renewal of contracts. You don&#39;t miss problems in a board meeting.

&quot;Of course I will be there. At the moment I think we should focus on short term and what&#39;s going on on Sunday and in the cup final.&quot;

Wenger faces an uphill task to continue a proud record of finishing inside the Premier League top four in all of his full seasons at the helm.

Arsenal go into the final round of league fixtures in fifth, needing to beat Everton at home and hope either Liverpool or Manchester City slip up to allow them to gatecrash the Champions League places.

After that, Wenger will prepare his players for a third FA Cup final in five years.

A number of vocal Arsenal supporters have been leading protests in recent weeks against Wenger remaining in charge beyond this season while the Frenchman has also faced increased criticism from a host of former Arsenal players.

(AFP)

Managing Arsenal since 1996, Arsene Wenger Wenger faces an uphill task to continue a proud record of finishing inside the Premier League top four in all of his full seasons at the helm

Arsene Wenger says his future as Arsenal manager will likely be decided at the club's board meeting after the May 27 FA Cup final. The 67-year-old has just two matches remaining before his contract expires but has yet to announce publicly if he will sign fresh terms to remain at the north London club, where he has been in charge for 20 years. The Frenchman has been batting away questions over his future for the last few months, but confirmed a meeting held in the days following the final against Chelsea -- he will be looking to win a record eighth FA Cup -- will be when his fate is discussed. Asked when the board meeting is scheduled for, Wenger replied: "I think it is after the FA Cup final." When pushed on whether that is when a decision on his future will be finalised, he said: "Yes. "You have certainly to know that there are many aspects of a football club which have to be discussed at a board meeting. "One of them is, of course, what is happening with the manager, the future, the players who have to come in, the renewal of contracts. You don't miss problems in a board meeting. "Of course I will be there. At the moment I think we should focus on short term and what's going on on Sunday and in the cup final." Wenger faces an uphill task to continue a proud record of finishing inside the Premier League top four in all of his full seasons at the helm. Arsenal go into the final round of league fixtures in fifth, needing to beat Everton at home and hope either Liverpool or Manchester City slip up to allow them to gatecrash the Champions League places. After that, Wenger will prepare his players for a third FA Cup final in five years. A number of vocal Arsenal supporters have been leading protests in recent weeks against Wenger remaining in charge beyond this season while the Frenchman has also faced increased criticism from a host of former Arsenal players. (AFP)

Wenger's Arsenal future to be decided after FA Cup final

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