West Ham 1-3 Arsenal: Gunners gain first win under Freddie Ljungberg
Arsenal came from behind to end their nine-match winless streak as Freddie Ljungberg enjoyed his first victory as interim manager at the expense of his former club West Ham.
Eighteen-year-old Gabriel Martinelli marked his full Premier League debut by side-footing an equaliser which cancelled out Angelo Ogbonna’s deflected first-half opener at London Stadium.
Within nine minutes, Nicolas Pepe had curled a magnificent second into the top corner and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fired in a third.
The salvo turned the game on its head and piled the pressure on West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini, whose side have taken four points from their past nine league games and conceded three times in three successive home games.
The Hammers remain a point above the relegation zone in 16th and face a trip to third-bottom Southampton on Saturday. Arsenal move up two places to ninth.
Arsenal recover from dismal start
Arsenal’s victory was all the more remarkable because until Martinelli added to the seven goals he has scored in cup competitions this season, the visitors had been utterly woeful.
Club officials had spoken before kick-off about the improved atmosphere triggered by Ljungberg’s appointment as Unai Emery’s replacement but it appeared this game would end in frustration, just as the previous two had done under the Swede.
The visitors were bereft of confidence and mild boos from the travelling support accompanied the end of a first half in which their side failed to have a shot on target and went behind when Ogbonna’s header bounced in off Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
True, they did not have much luck. Hector Bellerin was injured in the warm-up and when Kieran Tierney was helped off in obvious pain with a shoulder injury sustained in a seemingly innocuous tangle with Michail Antonio, Ljungberg had lost both his first-choice full-backs in the space of half an hour.
Nevertheless, it was pitiful stuff and when Aubameyang surged down the right wing and sent over a cross that flew over everyone and straight out for a throw-in on the other side of the pitch, it was symptomatic of a club apparently heading nowhere fast.
‘Nerveless’ Martinelli rewards Ljungberg’s faith
It was 1977 when Arsenal last went 10 matches without a win. With an away Europa League game against Standard Liege followed by a home encounter with Manchester City to come, at the interval it was not beyond the realms of possibility that the 12-game barren sequence from 1974 was going to be threatened.
With Alexandre Lacazette and David Luiz on the bench, it was two of Arsenal’s most inexperienced players who sparked the change in fortune.
Ljungberg had obviously seen enough of Martinelli in two substitute appearances to trust the Brazilian with his first league start. The reward was a nerveless finish when his side needed it most. Sead Kolasinac provided the cross but there was still a lot to do for the Brazilian, who steered a first-time effort into the corner.
Emery paid a club record £72m for Pepe in August. With one league goal all season, the Frenchman has not really lived up to his billing but his goal here, a curling shot into the right-hand corner of David Martin’s net, was perfect in its execution.
Aubameyang made certain of a win few would have anticipated 10 minutes earlier when his clinical finish took his tally for the season to 13. It disguised the fact he had been a virtual spectator for the first hour.
At the final whistle, Ljungberg ran to applaud the visiting fans, knowing he had given his own chances of replacing Emery a significant boost.
What now for the unhappy Hammers?
When they beat Chelsea 1-0 nine days ago to end their own winless sequence, it appeared West Ham were on an upward curve.
The combination of boos and thousands of empty seats that accompanied the final whistle on Monday underlined the truth of the matter.
West Ham are perilously close to dropping into the relegation zone, something the club cannot countenance after moving to the 60,000-capacity London Stadium.
Even if Pellegrini survives this defeat, if West Ham lose again at Southampton on Saturday the calls for his dismissal will become piercingly loud.
This was the third home game running in which they had conceded three goals.
The Hammers were not particularly convincing when they were in front. Once they lost the advantage, the lack of confidence so clear in Arsenal’s play transferred to theirs.
Record signing Sebastien Haller was left on the bench and even when he was introduced 20 minutes from time, he made no noticeable impact.
Man of the match: Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
‘Like a Duracell battery’ – what they said
Arsenal interim boss Freddie Ljungberg told BBC Sport: “The players have belief and tried to move the ball with more tempo. West Ham got tired.
“The players ran their socks off and fought. I believe in them. When I could see them put their shift in, I could see the quality. I thought ‘it is here for the taking’.
“Martinelli did amazingly. He is like a Duracell battery, he keeps going. Laca [Alexandre Lacazette] is a tremendous player but I had to make a tough decision.”
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini told BBC Sport: “For 60 minutes there was just one team on the pitch. But football can be like this.
“We made mistakes in moments of defending. The problem was a lack of patience and quality to decide the game with a second goal and we made important mistakes in defence.
“The pressure for me is exactly the same if we win or lose. When you don’t have results things are more difficult. If I had not seen the team play the way they did in the first 65 minutes, I might have doubts [about his ability to turn things around].
“After Southampton at the weekend we have a break. We must try to recover as quickly as we can and we must try to win those three points.”
Rare Arsenal recovery away from home – the stats
- West Ham have lost three in a row at home in the Premier League for the first time since August 2015.
- Arsenal came from a half-time losing position to win a Premier League away game for the first time since October 2011 (5-3 v Chelsea).
- Gabriel Martinelli is Arsenal’s fourth-youngest scorer in the Premier League (18 years 174 days), after Cesc Fabregas, Serge Gnabry and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
- Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been involved in 12 goals in his past 11 Premier League London derbies (nine goals, three assists).
- Since his Premier League debut in February 2018, Aubameyang has scored 43 goals in the competition, a joint-high along with Jamie Vardy.
What’s next?
Arsenal conclude their Europa League group phase campaign at Standard Liege on Thursday (17:55 GMT), still needing a draw to be sure of qualification before entertaining Manchester City at Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday (16:30). West Ham visit Southampton on Saturday (17:30).
Arsenal: Freddie Ljungberg should not get manager’s job on long-term basis – Chris Sutton
Freddie Ljungberg is not the right man to manage Arsenal on a long-term basis, said former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton.
Ex-Gunners midfielder Ljungberg, 42, is in interim charge of the club after they sacked Unai Emery last month.
“Freddie said he was 100% sure they would get into the top four but based on what? It’s fantasy,” said Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.
“They need to get someone in place that they are going to get a reaction from.”
Ljungberg, who played for Arsenal between 1998 and 2007, had been Emery’s assistant after working with their under-23 side but has no previous managerial experience.
In his only game in charge so far, the Gunners twice fell behind to a Norwich City side in the bottom three before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang twice equalised in a 2-2 draw.
That result left Arsenal eighth in the Premier League, 21 points behind leaders Liverpool and seven behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
“Did you expect them to be much different?” added Sutton, a Premier League title winner with Blackburn in 1994-95. “It has been the same for the last decade and it’s still the same problem.
“They need to change the model, the recruitment. Over the summer they brought in [winger] Nicolas Pepe [for £72m] but the issues were at the back.”
Former Aston Villa and Chelsea midfielder Andy Townsend agreed with Sutton and said: “I don’t think it’s the right time for Freddie to take over, not the right time for someone who is inexperienced at this level.
“Arsenal need someone to come in and teach them about defending.
“Calum Chambers has been around long enough to see if there’s been an improvement but there hasn’t been. I don’t think he’s good enough to be an Arsenal regular.
“Sokratis is nowhere near good enough. I don’t think he would get into any Premier League side.”
‘If you rely on Sokratis you will be changing manager every six months’
Emery’s sacking by Arsenal came 10 days after Tottenham dismissed Mauricio Pochettino, although Spurs acted decisively by bringing in Jose Mourinho the next day.
“At Tottenham they sacked the manager, it was a bit harsh but the time had come, and they had a manager six hours later, that’s how Arsenal should’ve done it,” said former Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam.
“Whoever comes in, it’s a short-term fix and in January he will need two centre-halves but there’s no money.”
Townsend added: “Jose Mourinho, when he looked at the Spurs team and the players he was working with, he has Son Heung-min, Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Lucas Moura and thought ‘we have half a chance’.
“With Arsenal you will think ‘I can win games with these players but I’ve got to sort out a team’. You will never stop Sokratis making mistakes. If you rely on him you will be changing manager every six months.”
Rodgers the ‘perfect fit’ for Arsenal – Adam
On Monday, Brendan Rodgers, manager of second-placed Leicester, dismissed speculation linking him with the Arsenal job, although on Sunday he had revealed there was a release clause in his Foxes contract.
“If Arsenal make the phone call and offer whatever that buy-out clause is, £15-£20m, that’s nothing to Arsenal. That sort of money they should find in a heartbeat,” added Townsend.
“They would spend it on a player and throw it away in 10 games. They spent £72m on Pepe and he does not get a game. To spend £25m on Brendan Rodgers, if he is the one they want then why wait?
“We’ve all enjoyed the Leicester story. It has been one of incredible highs and they are a great watch but they’re not on the same level globally as Arsenal are – to be back at Arsenal would be him back up among the elite.”
Adam described Rodgers as “the perfect fit” for Arsenal but doubted whether it would be the best decision from the former Liverpool and Celtic boss to leave Leicester for Arsenal.
“I don’t think it would be a good move for Rodgers,” said Adam. “At Leicester you have a new £100m training ground, four or five players at the top of their game – players like Youri Tielemans, Jamie Vardy, James Maddison.
“I would want my manager to say ‘I’m not interested in any other job’. If you don’t want to get it out there you don’t admit you have a buy-out clause. I think he wants the job.”
What about the other contenders?
Townsend believes Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who won the Championship in 2017-18 and guided them to seventh in the Premier League last season, is the right man at Emirates Stadium.
“When I see the job he’s done at Wolves, getting them promoted, making them a seriously good team to watch, Nuno would be great,” said Townsend.
“He looks like a coach who wants to get into a player’s head and turn them around and some of the Arsenal players need that.”
Townsend also mentioned former Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez as another strong contender, but did not think Pochettino would move and join Tottenham’s fiercest rivals after more than five years in charge of Spurs.
“I wonder what the Arsenal fans would think of Benitez,” added Townsend. “He has been successful and managed at big clubs and has a history of trying to organise a team – and Arsenal need that.
“It’s too early for Mauricio Pochettino, he needs a breather instead of bouncing out of one job and into another.
“He was gone at the end. Have Christmas off at home and enjoy time with his family and friends. Pochettino can get a better job than Arsenal.”
Uber loses licence to operate in London
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Uber will not be granted a new licence to operate in London after repeated safety failures, Transport for London (TfL) has said.
The regulator said the taxi app was not “fit and proper” as a licence holder, despite having made a number of positive changes to its operations.
Uber initially lost its licence in 2017 but was granted two extensions, the most recent of which expires on Monday.
The firm will appeal and can continue to operate during that process.
London is one of Uber’s top five markets globally and it has about 45,000 drivers in the city. Overall, there are 126,000 licensed private hire and black cabs in the capital.
If its appeal is unsuccessful, some think Uber drivers would move over to rival ride-sharing firms such as Bolt and Kapten.”There would be competition that would fill that void quite quickly,” Fiona Cincotta, a market analyst at City Index told the BBC.
Why won’t Uber get a new licence?
TfL said it had identified a “pattern of failures” in London that placed passenger safety at risk.
These included a change to Uber’s systems which allowed unauthorised drivers to upload their photos to other Uber driver accounts.
It meant there were at least 14,000 fraudulent trips in London in late 2018 and early 2019, TfL said.
The regulator also found dismissed or suspended drivers had been able to create Uber accounts and carry passengers. In one example, a driver was able to continue working for Uber, despite the fact his private hire licence had been revoked after he was cautioned for distributing indecent images of children.
Helen Chapman, director of licensing at TfL, said: “While we recognise Uber has made improvements, it is unacceptable that Uber has allowed passengers to get into minicabs with drivers who are potentially unlicensed and uninsured.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “I know this decision may be unpopular with Uber users, but their safety is the paramount concern. Regulations are there to keep Londoners safe.”
‘I feel safe using Uber’
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Getty Images
Donna Stevens says her experiences of using Uber in London have “always been positive”.
In her job as a carer she often works late, so regularly uses the service. “The drivers are friendly, courteous and professional. I can’t afford to get a metered taxi.”
She says that if Uber were to go, she would probably have to go back to using public transport late at night, which does not make her feel safe.
However, another reader, Kay, says she would not be sad to see Uber go.
“I complained a couple of months ago about a driver who made me feel so uncomfortable I abandoned the ride and walked home in the dark at 11 o’clock at night instead of staying in his cab.”
She says Uber gave her a £5 credit but did not apologise. “How is it OK to employ drivers that make women feel unsafe?” she says.
Is this the end of Uber in London?
Uber lovers in London, fear not! The company’s cars will not suddenly disappear from the capital’s streets.
Uber is going to appeal against this decision so a magistrate will have to decide whether Uber is fit to hold a licence in London, or not.
A decision from a magistrates court could take weeks or months and unless the court decides otherwise, Uber will retain its licence during this period too.
When TfL decided not to renew Uber’s licence in 2017, the company addressed some of the issues raised by TfL back then and then a magistrate later granted Uber a new licence.
On the face of it TfL is standing tough against perceived failings by Uber. But in effect it is letting the courts decide, at a later date, whether Uber should have a licence, or not.
What does Uber say?
Uber said the decision was “extraordinary and wrong”. It said it had audited every driver in London over the past two months and strengthened its processes.
Boss Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted: “We understand we’re held to a high bar, as we should be. But this TfL decision is just wrong. Over the last 2 years we have fundamentally changed how we operate in London.”
According to Uber, 24% of its sales come from just five cities, including London. The others are Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and São Paulo in Brazil.
In a public filing, it said: “Any inability to operate in London, as well as the publicity concerning any such termination or non-renewal, would adversely affect our business, revenue, and operating results.
“We cannot predict whether the TfL decision, or future regulatory decisions or legislation in other jurisdictions, may embolden or encourage other authorities to take similar actions even where we are operating according to the terms of an existing licence or permit.”
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Getty Images
In May, hundreds of Uber drivers in London, Birmingham, Nottingham and Glasgow staged a protest against the firm over pay and conditions
What do others say?
Business lobby group the CBI said customers valued Uber, and encouraged both sides to find a resolution.
But the Unite union – which believes Uber has unfairly taken business from black cab drivers – welcomed the news.
“Uber’s DNA is about driving down standards and creating a race to the bottom which is not in the best interests of professional drivers or customers,” said Jim Kelly, chair of Unite’s London and Eastern cab section.
Where else has banned Uber?
Uber has faced pressure from regulators around the world over the way it treats its drivers, competition concerns, and fears about passenger safety.
The US firm pulled out of Denmark in 2017 because of new taxi laws that required drivers to have fare meters and seat sensors.
Bulgaria and Hungary both stripped Uber’s right to operate following pressure from local taxi unions.
And in May, the ride-hailing firm pulled its UberXL service in Turkey without saying why.
What happened in London in 2017?
TfL first declined to renew Uber’s licence in September 2017, again over safety concerns. Back then it cited Uber’s approach to carrying out background checks on drivers and reporting serious criminal offences.
Uber’s use of secret software, called “Greyball”, which could be used to block regulators from monitoring the app, was another factor, although Uber said it had never been used in the UK.
However, TfL granted Uber a 15-month licence extension – later extended by two months – conditional on it making improvements to its business.
TfL can offer licences of up to five years, but it has been more stringent of late.
In July, Indian ride-hailing company Ola got a 15-month agreement for its entry into the London market, while ViaVan got a three-year licence renewal.
Would you be sad to see Uber go in London? Or would you just move on to another ride-hailing app? Share your reactions by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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Rape-accused Joseph McCann ‘caught on CCTV at hotel’
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PA Media
CCTV images allegedly showed Joseph McCann at the Phoenix Lodge Hotel in Watford on 25 April
A man accused of rape was caught on camera at a hotel just before one of his alleged victims smashed him over the head and escaped, a court heard.
Joseph McCann went into the Phoenix Lodge Hotel in Watford on 25 April, leaving two women in a car outside, the Old Bailey was told.
He was allegedly captured on CCTV entering the hotel wearing a tracksuit and a baseball cap.
Mr McCann, 34, from Harrow, denies 37 offences against 11 victims.
After going into the hotel, he held the front door open and glanced repeatedly outside while rapping on the window of the reception desk to speak to staff, the court was told.
He then told his alleged captives to get out of the car and smile as he put his arms around them.
Instead, one of them, a 25-year-old woman, grabbed a bottle of vodka and hit him over the head with it before running for help, jurors heard.
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Met Police
Joseph McCann is accused of 37 offences against 11 alleged victims, including children
The trial continues.
Unai Emery: Arsenal manager given public backing but ‘things need to improve’
Unai Emery has been offered public backing by the Arsenal hierarchy, but warned results must improve.
Emery’s position is under scrutiny after a run of just two wins from their last 10 Premier League games.
However, Arsenal head of football Raul Sanllehi and managing director Vinai Venkatesham say they have no immediate plans to make a change of manager.
“We firmly believe Unai is the right man for the job,” they told Arsenal staff at a meeting.
“We are as disappointed as everyone else with both our results and performances at this stage of the season.
“We share the frustration with our fans, Unai, players and all our staff as they are not at the level we want or expect. Things need to improve to meet our objectives for the season.
“We are all working intensively behind the scenes to turn things around and are confident we will.
“We never take our fantastic support for granted. We hope we can all stick together and get behind the team in this challenging period, as together we are stronger.”
Xhaka ‘hurt’ by hostile criticism
Meanwhile, Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka says he has been hurt by the “extreme hostility” directed towards him from the supporters, but has promised to prove his worth.
Xhaka, 27, was stripped of the club captaincy after being involved in an angry confrontation with home fans during the Gunners’ 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on 27 October.
The Switzerland midfielder has not played for the club since.
“It was very hurtful and frustrating,” Xhaka told Swiss newspaper Blick.
“I can’t understand a reaction like that even now, especially the vehemence of it and the extreme hostility directed against me.”
Xhaka was booed as he walked off the pitch as he was substituted against Palace, prompting him to cup his ear, take his shirt off and head straight down the tunnel to the dressing room.
“When my shirt number lit up on the fourth official’s panel and our own fans broke into gleeful jubilation, that hit me very hard and really upset me,” he added.
“Insulting and swearing at your own captain will cause upset and a bad atmosphere for the team you are actually supposed to be supporting; that makes no sense to me and weakens the team’s spirit.”
Arsenal manager Emery said last week that he was unsure whether the midfielder would play for the club again, adding that “he was not ready” to return for Saturday’s match at Leicester, which the Gunners lost 2-0.
Xhaka, though, says he is fully committed to the club and is ready to move on from the incident.
“I’ve been 100% behind the club and my role as a player since I came here,” he said.
“I’m proud to be playing for this big club. I’ll continue to stay positive, give my all to an even greater extent and prove that I’m an important part of this great team.
“Last week in particular was a very special, emotional experience for me but I’m doing very well again, I’ve trained well this week and am looking forward to my next assignments.”
Troy Parrott: Tottenham teenager will stay in Republic squad for Denmark game
Mick McCarthy says uncapped Tottenham teenager Troy Parrott will stay in his Republic of Ireland squad for the vital Euro 2020 qualifier against Denmark.
The 17-year-old, who has played only one competitive game for Tottenham, was named in an extended squad last week.
The Republic boss revealed on Monday that Parrott will make the cut when the squad is reduced on Thursday.
“I can confirm Troy will be on the list,” McCarthy told the Football Association of Ireland website.
“I spoke to [Republic of Ireland Under-21 manager] Stephen Kenny at our monthly manager’s meeting in Abbotstown on Monday and told him that Troy and Aaron Connolly will be with the senior squad next week.”
The Republic host New Zealand in a friendly four days before the crunch 18 November contest against the Danes.
“Troy has been pushing for this step up for some time now and I look forward to seeing him on the training ground ahead of the New Zealand game. I hope he pushes me to include him in that game,” added McCarthy.
The Republic boss said he was optimistic injury doubts Darren Randolph, Glenn Whelan and Matt Doherty would all be fit after speaking to all three players.
Whelan and Doherty both had to be substituted because of injury during their clubs’ games at the weekend while keeper Randolph has missed Middlesbrough’s last three matches because of a thigh injury.
“I have been in touch with all three players and they assure me they are confident of being fit to play against Denmark,” said McCarthy
Veteran Whelan was substituted in the first half of Hearts’ Scottish League Cup semi-final defeat by Rangers on Sunday because of a hamstring issue while Doherty was forced off during Wolves’ Premier League draw against Arsenal after suffering a recurrence of a knee problem.
The Republic boss was pleased to see Robbie Brady get more game time for Burnley over the weekend after his injury problems this season while David McGoldrick was back in action in the same encounter as he helped Sheffield United clinch a 3-0 victory.
A Republic win on 18 November should be enough to secure them a spot at Euro 2020 although McCarthy’s side will need a 2-0 victory to qualify if Switzerland pick up only four points from their final two games against Georgia and Gibraltar.
Queens Park Rangers 1-3 Brentford: Ollie Watkins double gives Bees win
Brentford made it three Championship wins in a row with a deserved victory at west London rivals Queens Park Rangers.
The hosts, who would have gone second in the table with victory, went behind in the first half when Ollie Watkins headed in Bryan Mbeumo’s cross.
Rangers equalised soon after the break through returning captain Grant Hall’s header, before Brentford retook the lead on the hour mark as Said Benrahma smashed an unstoppable penalty into the top corner.
Watkins sealed the win in the fourth minute of stoppage time, tapping in Mathias Jensen’s low cross as Brentford broke on the counter-attack.
The Bees were good value for their victory and could have had more goals were it not for R’s goalkeeper Liam Kelly who made fine saves to deny Benrahma, Josh Dasilva and Watkins.
Rangers also created some excellent chances – the best of them Nahki Wells’ bullet header which was superbly tipped wide by David Raya just before their leveller.
It was Josh Scowen’s foul on Mbeumo in the box which led to the decisive spot-kick, although it looked a debatable decision.
French winger Mbeumo appeared to already be falling when Scowen made contact, but referee Andy Woolmer had no hesitation pointing to the spot.
Watkins simply made sure of three points, scoring his 10th goal of the season with the last kick of an enthralling game.
QPR remain eighth in a tight Championship table, two points off an automatic promotion place, while Brentford are three points outside the play-offs in 12th.
The Bees will be hopeful of stretching their good run as they play teams below them in their next five fixtures.
Mark Warburton’s Rangers side face a tough visit to Leeds United on Saturday, while Thomas Frank’s men host improving Huddersfield.
QPR boss Mark Warburton told BBC Radio London:
“The players are not where they are by chance. They have won seven games because they have applied themselves tremendously well.
“It is a tough league and you are going to have highs and lows. We need to recognise the fine margins did not go our way tonight.”
On the penalty decision: “If you are going to make a decision in any game of football, then make sure it is the right call.
“I saw it live and had immediate doubts. I have seen the replays, and I appreciate officials have to do it instantaneously.
“But you have got to be 100% sure, and that is a really big call.”
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank told BBC Radio London:
“The result, winning away against QPR means so much for so many people who support the club. It gives me the biggest joy that we can give something back to the fans.
“People talk about three wins in a row and a good performance, but I think we can play even better.
“We have a specific way of playing and a style, and we knew there would be a lot of good opportunities for us to counter-attack.
“You can feel that there is confidence, focus and belief in the team and they showed it out on the pitch.”
Sheffield United 1-0 Arsenal: Lys Mousset’s first-half goal stuns Gunners
Sheffield United claimed a stunning win over Arsenal to move into the top half of the Premier League.
Lys Mousset marked his first start for the Blades with the decisive goal in the first half, turning in Jack O’Connell’s knockdown from close range.
Arsenal’s £72m signing Nicolas Pepe had earlier skewed a golden chance wide from six yards.
Granit Xhaka forced Dean Henderson into an excellent save but the Blades closed the game out superbly for a famous win.
The victory was Sheffield United’s biggest result since their return to the Premier League as they moved up to ninth, four points clear of the relegation zone.
Defeat for Arsenal, meanwhile, means they missed the chance to move back into the top four. They are fifth, two points behind Chelsea in fourth.
Sheffield show their steel once again
Sheffield United have certainly shown plenty of grit on their return to the Premier League and have been particularly impressive in not rolling over to sides in the top six.
They battled from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Chelsea in August before pushing Liverpool close at the end of last month, only to be undone by a single goal from a mistake by Henderson.
Against Arsenal they again took the game to their opponents from the outset. David McGoldrick’s technical ability combined with Mousset’s pace posed a troubling front line for the Arsenal defence.
Chris Wilder had challenged his new-look forward line to give the Blades the cutting edge they have lacked this season and Mousset did just that, making the most of being unmarked inside the box to sweep home.
From then on, it was all about the Sheffield United defence. The hosts, incredibly, have not lost a league game when leading at half-time since 2014 and they managed the remainder of the game superbly, with their back three of O’Connell, Chris Basham and John Egan forming a formidable barrier.
“I have so much respect for Sheffield United’s back three,” BBC Radio 5 live summariser Chris Sutton said. “They have come up through the leagues together, they are well oiled and well drilled.
“It is the best defence in the Premier League this season, along with Liverpool.”
Travel sickness strikes again for Arsenal
The Gunners went into the international break in a good place in the Premier League.
They sat third after beating Bournemouth 1-0 at the Emirates, extending their home record so far this season to four wins and one draw.
But away from home Arsenal remain unconvincing.
Their only win on the road in the Premier League came in their season-opener when they beat Newcastle 1-0 but since then they have scraped draws against Watford and Manchester United and lost to Liverpool and now Sheffield United.
Arsenal have won just four of their last 17 games away from home – a statistic Gunners boss Unai Emery will need to improve quickly if they are to challenge for the top four.
Pepe fails to produce the goods
Ivory Coast winger Pepe arrived at Arsenal in the summer with a big reputation and a big price tag.
The £72m club-record signing had scored 35 goals in 74 appearances for Lille, but he has been underwhelming so far for the Gunners.
The 24-year-old had scored one goal – a penalty – in nine appearances prior to Monday’s game and should have really got his second for Arsenal but managed to miss a chance that looked considerably easier to score.
But despite that error he was arguably the best player in an admittedly under-performing Arsenal team in the first half, and it is easy to forget that it was he who started the move in his own box that led to the chance he missed.
However, Arsenal fans will understandably be expecting him to perform on a more consistent basis to justify his huge price tag.
Man of the match – John Fleck (Sheffield United)
‘There was a very clear penalty’ – what they said
Arsenal boss Unai Emery: “We deserved more. I think the first half the very clear chances were for us. Then we conceded more corners than we wanted and they scored one from a corner. There was a very clear penalty and I think VAR is for that.
“The second half the defence was more deep and had good control of the match. There was less space in the second half but we still had three or four chances. We deserved more but they are a very strong defensive team.
“We created 12 corners for us and we conceded seven or eight. They score one goal from one corner.
“We prepare for the matches the same home and away and think to win.”
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder: “We have deserved to win a tight game. We knew they would have some chances and have a lot of the ball.
“I thought we got the balance tonight. We had to put in a big performance and get a big result. The players know what is expected of them. We have to play, we have played to get into this division and we have to play to keep in the division.
“It is Arsenal, no disrespect it is not a League One team but we have managed to win a tight game at home.”
On goalscorer Lys Mousset: “Brilliant for him. He is a really popular boy. He took a bit of time to get up to speed but he had something for us that was a little bit different.”
Bramall Lane blues for Arsenal – the stats
- Arsenal have played more Premier League games at Bramall Lane without victory than they have any other ground in the competition (4 – D2 L2).
- Arsenal have lost four of their last seven Premier League away games against newly-promoted sides (W3), as many defeats as in their previous 49 matches (W33 D12 L4).
- Three of the 10 bookings for diving in the Premier League this season have been awarded by Mike Dean (30%), with no other referee issuing more than one this campaign. He gave out two cards for diving on Monday night.
- Since the start of last season, Arsenal have been shown more cards for diving than any other Premier League team (7).
- 13 of Jack O’Connell’s last 14 goal involvements in the league for Sheffield United have come at Bramall Lane, including each of his last eight (3 goals, 5 assists).
- Sheffield United’s Dean Henderson has kept 25 clean sheets in the league since the start of last season; more than any other goalkeeper in England’s top four tiers.
- Sheffield United’s Lys Mousset has scored two goals in six Premier League appearances this season (1 start, 5 sub apps), one more than he registered in 24 games for Bournemouth in 2018-19 (1 start, 23 sub apps).
What next?
Sheffield United travel to West Ham on Saturday, 26 October (15:00 BST) while Arsenal host Portuguese side Vitoria SC in the Europa League on Thursday, 24 October (20:0 BST).
Brit winner Finley Quaye sentenced for bar manager attack
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Finley Quaye was named Best British Male Solo Artist at the 1998 Brit Awards
A Brit Award-winning musician has been ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work for punching a bar manager and threatening to stab him during an unprovoked drunken attack.
Finley Quaye, 45, assaulted Robert Jenei outside Troubadour on the Old Brompton Road, west London, in the early hours of September 8.
Edinburgh-born Quaye, of Earls Court, London had been performing at the bar and drinking there all night.
The court heard he had offended before.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told Quaye had asked bar manager Mr Jenei to search for a female companion’s handbag after the pair left the venue at around 01:30 BST.
But after looking for the bag Mr Jenei returned to find Quaye visibly angry and making threats to security staff, before punching the victim in the face.
He then kicked a BMW belonging to security staff and shouted abuse saying “I will stab you lot in the kidney” and “I will stab you in the windpipe”.
Quaye pleaded guilty to a charge of assault at a hearing on 7 October.
‘Very sorry’
His solicitor, Shahnaz Sargent, said Quaye had been given a supply of free alcohol as one of the perks of performing at the bar.
The court heard he had a string of convictions for offences including battery and public disorder dating back to 2012.
Ms Sargent said he had been attending addiction services for alcohol and drugs, adding: “He’s very sorry for the way he behaved towards Mr Jenei.”
As well as the community order, he was also ordered to pay costs and a fine totalling £525.
The singer was best known for his album Maverick A Strike in the late 1990s.
He told the judge he was not working and would be paying his fine from benefits at £15 per week.
Judge Michael Snow said: “If you go around thumping managers in the face, I don’t suppose you are going to get much work.”
Extinction Rebellion protests: UK arrests as global demonstrations begin
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Extinction Rebellion activists have begun two weeks of protests in London
Police have arrested 280 people in London at the start of two weeks of protests by environmental campaigners.
Extinction Rebellion activists are protesting in cities around the world, including Berlin, Amsterdam and Sydney.
Organisers have blockaded key sites in central London, in addition to demonstrating outside government departments.
Some have glued and chained themselves to roads and vehicles, while others were planning to camp overnight.
Extinction Rebellion claims protests in the capital will be five times bigger than similar events in April.
The protests are calling for urgent action on global climate and wildlife emergencies.
Activists barricaded themselves to vehicles in Westminster early on Monday as the demonstrations got under way.
Meanwhile, hundreds of campaigners filled Trafalgar Square and blocked Lambeth and Westminster bridges.
A hearse containing a coffin with the plaque Our Future was parked in Trafalgar Square, with the driver attaching himself to the steering wheel with a bicycle lock.
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The driver of the funeral car attached himself to the steering wheel with a bicycle lock
Extinction Rebellion said a police officer later gave the hearse a parking ticket.
Earlier, church leaders helped to create a “faith bridge” on Lambeth Bridge, with services and prayer vigils planned.
Rev Jon Swales, 41, Mission Priest at the Church of England’s Lighthouse Church in Leeds and Associate Faculty at St Hild Theological Centre, said: “The science is clear.
“Unless we radically change the way we live in the world we will face the full force of climate catastrophe.”
Protesters dubbed the Red Rebels wore red robes and white face paint as they gathered outside the Cabinet Office in Whitehall.
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The activists, wearing red robes and white face paint, gathered outside the Cabinet Office
The singer Declan McKenna performed an impromptu free gig on the Mall in the evening, as people gathered in the rain to listen.
The roads behind Downing Street were blocked throughout the day by protesters, some of whom had erected tents in the street and were sitting down and singing songs together.
Among the group were two girls, Esme, 11, and Rafi, nine, who had taken the day off school to attend the protests.
Their mother Laurie, 41, told PA: “They’ve already done a spelling test this morning, sat down in the street, so we’re not wasting time.
“We’ve talked about the protests at home and the school knows where they are.”
“We’re here because we want the world to still be alive when we die,” said Rafi.
Protesters who had glued and chained themselves outside Westminster Abbey were removed by police.
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Police attempted to move protesters from outside Westminster Abbey
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A protester was cut free by police after chaining himself outside Westminster Abbey
A staggered police cordon was later set up along Millbank, near Parliament, before officers attempted to move demonstrators from Lambeth Bridge.
Extinction Rebellion organisers told protesters to sit down and “be arrested” as police continued to try to remove them – and a police cordon later closed off the bridge.
Police were seen cutting two protesters from a car that had blocked Victoria Embankment, while campaigners also locked themselves to a mock Trident missile outside the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall.
Activists were also pictured on a barge on the Thames.
Two women were pictured getting married on Westminster Bridge, Extinction Rebellion said.
Police wearing abseiling gear and equipped with acetone syringes were seen removing protesters who had glued themselves to scaffolding in Trafalgar Square.
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Police donned abseiling equipment to remove protesters from scaffolding
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A protester wearing a gasmask and boiler suit was taken away by police
A string of celebrities including fashion model Daisy Lowe, actress Juliet Stevenson and comedian Ruby Wax joined campaigners in Trafalgar Square.
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Actress Juliet Stevenson was among those protesting in Trafalgar Square, central London
Stevenson said the protests were “a very wonderful action”, revealing her son was attending them as a worker for Extinction Rebellion.
She told the Press Association: “We can’t any longer allow governments to do this, so we have to make it clear that there is no more time.”
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Fashion model Daisy Lowe joined campaigners at Trafalgar Square
On Saturday, Lowe, 30, hosted a dinner to “celebrate and be educated” by Extinction Rebellion activists, and encouraged followers to join the protests.
She wrote on Instagram: “It is a terrifying reality we live in, but we have the power to change the course of history and save our planet.”
Sir Mark Rylance, the Oscar-winning actor, joined a blockade on the Mall before addressing protesters at St James’ Park.
He said: “People have been saying to me, it doesn’t make a difference having a celebrity joining the protests.
“I am confident these protests are going to lead to a solid change. Extinction Rebellion isn’t going to go away.”
In June, Sir Mark resigned as an associate artist at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) over its partnership with BP, which the theatre company has since vowed to end.
He told the crowds Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate change activist, had inspired his decision to quit the RSC when he did.
Meanwhile, activists from Animal Rebellion, a movement allied to Extinction Rebellion, marched from Russell Square to Smithfield Meat Market.
Organisers say they planned to remain overnight at the market to share their “vision of a future plant-based food system”.
On arriving at the market, protesters said they held a minute’s silence for “animals whose lives are lost” at Smithfield, and then went on to set up stalls selling plant-based products inside one of the world’s most famous meat-trading spaces.
In an update posted shortly after 17:00 BST, organisers said 11 sites remained occupied across Westminster, as groups of protesters prepared to camp out for the night.
Emily, an activist from Wales, said on Twitter she planned to stay overnight.
Extinction Rebellion said many activists were preparing to go on hunger strike to illustrate “that our just-in-time food system is too fragile to repeatedly withstand the shocks of extreme weather”.
There had been 280 arrests in connection with the protests as of 21.30 BST, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Extinction Rebellion said this included Sarah Lasenby, 81, a Quaker and retired social worker from Oxford.
Ms Lasenby, who the group says was part of efforts to block Embankment, said: “It is imperative that the government should take serious actions and put pressure on other states and global powers to radically reduce the use of fossil fuels.”
What is Extinction Rebellion?
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2025group’s aims for zero carbon emissions
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298,000followers on Facebook
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1,130people arrested over April’s London protests
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2018year the group was founded
Source: BBC Research
Extinction Rebellion (XR for short) wants governments to declare a “climate and ecological emergency” and take immediate action to address climate change.
It describes itself as an international “non-violent civil disobedience activist movement”.
Extinction Rebellion was launched in 2018 and organisers say it now has groups willing to take action in dozens of countries.
In April, the group held a large demonstration in London that brought major routes in the city to a standstill.
Extinction Rebellion organisers say they are expecting up to 30,000 people to take part in the fortnight-long demonstrations in the capital, which form part of an “international rebellion”.
Similar protests in the UK earlier this year brought major disruption to London and resulted in more than 1,100 arrests.
Up to 60 other cities around the world may also be disrupted in simultaneous events, according to a spokesperson for the group.
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Reuters
Organisers planned to block key roads and bridges
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Women meditated after crowds blocked Westminster Bridge
Activists will call on government departments to detail their plans to tackle the climate emergency.
Police in Australia and New Zealand have already arrested dozens of Extinction Rebellion activists on Monday.
Some 30 campaigners in Sydney were charged with committing offences after hundreds of protesters blocked a busy road.
More than 100 people were arrested in Amsterdam after they erected a tent camp on the main road outside the Rijksmuseum, the Dutch national museum
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Extra police were outside key landmarks early on Monday
The latest arrests in London come after the Met police arrested 11 people during the weekend.
A spokesperson for the force said eight people were arrested on Saturday after previously reporting 10. They have all been released under investigation.
One woman and two men were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance. The men remain in custody while the woman has been released under investigation.