Arsenal extend their lead
Demoted Rashford leads Man United to victory
12/31/2022 9:34 p.m
The fight to defend the title is becoming more difficult for Manchester City: The English football champions only get one point, while leaders Arsenal can also win against Brighton & Hove Albion. Manchester United initially lets Edeljoker Rashford sit on the bench.
Arsenal FC took advantage of the English football champions Manchester City’s blunder in the Premier League at the end of the year and extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points. The Gunners won 4-2 (2-0) at Brighton & Hove Albion and celebrated their fifth win in a row. City with team manager Pep Guardiola previously had to settle for a 1-1 (1-0) draw against Everton without Ilkay Gündogan in the starting XI.
Bukayo Saka (2′), Martin Odegaard (39′), Eddie Nketiah (47′) and Gabriel Martinelli (71′) scored for Arsenal. Kaoru Mitoma (65′) and Evan Ferguson (77′) scored for Brighton.
In Manchester, striker Erling Haaland (24) gave City the lead with his 21st goal in the 15th Premier League game. Former Leverkusen player Demarai Gray (64th) equalized with a remarkable flick for team manager Frank Lampard’s team. Gündogan came on as a substitute in the 87th minute.
Rashford is disciplined
Thanks to noble joker Marcus Rashford, City’s city rivals Manchester United had continued their upward trend and at least temporarily advanced to a Champions League rank. The team of Dutch team manager Erik ten Hag won 1-0 (0-0) at Kellerkind Wolverhampton Wanderers on New Year’s Eve and celebrated five competitive wins in a row for the first time since April 2021.
Before the ball rolled at Molineux Stadium, loud applause erupted from the stands in memory of the late Brazilian soccer legend Pele. The kick-off then took place without national player Rashford: For “disciplinary reasons”, the 25-year-old initially sat on the bench, as Man United coach ten Hag had explained before kick-off. Ten Hag kept to himself why Rashford should be disciplined.
Only after a goalless first half did Rashford, who had scored three goals in five games for the “Three Lions” at the World Cup in Qatar, step onto the pitch – and let the Red Devils celebrate in the 76th minute. A little later, the substitute (84th) pushed the ball over the goal line a second time, but because of a handball referee Robert Jones took the goal back after video evidence.
After Rashford’s lesson, ten Hag was satisfied with the performance of his top striker. “He was in a good mood and scored a goal,” said the 52-year-old: “That was the right reaction. Everyone has to abide by the rules and values - and if you react like that, that was the right answer.”