William Saliba was sent off for Arsenal in their loss to Bournemouth last weekendCredit: Getty
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Arsenal have had three red cards in eight Premier League games this seasonCredit: Reuters
When fellow Frenchman Patrick Vieira was dismissed in a home game with the Reds in August 2000, there was indeed talk of crisis in Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal team.
Despite a 2-0 victory over a Liverpool side reduced to nine men, Vieira’s second red in three days — following one at Sunderland — stole the headlines.
The World Cup winner threatened to leave the English game and team-mate Dennis Bergkamp was concerned enough to voice fears on the combative midfielder’s future.
But for Arsenal’s captain that day, Tony Adams, Vieira’s disciplinary record and reaction to his latest misdemeanour were water off a duck’s back.
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Adams recalled, chuckling: “It was par for the course, Patrick getting sent off — everyday occurrence.
“He’s been hurt, he’s reacted, ‘Oh, I can’t play in this league if I’m going to get sent off every week!’
“It’s a childish thing to say but I wouldn’t expect it any other way.
“We footballers aren’t known for emotional maturity, and Dennis was always worried about something!
Tony Adams won four league titles across more than 20 years at ArsenalCredit: Getty
“If I thought Patrick was being out of order, I would have had a quiet word. But I wasn’t going to go up to Patrick and say, ‘Calm yourself down, for God’s sake!’
“Because that was half of his game. I needed that from him.
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“And if sometimes we got red cards — and Arsene said, ‘Oh, I didn’t see it’ — then that’s the way it was.”
Arsenal’s red mist tally during Wenger’s 22-year reign really was something with 118 dismissals — 78 of them in the Premier League.
In almost six seasons ex-England centre-half Adams played under the Gunners’ most successful boss, the team racked up 43 red cards.
There were 11 in all competitions in 2001-02, with three dismissals in the league before November — just like this season.
Yet that campaign ended with the second Double of Wenger’s tenure as Adams completed over two decades of service to the club in style.
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Adams said: “It was never a thing internally, it was never on the agenda to say, ‘Let’s not have too many red cards today’.
“We went out to score goals, keep clean sheets and win matches.
“If we picked up reds along the way, even with ten men we more than likely beat teams anyway.
“It was always in Arsenal’s handbook you’d have to pay a fine for reds for verbals but not for tackles.
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“When they were closing down people, putting in tackles and getting involved, putting pressure on teams and maybe mistiming a tackle to get a yellow or a red, I didn’t have a problem with that.
“I would rather have had that than have no-one getting sent off and accepting losing every week.”
But Adams, 58, acknowledges that the current situation at the Gunners is different.
Saliba was sent off for a professional foul at Bournemouth, while Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard were shown second yellow cards for kicking the ball away against Brighton and Manchester City, respectively.
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The latter two incidents were part of a crackdown by refs on players delaying restarts.
Adams agrees with the criticism of Rice’s second booking, calling it “ridiculous”.
But he reckons that Trossard could have no complaints about his and Arsenal now need to “smarten up”, individually and collectively.
Adams said: “You are expected to be competitive.
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“If that leads to yellow or red cards, any manager in the country would tell you, ‘Well played’.
“But if you are doing it for misunderstanding rules then it’s a lack of discipline really. So smarten up, guys. Learn the rules.”
As for Saliba and the foul on Evanilson that led to him being sent off last weekend, Adams has been there and done that.
Back in November 1996, he was shown a straight card for hauling down Alan Shearer on the edge of the box at St James’ Park.
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Adams recalled: “I got my positioning wrong and Shearer went in behind me and I took him out.
“I got such a roasting for that one. Arsene said, ‘He has still got to beat David Seaman — one of the best goalkeepers in the world — why have you done that and put us a man down?’ I learned from that and never did it again. Saliba has to learn, too.
“When you’re not so quick, like me, you have to be really alert to the situation and give the forward a few yards.
“But when you are quick like Saliba, then you can get yourself out of jail.”
In contrast, on the day Adams was sent off at Newcastle, the Gunners won 2-1 thanks to Ian Wright’s second-half winner.
In that August 2000 game against Liverpool that prompted Vieira’s meltdown, Arsenal took an early lead through Lauren and Reds midfielder Gary McAllister was sent off before half time.
Vieira was shown his second yellow card in the 73rd minute to make it ten vs ten but Liverpool’s Didi Hamann received his second booking soon afterwards and Thierry Henry scored at the death to seal the 2-0 win.
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Vieira’s threat to quit English football proved empty as he stayed to help Arsenal win the Double in 2002 and captain them in the Invincibles season of 2003-04.
The Gunners have not won the title since and Adams reckons they need to show more of that Vieira fire — and risk getting the right kind of red card — if they are to end that drought.
Adams added: “I’d like Arsenal to be more aggressive in making tackles and closing down.
“George Graham always said, ‘If you kick someone, pick them up. Then kick them again. Then pick them up again. And then kick them again.’
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“Under George and Arsene, we were a team of winners. Sometimes we walked the line because we were fiercely competitive.
“But I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Arsenal ratings vs Shakhtar: Jesus reminds fans of his quality but Trossard flops for poor Gunners
ARSENAL continued their unbeaten run in the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk – but it was far from a convincing performance.
Gabriel Martinelli orchestrated the decisive goal when his low-driven strike hit the post and deflected in off the back of goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk.
Seldom asked to do much aside from recycle the ball to Gabriel or Saliba until the final stages
Pushed a potentially dangerous cross out of danger in the 84th minute. Pulled out a magnificent low save in injury time before claiming a dangerous cross to keep his clean sheet.
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BEN WHITE – 6
Back in at right-back today and played as if he had never been out of the team.
Received a yellow card in the 34th minute. Subbed at half-time for Mikel Merino.
WILLIAM SALIBA – 7
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In the team after his red card against Bournemouth, played like his typically assured self marshalling the defence.
One or two sloppy passes late in the second half but otherwise can have no complaints with another solid performance.
GABRIEL MAGALHAES – 5
Sloppily gave the ball away to hand the visitors a dangerous chance out of nothing. Had another lapse just after the opener but in the end he was bailed out by Calafiori.
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Marked improvement in the second half.
RICCARDO CALAFIORI – 6
Skied a golden chance over the bar after six minutes. Tested the goalkeeper again after 24 minutes.
Dragged his foot and went down injured after skipping under a tackle in the 67th minute. Replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly in 71st minute.
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THOMAS PARTEY – 6
Comfortable evening in midfield for him. Recycled the ball well when at his feet and kept play ticking over.
Moved to right back as White was hooked but didn’t have too many worries. When he was caught out of position Rice was able to cover.
DECLAN RICE – 6
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Like Partey, he had a quiet night in midfield with Shakhtar unable to retain meaningful possession.
Moved into the six as White was hooked and Partey moved to right-back. Cut out a dangerous low cross at the edge of the area.
LEANDRO TROSSARD – 4
Nothing quite went right for him all night with some sloppy touches ending attacks and putting Arsenal in trouble.
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Summed up his night by missing a 77th minute penalty and was hooked in the 88th minute.
GABRIEL JESUS – 8
Wore the captain’s armband and looked bright down the right wing.
Denied a well-deserved goal by the feet of the keeper in the 43rd minute after Havertz played him in.
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Second half saw more good link play, but never had another chance to end his goal drought as he was replaced by Sterling in the 68th minute.
GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7
Grew into the game following a quiet start and was rewarded with a goal, of sorts, after 30 minutes.
Brazilian cut inside from the left wing before firing a shot to the near post before the shot rebounded off the woodwork and hit the goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk to go in the net.
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KAI HAVERTZ – 7
Centimeters away from getting Arsenal’s second in the 39th minute after Jesus squared a volley back across goal.
Returned the favour to set up his team-mate moments later only for the goalkeeper to prevent a goal.
Won a free-kick at the very end of the game to run the clock down.
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SUBS
Mikel Merino (on for White HT) – 6
Some nice touches and stitched play together well. A solid yet unspectacular performance.
Raheem Sterling (on for Jesus 68 mins) – 6
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Tried to play on the shoulder of the last man but did not have the pace find the clear cut chance he would have liked.
Myles Lewis-Skelly (on for Calafiori 71 mins) – 6
Slotted in at left-back and was not afraid to show for the ball but often did not receive it while tucking infield.
JACK CATTERALL secured a stunning victory over Regis Prograis that should propel him straight into world title contention.
Catterall took a wide 117-108, 116-109, 116-109 unanimous decision in front of a raucous crowd in Manchester.
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Jack Catterall secured a brilliant unanimous win over Regis Prograis
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Catterall secured two knockdowns and a wide unanimous victory in Manchester
The Chorley brawler started relatively in a controlled and measured fashion ticking off rounds in a tight contest.
He then had to take a marginal standing count in round five before really turning on the pressure in the latter rounds.
Having turned up the pace, El Gato scored two knockdowns of his own with some brutal lefts that sent veteran Prograis spinning.
The win for Catterall, who secured great wins over Josh Taylor and Jorge Linares in his previous two fights, should see him fight for a world title next – with promoter Eddie Hearn certainly pushing for that with his post-fight interview.
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Catterall was called for a standing knockdown in round five
Hearn said: “This guy is probably the most underrated fighter in the world.
“In 11 months he’s beat Jorge Linares, Josh Taylor, now Regis Prograis. All in 11 months.
“This man needs a world title shot next… We have Liam Paro vs Richardson Hitchins on Dec 7.
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“The winner of that fight, we want to put that [offer] straight to them to fight Jack Catterall next.
“He should be number one with the WBO. I would love to bring Teofimo Lopez to Manchester and give him a good arse kicking.”
Prograis, a two-time world champion, appeared to call time on his career after the defeat.
He said: “I’ve had my time in the sun, now it’s time for the young ones.
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“I’m gonna do something else and let the young guys take over.”
Prograis added: “Jack was just better, that’s all. Jack was the better man, I’m not gonna lie.
“He definitely deserves a world title fight next. Good luck Jack. You’re really good.
“I’ve fought the best and you were the best out of all of them.”
Both fighters were awarded with $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses, UFC CEO Dana White announced at the post-fight press conference.
Chimaev became just the second fighter ever to submit Whittaker and the first since October 2011, before Whittaker was even in the UFC. As for Topuria, he became the first fighter to score a knockout victory over Holloway, a former UFC champion and a veteran of 34 pro bouts.
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UFC 308 was an action-packed night and White’s team saw fit to hand out an extra Performance of the Night bonus, this one going to Shara Magomedov, popularly known as “Shara Bullet.”
Rebecki and Orolbai brutalized each other for three rounds, with Orolbai in particular looking worse for wear as his right eye swelled to a ridiculous size. In the end, Rebecki won a split decision, though both men leave Abu Dhabi with well-deserved bonuses.
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One noticeable omission from the bonus list was light heavyweight Ibo Alsan, who needed just 51 seconds to punch out Raffael Cerqueira. Though White said they wouldn’t give out a sixth $50,000 bonus, he assured that Aslan would receive a bonus of an undisclosed amount.
Conner Jones, 18 years old, was making his 22nd career start on Saturday when he reacted poorly to some aggressive racing from rival Matt Mills. While battling for 17th in the Homestead Truck race, Jones got into the back of Mills. The tuck snapped hard to the right and slammed the wall, quickly erupting into flames.
Mills emerged from the fiery wreck of his No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet under his own power after it came to a stop in the grass, resting against a tire barrier. Per the team, Mills has since been transported to a local hospital for further observation.
Jones was immediately held two laps for reckless driving and went on to finish 25th. He declined to make comments to several members of the media after the race, but has since released the following statement:
“I have not yet had the chance to personally apologize to Matt for the incident that took place during today’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but I intend to do so. Matt and I have encountered several on-track incidents this season, and I let my frustration get the best of me.
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“I underestimated the impact my actions would have on Matt, and I deeply regret the consequences that followed. I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to Matt, Niece Motorsports, NASCAR, and my entire ThorSport Racing team for my unsportsmanlike behavior. My thoughts are with Matt, during this time after hearing that he has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation following the contact on the racetrack.”
Any future updates regarding Mills’ condition will be added to this story.
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Ilia Topuria stunned Max Holloway to retain the UFC featherweight title at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi – inflicting the first knockout defeat of the American’s glittering career.
Spain’s Topuria rocked former champion Holloway in the third round before ending the fight with a thudding left hook.
Topuria’s win follows his knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in February, cementing the 27-year-old as the man of the moment and the future of the division.
“To beat a legend like Max Holloway, I can’t believe it you know, he inspired me so much in my career,” said Topuria.
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“He’s been a great example for the generation. I represent the new generation.”
Topuria was making the first defence of his belt after shocking Volkanovski eight months ago, ending the Australian’s four-year title reign.
It has been a rapid rise for Topuria in the UFC, finishing five of seven opponents since his 2020 debut before this contest, but in Holloway he was facing one of the most decorated athletes in UFC history.
Holloway is a former featherweight champion, reigning for two years from 2017, and holds multiple records in the division, including the most victories (20), finishes (11) and longest win streak (13).
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Holloway’s knockout of Justin Gaethje in April went viral after he pointed to the floor and invited his fellow American to stand and swing, and Topuria had promised to repeat the gesture at the beginning of their bout in Abu Dhabi.
Cheered on by Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos at octagon-side, Topuria followed through on his promise but Holloway declined, choosing to start the contest in conventional fashion.
Topuria applied the early pressure with Holloway backing up to avoid any damaging shots.
The Spaniard then landed the first takedown, before attacking with leg kicks when the fight returned to the feet.
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Holloway responded as he settled into his range, landing jabs and quick left-right combinations to keep Topuria at bay.
With both fighters finding success – Topuria with a stinging left hook and Holloway with a counter right – the crowd roared as the fight entered the third round.
After Holloway landed two kicks, drawing a finger gesture in response from Topuria, the Spaniard delivered the defining moment of the bout.
In Holloway’s 30-fight career, he has hardly been wobbled, but a crushing right hand from Topuria resulted in the American staggering backwards in shock.
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With Holloway hurt, Topuria went on the attack before knocking him out for the first time with a perfect left hook.
Topuria celebrated by pretending to drink a cup of tea, before climbing out of the octagon to celebrate with Ramos.
While the exact injury is unclear, the photo shows Whittaker’s front bottom teeth dislodged awkwardly back toward his throat inside his mouth, filled with blood.
The damage sustained came during his first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event at Eithad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
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Chimaev immediately dragged Whittaker to the ground and relentlessly smothered him, until he got a grip and squeezed. A face crank resulted in a quick tap from Whittaker, at 3:34 of Round 1.
Check out an image of the damage done (via Daniel Cormier/ESPN MMA broadcast) below:
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