Sanchez double sees Arsenal beat Hull amid controversy

Football in the UK

Alexis Sanchez’s double saw Arsenal return to winning ways in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Hull yesterday in a game dominated by controversial refereeing decisions.

The first goal came via the hand of Sanchez, as he bundled the ball home from close range 11 minutes before halftime, with officials failing to spot the crucial deflection.

A late penalty sealed the win at the Emirates stadium.

The victory was much needed for Arsenal with Arsene Wenger’s side moving up to third, having lost its previous two league games and four of its last nine.

Sanchez’s first goal was far from the best of his sparkling season, but may go down as one of the most crucial.

Mesut Ozil’s cross was cleared to the feet of Kieran Gibbs, and the left back’s shot was cleared off the line by Andrew Robertson before Sanchez pounced.

The Chile forward’s initial effort was well saved by Eldin Jakupovic, only for the ball to bounce into the net off Sanchez’s right hand.

The visitors’ disappointment with referee Mark Clattenburg intensified in the 54th when Gibbs was given just a yellow card after bringing down Lazar Markovic when the Hull winger was through on goal.

Arsenal rarely threatened in the second half but wrapped up the victory in stoppage time as Sanchez got his 17th league goal of the season.

Martial stars as Man United beats Watford 2-0

Anthony Martial scored one goal and set up the other in Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Watford that extended the team’s unbeaten run in the Premier League to 16 games.

United manager Jose Mourinho has called on Martial to show improvement with so many other wide players competing for places in the team, and the France winger responded in style at Old Trafford.

Martial provided the low cross that Juan Mata converted from the edge of the six-yard box in the 32nd minute.

The 21-year-old Martial scored his third league goal of the season when he was set free by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, before cutting in from the left and beating Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes at his near post with a low shot in the 60th.

Martial joined United for an initial fee of £36 million in 2015 - making him the world’s most expensive teenager - and was the club’s top scorer in his first season, but has been in and out of the team under Mourinho. Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Jesse Lingard and Ashley Young are other wide players in Mourinho’s squad.

The win kept United in touch with the top four as six teams go for four qualification places for next season’s Champions League.

Watford had won its previous two games, including a 2-1 victory at Arsenal, but was well-beaten at Old Trafford.

Gabbiadini double

January signing Manolo Gabbiadini scored a first-half double as Southampton cruised past bottom-side Sunderland 4-0.

Jason Denayer’s own-goal and a fourth from substitute Shane Long completed the rout at a wintry Stadium of Light.

Ryan Bertrand’s teasing cross sent defender Lamine Kone and Gabbiadini into battle at the near post and the ball ended up in the net on the half-hour. Replays suggested it had done so via the striker’s shoulder.

Mid-table Southampton extended its lead in first-half stoppage time when Dusan Tadic picked out Gabbiadini’s run inside the penalty area. The Italy international fired past goalkeeper Vito Mannone, making it three goals in two league games for Gabbiadini, who was signed from Napoli.

Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster made his first save with 66 minutes gone when he fielded Didier Ndong’s speculative effort, but at the other end Mannone was powerless to resist when Denayer turned Bertrand’s 88th-minute cross past him, and Long added to the hosts’ misery in stoppage time.

Sunderland is 20th with only 19 points from 25 games. Yesterday Arsenal-Hull City............................2-0 Manchester United-Watford..........2-0 Middlesbrough-Everton.................0-0 Stoke City-Crystal Palace................1-0 Sunderland-Southampton .............0-4

PW D L F A Pts Chelsea 24 19 2 3 51 17 59 Tottenham 25 14 8 3 46 18 50 Arsenal 25 15 5 5 54 28 50 Liverpool 25 14 7 4 54 30 49 Man City 24 15 4 5 49 29 49 Manr United 25 13 9 3 38 21 48 Everton 25 11 8 6 40 27 41 West Brom 25 10 7 8 34 31 37 Stoke 25 8 8 9 30 36 32 West Ham 25 9 5 11 34 43 32 Southampton 25 8 6 11 28 31 30 Watford 25 8 6 11 29 42 30 Burnley 24 9 2 13 26 35 29 Bournemouth 24 7 5 12 35 47 26 M’boro 25 4 10 11 19 27 22 Leicester 24 5 6 13 24 41 21 Swansea 24 6 3 15 29 54 21 Hull 25 5 5 15 22 49 20 Crystal P. 25 5 4 16 32 46 19 Sunderland 25 5 4 16 24 46 19 Friday Yesterday

PW D L F A Pts Newcastle 30 21 2 7 58 23 65 Brighton 30 19 7 4 51 25 64 Huddersfield 30 18 4 8 39 33 58 Reading 31 17 6 8 44 39 57 Leeds 31 17 3 11 42 32 54 Sheffield W 30 15 7 8 37 28 52 Norwich 31 15 5 11 55 43 50 Derby 30 13 8 9 33 25 47 Fulham 30 12 10 8 49 35 46 Barnsley 31 13 7 11 48 44 46 Preston 31 12 9 10 42 39 45 Birmingham 31 10 10 11 32 42 40 Ipswich 31 10 9 12 32 39 39 Cardiff 31 11 6 14 36 44 39 Brentford 30 10 7 13 42 42 37 Aston Villa 30 8 12 10 29 33 36 Nottm F 31 10 6 15 43 53 36 Wolves 30 9 8 13 38 41 35 QPR 31 9 7 15 30 44 34 Bristol City 30 9 5 16 41 44 32 Burton Albion 31 8 7 16 31 45 31 Blackburn 30 7 8 15 35 47 29 Wigan 30 6 8 16 28 38 26 Rotherham 31 4 5 22 28 65 17

League One

Yesterday

Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring his side’s second goal from a penalty Photo: AP