OLE: OUR TITLE BID’S NOT OVER
SOLSKJAER SAYS UNITED CAN STILL WIN LEAGUE AS MARTIAL SUFFERS MORE RACIST ABUSE
MANCHESTER United manager Ole Gun- nar Solskjaer refused to concede his side are out of the Premier League title race after a lacklustre 1-1 draw at struggling West Brom yesterday.
United failed to win for the fourth time in five league games and have slipped seven points behind leaders Manchester City, who have a game in n hand, as Sam Allardyce’s relegationnthreatened Baggies secured a hard-fought ught point at the Hawthorns.
Mbaye Diagne gave the visitors a shockhkllead d 80 seconds into the game and Solskjaer’s side failed to kick on after Bruno Fernandes’ superb 44th-minute equaliser.
Manager Solskjaer (pictured) refused to concede United cannot win the league – unlike Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who admitted the defending champions are out of the running after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Leicester left them trailingili City i bby 13 points.i ‘No one will give it away this early,’ Solskjaer said. ‘Of course no one knows this season, it’s so unpredictable. Anything can happen.
‘We’re not going to settle for second. It was a compliment that we got ourselves in the position we are in and we’re not going to let them (Manchester City) run away with it. We play them soon and we’re not giving it away early.’
Solskjaer was not happy to share the spoils with Albion and added: ‘It’s disappointing. We’ve come away with two points less than we wanted to. Then again, we get 90 minutes-plus to get two goals. We couldn’t get enough big chances.’
United’s day turned even more sour when forward Anthony Martial, who was substituted after 66 minutes, was again the recipient of online racist abuse having also suffered last month. The Frenchman was subjected to abuse on his Instagram account just days after football chiefs pleaded with social media companies to do more to tackle online hate. A number of highprofile players, including team-mate Marcus Rashford, are among those to have been targeted as well as Newcastle boss Steve Bruce.
PIERRE-EMERICK Aubameyang scored his first Premier League hat-trick on his Arsenal return to inspire a thrilling win over Leeds.
The captain, who had not started for five games and has spent time away caring for his ill mother, shone as the Gunners’ main striker to lift them back into the top half of the Premier League at the visitors’ expense.
Aubameyang broke the deadlock after 13 minutes when he skipped past Luke Ayling and fired home at goalkeeper Ilian Meslier’s near post.
Shortly after referee Stuart Attwell had changed his mind on one penalty award after viewing the VAR monitor – Bukayo Saka having gone down under pressure from Liam Cooper – he gave another after Saka was clipped by Meslier, Aubameyang tucking away his second of the afternoon from the spot.
Livewire Saka was also involved in the third, dancing across the edge of the Leeds box before Dani Ceballos played in Hector Bellerin to score his first goal for more than a year with a shot that squeezed through Meslier.
Leeds brought on Tyler Roberts and Helder Costa at the break but were soon 4-0 down when Aubameyang headed home a smart Emile Smith Rowe cross for his own third. Although some of their defending left much to be desired, with influential midfielder Kalvin Phillips sorely missed, Marcelo Bielsa’s sides have won plenty of plaudits this season and even with such a deficit refused to thrown in the towel.
Pascal Struijk’s thumping header from Raphinha’s corner just before the hour threw Leeds a lifeline and they were given greater hope by Costa’s close-range finish 11 minutes later.
Arsenal’s jitters would have become even greater had the visitors’ leading scorer Patrick Bamford been awarded a penalty when he appeared to be sandwiched in the box but Attwell waved away the appeals.
Leeds’ hopes of a stunning fightback faded after that – Arsenal going close with Saka striking the post and Cedric Soares’ long-range effort pushed away – and their leakiness means only strugglers West Brom have now conceded more top-flight goals this season.