Izuchukwu OkosiArsenal moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League with an emphatic 3-0 win at Fulham, while Casemiro was sent off in Manchester United’s 0-0 draw against struggling Southampton on Sunday evening.
Manchester City had pipped Crystal Palace 1-0 on Saturday to remain two points adrift of the leaders but the Gunners turned on the style on Sunday and could have scored at least five goals in the first half.
First-half goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard — all set up by the influential Leandro Trossard, who was awarded the Man-of-Match award — put Arsenal on course for a fifth consecutive league win.
Arsenal had a goal ruled out for offside as Gabriel Martinelli was deemed to be in an offside position.
The second half produced no goal but goalkeeper Aaron Ramsadale and defender, Gabriel, had an impressive second-half performance to ensure the north London side kept a clean sheet.
Trossard is just the second player to record a hat-trick of assists
The win was Arsenal’s 11th victory from 14 away league matches this season, underlining the durability and maturity that has them in a position to win the title for the first time since Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ in 2004.
There was more good news for Arsenal in the last 14 minutes as Brazil forward Gabriel Jesus made his first appearance since injuring his knee at last year’s World Cup.
The win also meant that Mikel Arteta’s team have won five successive Premier League matches against London opposition without conceding goals.
Mikel Arteta has now won 100 matches as Arsenal manager, in just 167 matches.
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Next up for Arsenal is the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 fixture against Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates stadium.
The first leg in Lisbon had ended in a 2-2 draw.
At Old Trafford, Casemiro’s dismissal forced third-placed United to settle for a drab goalless draw.
United are unbeaten in their last 22 home games, but this was a limp performance in their first league match since last weekend’s humiliating 7-0 defeat at bitter rivals Liverpool.
Erik ten Hag’s team looked fatigued after beating Real Betis in the Europa League last-16 first leg on Thursday and had to hold on for a point after Casemiro was dismissed in the 34th minute.
The Brazil midfielder’s initial booking for a high challenge on Carlos Alcaraz was changed to a red card following a VAR check.
It was the former Real Madrid star’s second sending off in eight appearances following his red card against Crystal Palace, leaving him facing a four-match suspension.
Casemiro’s emotional response to his premature departure left him in need of consoling by United team-mate Antony as he left the pitch.
Southampton remains bottom of the table after their battling draw.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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