The 18-year-old continued his remarkable start to his career with two goals to fire Louis van Gaal’s side to victory at Old Trafford

Teenage sensation Marcus Rashford scored two goals on his Premier League debut to help fire Manchester United to a 3-2 win over Arsenal.
The 18-year-old was thrust into the starting XI for Thursday’s Europa League last-32 second-leg clash with Midtjylland when Anthony Martial pulled up injured in the warm-up.

Two goals in that 5-1 win helped United into the next round and Rashford showed no signs of slowing down against the title-chasing Gunners.

He scored twice in the space of three first-half minutes – netting his first Premier League brace at exactly the same age as club captain Wayne Rooney when he registered his (18 years, 120 days).

Former United man Danny Welbeck pulled one back for Arsenal before the interval but Ander Herrera made it three in the 65th minute with Rashford providing the assist.

Ozil once again reduced the deficit four minutes later, but Arsenal left empty-handed and now sit five points behind leaders Leicester City, while United climb back to fifth.

Welbeck, who was deemed surplus to requirements by Louis van Gaal at United, came into the Arsenal starting line-up, while the Dutch manager – who is desperately short of attacking options due to an injury crisis – was once again forced to deploy Rashford.

The first chance of the match came courtesy of an unlikely source, though, as Nacho Monreal fired straight at the returning David de Gea after being played in by Ozil.

Rashford threatened the Arsenal defence with an early surge into the box. He won a free-kick on the edge of the area after being brought down by Gabriel Paulista, but Memphis Depay could only fire the set-piece straight at goalkeeper Petr Cech.

United had conceded three goals by the 19th minute in the reverse fixture but Arsenal, who positioned Welbeck out wide with Theo Walcott down the middle, did little to suggest they could carve open the home defence with the same lethal touch this time around.

And Rashford’s dream week continued when Arsenal failed to clear a Guillermo Varela cross from the right, with the young striker placing a shot beyond Cech from the centre of the box.

The home fans had barely caught their breath when, three minutes later, Rashford headed in a second from a Jesse Lingard delivery – a goal with roots firmly in the United academy.

Rashford is a graduate of Fletcher Moss Rangers, for whom Arsenal’s Welbeck also once played, and the community football club celebrated a treble when the latter headed beyond De Gea from an Ozil free-kick to make it 2-1 at the break.

United continued to impress after half-time and, following blocked shots from Morgan Schneiderlin and Depay, Rashford teed up Herrera to score from 20 yards, although the effort owed more than a little to a huge deflection off Laurent Koscielny.

Ozil’s volley brought Arsenal back to 3-2 when the ball bounced kindly for him some 12 yards out in the 69th minute, before tempers briefly flared between Aaron Ramsey and Herrera.

Van Gaal showed his displeasure at a decision by referee Craig Pawson by dramatically throwing himself to the ground on the touchline late on, but it is Arsenal who must now pick themselves up after a string of disappointing results in the FA Cup, Champions League and now the Premier League.

source Foxsports

The victory sees Barca equal Real Madrid’s Spanish record of 34 games without defeat.

The Catalans were looking to respond to Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 win over city rivals Real Madrid on Saturday, which brought them within five points of Luis Enrique’s league leaders.

However, their evening got off to a bad start when Vitolo fired Los Rojiblancos in front on 20 minutes, although Lionel Messi restored parity 11 minutes later with a sumptuous free-kick.

Gerard Pique then completed the comeback win early in the second half with a close-range finish to extend Barca’s winning streak to nine league outings and equal Los Blancos’ record 34-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

The visitors made the better start in Catalonia, but Enrique’s side created the first clear-cut chance on 13 minutes when Aleix Vidal picked out Luis Suarez at the near post, but the Uruguayan ace was denied at the near post by keeper Sergio Rico.

Moments later the woodwork came to the Andalusians’ rescue twice in the matter of seconds as, first Messi struck the near post from a direct corner-kick, before Suarez rattled the crossbar on the follow-up.

But the hosts were made to pay for a defensive lapse on 20 minutes as Michael Krohn-Dehli was played onside by Jeremy Mathieu and the Dane raced away down the left flank before passing to Benoit Tremoulinas, whose perfectly-weighted cross was volleyed home at the far post by Vitolo.

Rico had to be alert to keep out Neymar soon afterwards as the Blaugrana looked for an immediate response, but they didn’t have to wait long for the equaliser, which arrived on 31 minutes from the left boot of Messi, who sent his free-kick from the left into the far top corner of the net with deadly accuracy.

Messi then turned provider to set up Pique just three minutes into the second half, the Argentine combining with Suarez before holding the ball up and picking out the Spaniard for a simple finish from close range.

Sevilla looked to get back into the contest in a bid to bolster their bid for European football and Kevin Gameiro forced Barca keeper Claudio Bravo into a sharp save at his near post, before Krohn-Dehli flashed a shot just wide of the target, while Steven N’Zonzi saw his cross nearly deflected into the net by the home defence.

But the hosts had their own chances to wrap things up as Suarez wasted two golden opportunities in the closing stages, although they held on for all three points to deny Unai Emery’s team their first away win of the season.

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Substitute Leonardo Ulloa scored an 89th-minute winner as Leicester City breathed fresh life into their improbable Premier League title challenge by edging Norwich City 1-0 on Saturday (Feb 27).

Two weeks on from a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Arsenal, Leicester were on course to drop points again until Ulloa tapped in at the death to send Claudio Ranieri’s side five points clear at the summit.

The Argentine’s goal, only his third of the season, puts the pressure on Leicester’s closest rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, who host Swansea City and visit Manchester United respectively on Sunday.

“It was a difficult match,” Ranieri told the BBC. “Norwich played well and closed the space, but we believed until the end. This victory was very important to restart after the Arsenal defeat. The conclusion I have drawn from this is that my players believe until the end. That, for me, is very important.”

Norwich’s approach at the King Power Stadium gave Leicester an indication of the puzzles likely to await them over the final 11 matches of a dizzying campaign.

Alex Neil’s visitors lined up with a back three and sat back, forcing Leicester, who had previously averaged just 44 percent of possession in their home league games, to take the initiative.

Marc Albrighton went close for Leicester with a free-kick from wide on the left, but the best chance of the first half fell to Norwich’s Cameron Jerome, who headed inches wide from Robbie Brady’s corner.

Encouraged by Riyad Mahrez, Leicester took hold of the game in the second period, with visiting goalkeeper John Ruddy saving from Jamie Vardy and Albrighton.

Nathan Redmond went close to snatching victory for Norwich when he flashed a shot wide, but the hosts had the last word when Ulloa ghosted in at the back post to apply the finishing touch to Albrighton’s right-wing cross.

FORSTER RECORD

Guus Hiddink’s Chelsea extended their unbeaten run to 11 league games in a 2-1 comeback victory at in-form Southampton, who had won five and drawn one of their previous six league matches.

Southampton took a 42nd-minute lead when Shane Long intercepted Baba Rahman’s header and ran into the box before coolly dinking a shot past Thibaut Courtois.

Home goalkeeper Fraser Forster established a new Southampton top-flight record of 708 minutes without conceding a goal, but he was finally beaten in the 75th minute when he allowed Cesc Fabregas’s cross to go past him.

Stand-in captain Branislav Ivanovic headed in an 89th-minute winner from Willian’s corner, lifting Chelsea – who lost Pedro Rodriguez to an early hamstring problem – one place to 11th.

“I think it was a deserved win for us,” said Chelsea interim manager Hiddink. “They haven’t conceded in the last six, seven games, so it was successful for us. We had a setback when we went 1-0 down. It was a present from our defence, but we did very well in the second half. We were well organised and then got the goals.”

The result prevented Southampton from keeping pace with West Ham United, who had moved into fifth place earlier in the day by beating second-bottom Sunderland 1-0.

Michail Antonio settled the game in the 30th by scuttling infield from the right and firing home left-footed, as Slaven Bilic’s men supplanted Manchester United in the Europa League berth.

West Ham are now just four points below fourth-place Manchester City, who tackle Liverpool in Sunday’s League Cup final, with United two points behind them and Southampton a point further back.

Marko Arnautovic scored twice as Stoke City won 2-1 at home to bottom club Aston Villa, who replied through Leandro Bacuna, while Watford and Bournemouth drew 0-0 at Vicarage Road.

West Bromwich Albion eased their relegation fears by overcoming Crystal Palace 3-2 at The Hawthorns.

The hosts went 3-0 up inside 31 minutes courtesy of goals from Craig Gardner, Craig Dawson and, with a fine volley, Saido Berahino, before Connor Wickham’s brace reduced the arrears.

English Premier League results:

Leicester 1 Norwich 0

Southampton 1 Chelsea 2

Stoke 2 Aston Villa 1

Watford 0 Bournemouth 0

West Ham 1 Sunderland 0

Source AFP

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane admitted that Los Blancos are out of the title race after their 1-0 derby loss to Atletico Madrid.

Madrid have fallen nine points behind leaders Barcalona after the loss at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

Antoine Griezmann scored the only goal of the match to steer Atletico to their third consecutive victory.

“Before you ask, the league is over. It was always difficult. I told the players yesterday that if we lose points it will be more difficult,” Zidane was quoted as saying by Goal.

“We are not going to throw the league away, though, whatever happens. I’m not happy with the match and I’m not happy with the result. The important thing for me and the team is to think about the next game.

“We didn’t play the game how we prepared, so it’s here we had to work more. When you play against a team who played on Wednesday you need to do more. They can’t go into the match and be comfortable and that’s what they did so it’s more difficult to take.”

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A three-goal first half blitz was enough to give West Bromwich Albion a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace as the Eagles’ poor run continued at The Hawthorns.

Match Summary

Goals from Craig Gardner, Craig Dawson and Saido Berahino saw the Baggies three up inside 31 minutes. Connor Wickham capitalised on a defensive mistake to pull one back for Alan Pardew’s men just after half time, and added a brilliant second late on, but they could not complete the comeback.

The result leaves Palace winless in their last ten Premier League games and sliding worryingly towards the relegation dogfight.

Full Report

West Brom were quick out of the traps at The Hawthorns with Gardner especially influential. He tapped in the opener after following in Salomon Rondon’s saved effort, and then delivered a pinpoint free kick for Dawson to add a headed second.

The game looked to be dead and buried just after the half hour, with Berahino latching onto a brilliant Stephane Sessegnon long pass to coolly slot home a third.

However, the hosts appeared to take their foot off the gas after the break and Palace did not waste any time in taking advantage.

Veteran central defender Jonas Olsson failed to deal with a routine ball over the top, and Wickham pounced to lob the ball over the advancing Ben Foster before putting it in the open net to pull one back.

Even then, it looked like West Brom had weathered the storm and would cruise to victory, but Wickham once again had other ideas.

With ten minutes remaining, the former Sunderland man brilliantly volleyed his second into the top corner to breath fresh life into his side.

Indeed, a reinvigorated Palace did once again rally, and West Brom were indebted to Gardner again minutes later when he headed Scott Dann’s header off the line to ultimately secure the points.

Source Foxsports

Andrea Petkovic retired from her Qatar Open semi-final on Friday (Feb 26) against Latvian teenager Jelena Ostapenko with a leg injury.

Petkovic pulled a muscle in her left thigh and despite extensive on-court medical treatment quit when trailing 7-5, 1-0 against 18-year-old Ostapenko, a former Wimbledon Junior champion, who will meet Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro in Saturday’s final.

The pair met at Wimbledon last year when the Latvian surprisingly won in straight sets.

Petkovic, who dumped out fourth seed Garbine Muguruza in the quarter-finals on Thursday, said she could not continue after dropping her first service game of the second set.

“I pulled my left thigh,” the German said. “My left thigh in the front, I pulled a muscle a little bit. Maybe the third game, I’m not sure. Second, third, quite in the beginning.

“I felt it was sore. My whole left leg was kind of sore after the match yesterday, but with a little treatment, it got better. I did a sprint, I’m not sure. Then I pulled my muscle a little bit. Yeah, it was impossible to continue like this.”

Petkovic, whose career has been blighted by injury, said she hoped the latest setback would not rule her out for a long time. “It doesn’t feel super bad. I hope that it’s not a long matter of time. I felt like I stopped right on time before I did something worse to it.”

The German, ranked 27 in the world, had stormed into a 5-1 lead at the beginning of the match, but her leg injury meant her advantage was quickly lost.

After losing her serve at 5-4 Petkovic then had 10 minutes of on-court medical treatment, during which her left thigh was heavily strapped and she also received treatment on her back.

But no medical assistance could delay the inevitable and Petkovic lost the first set 7-5, before retiring at the start of the second, one hour and 18 minutes into the match.

Ostapenko sympathised with her opponent, saying: “I feel really great, but I feel pity for Andrea.”

The Latvian said Saturday’s game, which will be her second WTA final, would be the biggest match of her career so far.

In the evening’s first match, Suarez Navarro breezed past the highest seed left in the competition, Agnieszka Radwanska, dropping just two games in a 6-2, 6-0 victory.

Suarez Navarro now has a chance for revenge after Ostapenko dumped her out of Wimbledon last year in a shock victory. The Latvian won 6-2, 6-0 in the opening round at the All England Club.

The Spaniard also has a chance of more success on Saturday after she also progressed to the doubles final in Doha with partner Italian Sara Errani.

Source AFP