Martinelli bags double as Arsenal cruise past injury-hit Leeds United
Arsenal cruised to a 4-1 win over an injury-hit Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday, the only Premier League game to go ahead amid multiple postponements.
An early brace from striker Gabriel Martinelli, as well as goals from Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe helped Mikel Arteta’s side to a third-consecutive league win that keeps them in fourth place.
Leeds fielded a bare-bones side on Saturday with eight senior players missing through injury or suspension.
15-year-old Archie Gray was also named on the bench and would have become the youngest player in English Premier League history had he been substituted on.
Arsenal notched 11 shots on target in the first half in a dominant performance, with the first coming inside the opening five minutes.
Goalkeeper Illan Meslier pushed aside a shot from opposing striker Alexandre Lacazette before saving again shortly after, this time at his near post from a strike from midfielder Thomas Partey.
Martinelli broke the deadlock on 16 minutes as he ran onto the ball following a tackle from Lacazette and fired into the top right corner.
The 20-year-old doubled Arsenal’s lead in superb fashion 13 minutes later when he chipped Meslier after baring down on goal for a one-on-one.
Saka added a third just before the break, standing up two Leeds defenders inside the 18-yard box before scoring after a deflection.
Arsenal continued to dominate in the second half, although could have been reduced to 10 men.
This was when the Video Assistant Referee reviewed a tackle from midfielder Granit Xhaka on Leeds midfielder Raphinha for a potential red card early in the second half, but no punishment was given.
Leeds netted a consolation goal on 75 minutes through a belting Raphinha penalty after striker Joe Gelhardt was taken down inside the box.
Smith Rowe capped his side’s performance with a goal on 83 minutes, firing home a superb pass from teammate Martin Odegaard.
After the match, Arteta heaped praise on Martinelli, who has now scored four goals in his last six league games.
“We see the player every day and we know where the player has to be able to play at the top level all season,” Arteta told reporters.
“We are here to develop him as a player and he has had to wait for his moment.
“I am really happy with him and how he is performing. He has come a long, long, way. His energy and his passion do not get much better.
“When he has the chances he puts them away. He is heading in the right direction.”
Arteta confirmed after the match that Arsenal players sitting on the bench were racially abused by a Leeds supporter.
“I can confirm it and it was reported to stadium manager,” Arteta said.
“The authorities will investigate that. One of the players on the bench heard those comments. I don’t know exactly who it was directed at.”
Juventus enjoy win at Bologna despite foggy conditions
Goals from Alvaro Morata and Juan Cuadrado either side of half time helped Juventus earn a 2-0 win at Bologna in thick fog on Saturday to lift the Turin club to sixth place in Serie A.
Morata fired home a first-time finish after six minutes to put the visitors in front, but they were second best for much of the match as Bologna dictated the tempo.
Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side couldn’t make their possession count, however, and Colombian defender Cuadrado punished them when his deflected strike flew into the top corner midway through the second half.
“As we always say, we must only focus on ourselves. When you play with the attitude we had tonight, you get results,” Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci told reporters.
“We can’t afford to lose ground at the moment, and every win is important.”
Massimiliano Allegri’s side moved into sixth on 31 points, level with AS Roma and five behind fourth-placed Napoli, who face AC Milan on Sunday. Bologna remained 10th with 24 points.
Juventus were under pressure to deliver three points after being held to a draw by relegation battlers Venezia last weekend, continuing a theme of dropping points against lower table sides this season.
Allegri spoke prematch about his side’s need to be more clinical, and Spain international Morata answered that plea when he latched onto a Federico Bernardeschi through ball and dispatched the opening goal early on.
But the hosts were soon on the front foot, coming closest when Mattias Svanberg’s acrobatic overhead kick flew narrowly wide and Nicolas Dominguez’s fierce shot was beaten away by Wojciech Szczesny.
Cuadrado came to Juve’s rescue when they were under pressure, launching a shot into the top corner from the edge of the area via a deflection off defender Aaron Hickey’s back.
The comfort of a two-goal cushion seemed to instil confidence in the Old Lady during the closing stages, as Bernardeschi had a good effort tipped wide and Cuadrado seemed destined to score before his shot was deflected off target by Andreas Skov Olsen.
Juventus’ win continued a remarkable streak for Allegri, as it stretched the coach’s career unbeaten run against Bologna to 19 matches — the most of any manager against a single Serie A opponent in the era of three points for a win.
FC Barcelona’s Gonzalez scores late to clinch dramatic win against Elche
Youngster Nico Gonzalez came off the bench to score an 85th-minute winner as Barcelona beat Elche 3-2 at Camp Nou on Saturday having previously surrendered a two-goal lead.
Ferran Jutgla and Gavi’s first-ever FC Barcelona goals gave Xavi Hernandez’s side a two-goal cushion inside the first 20 minutes but Elche fought back after the break.
Two goals in two minutes from substitutes Tete Morente and Pere Milla drew the away side level with 25 minutes to play before Nico scored for the second game running.
The win moves FC Barcelona back up to seventh in the table, three points off a Champions League spot ahead of Atletico Madrid’s game at Sevilla later on Saturday. Elche remain 16th.
FC Barcelona went into the game without a win in three matches in all competitions and with the majority of their attack injured.
Ansu Fati, Memphis Depay, Pedri and Martin Braithwaite remain sidelined, while Sergio Aguero confirmed his retirement from football due to a heart condition earlier this week.
That means a first start for Jutgla, a summer signing from Espanyol for the B team.
He had already had an early strike ruled out for offside when he flicked home Ousmane Dembele’s corner to open the scoring.
Almost immediately, FC Barcelona added a second. A brilliant touch and turn opened up space for Gavi, who drove into the Elche box before shooting low into the bottom corner.
It was the 17-year-old’s first goal for the club.
FC Barcelona spent the rest of the first half in cruise control, with Abde Ezzalzouli, Jutrgla and Gavi all missing chances to make it three, although Elche defender Enzo Roco should have pulled one back when he was left unmarked at a free kick.
The visitors were not so wasteful when chances came their way in the second half, with two goals in two minutes turning the game on its head.
Lucas Boye did well to keep the ball from going out of play and Morente took full advantage of the space left by FC Barcelona’s defence, taking on Clement Lenglet and firing past Marc-Andre ter Stegen in 62nd minute.
A minute later, Milla completed the comeback. He was left unmarked at the far past to bundle a header over the line after Ronald Araujo had given possession away for FC Barcelona.
Xavi brought Nico on for Jutgla and Riqui Puig for Frenkie de Jong as FC Barcelona pushed for the winner.
It eventually arrived when the impressive Gavi linked with Dembele before teeing up Nico, who sealed FC Barcelona’s first win since Nov. 27.
Ocampos strike gives Sevilla win over Atletico Madrid
A Lucas Ocampos strike in the final minutes of the match gave second-placed Sevilla a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in LaLiga on Saturday.
In a feisty match between two sides that are trying to stay in contention with league leaders Real Madrid, Sevilla came out on top.
They now have 37 points, putting them five behind Real, while Atletico Madrid fall to fifth place on 29 points, leapfrogged by surprise outfit Rayo Vallecano, who beat Alaves 2-0 earlier in the day and remain unbeaten at home this season.
Ivan Rakitic gave Sevilla the lead early in the first half with a fabulous long-range strike that could be a contender for goal of the season.
Felipe equalised from a corner, timing his jump perfectly and thumping his header past Sevilla goalkeeper Bono.
But right before stoppage time, Ocampos reacted quickly to smash in a shot after a Thomas Delaney header came off the crossbar.
