Rennes 3-1 Arsenal: Nacho Monreal scores an own-goal as 10-man Gunners suffer first-leg defeat

Rennes 3-1 Arsenal: Nacho Monreal scores an own-goal as 10-man Gunners suffer first-leg defeat
Arsenal suffered more Europa League away day blues as their 10 men were well beaten by Rennes in the first leg of their last-16 tie.The Gunners raced into an early lead courtesy of Alex Iwobi but a first-half red card for Sokratis Papastathopoulos turned the game in favour of Rennes.Hatem Ben Arfa, facing his former Paris St Germain boss Unai Emery, looked sharp as a stunning strike from Benjamin Bourigeaud, Nacho Monreal’s own goal and a late Ismaila Sarr header saw the hosts run out deserved 3-1 winners.4

Arsenal were beaten 3-1 by Rennes

Arsenal had to turn around a first-leg deficit in the previous round after slipping to defeat at BATE Borisov but at least have an away goal to take back to north London.Not even 24 hours removed from Manchester United’s memorable Champions League comeback across the country in Paris, Arsenal slipped to a dour defeat.Applications for tickets could have sold out Roazhon Park three times over and the home support made a cauldron of noise which only intensified as their team took the tie by the scruff of the neck.4

Iwobi gave Arsenal the lead in the third minute

United are the visitors to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, such an important Premier League game sandwiched between the two Rennes fixtures.Emery knows his side will have to be better than tonight in both of those games to keep their return to the Champions League – via a top-four finish or winning this competition – a real possibility.The evening had started well with Arsenal ahead inside four minutes as Iwobi misplaced a low cross and it caught out goalkeeper Tomas Koubek, nestling in the corner of his net to give the Gunners an early away goal.Iwobi then almost turned provider, again breaking down the left before squaring across the box for Lucas Torreira to sting the palms of Koubek with a driven effort.Sokratis was booked for bringing down Ben Arfa as he looked to break on the Arsenal goal, the winger’s resulting free-kick saved low to his right by Petr Cech.4

Sokratis was shown red for the Gunners

It was not too long before the Greece international was given his marching orders, shown a second yellow card in a matter of seven minutes for hauling back Sarr.Arsenal were made to pay immediately, Ben Arfa’s free-kick hitting the wall only for Bourigeaud to thrash home the rebound from 20 yards and draw the hosts level.Rennes started the second half like a side with a one-man advantage and Bourigeaud shot straight at Cech as the Ligue 1 side looked to take the lead.Emery responded by bringing on Matteo Guendouzi for goalscorer Iwobi, but it was Rennes still on the attack and the busy Bourigeaud was inches away from turning home Sarr’s cross after he outpaced Monreal.The midfielder had his back up and tested Cech once more before Sarr also hit the target with an effort of his own, Arsenal struggling to keep possession and dropping deeper as the half progressed.Another Ben Arfa free-kick was pawed behind by Cech but the lead soon belonged to Julien Stephan’s side – and it was Arsenal who gifted it to them.4

Sarr’s diving header made it 3-1

A number of defensive errors culminated in Monreal miscuing a clearance and turning Mehdi Zeffane’s cross past Cech for an own goal.Ben Arfa, celebrating his 32nd birthday, brought the best out of Cech after Mustafi had fluffed his lines and passed straight out to a red shirt.Emery appeared to accept a narrow loss rather than risk further damage by chasing an equaliser, replacing lone forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the closing stages.But his side will have to reach the quarter-finals the hard way after Sarr’s diving header on 88 minutes compounded a poor night for the visitors.|

---

West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has urged club supporters to limit the criticism aimed at forward Marko Arnautovic. Arnautovic has not scored since his big-money move to the Chinese
Marko Arnautovic is fully focused on playing for West Ham

---

Rangers demand SFA changes in furious reaction to Allan McGregor decision. McGregor's personal plea at Hampden fell on deaf ears. He will now miss Saturday's league clash with St Johnstone and
Allan McGregor: Rangers seek disciplinary review after

---

Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson is the most in-form player in the Championship. The Welsh international was on the scoresheet twice for Derby County as he steered them to a 2-1 win over Swansea last
Jay H - The Liverpool Way

---

Ebbsfleet United went on to win the Kent Senior Cup in the same season, with a 4-0 victory over Cray Wanderers on 26 July 2008. After one year of ownership a majority of MyFC members failed to renew, with membership numbers dropping from a peak of 32,000 at the time of the takeover to just over 9,000 on deadline day 2009.

---

Leon Osman has told talkSPORT he is backing Everton to beat Manchester City, despite what it means for rivals Liverpool's Premier League title bid. Man City travel to Goodison Park on Wednesday night knowing a win would see them overtake Liverpool at the top of the table on goal difference - for the time being,
'I don't want Liverpool to win the title - but I want Everton

---

Sadio Mane plays down Real Madrid transfer link and insists Liverpool is his 'only concern' The forward says he is 'very happy' at Anfield and is desperate to lift the Premier League title
How Liverpool Responded To Real Madrid's Sadio Mane Transfer

---

Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen dubs Jesse Lingard as the "English Andres Iniesta" The 25-year-old has had a sensational season having scored 11 goals in 29 appearances
Manchester United's Jesse Lingard is the 'English Andres

---

Pedro's impressive form at club level resulted in his call-up into the Spain squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, having made his debut in a warm-up game for the tournament against Saudi Arabia.

---

How are England's kids getting on abroad? Jadon Sancho, Marcus McGuane and Dan Crowley are among youngsters trying to make it in Europe. Marcus McGuane has struggled in Spain since move from
How are Sancho, McGuane and the rest of England's kids

---

Manchester United transfer targets: 8 players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could sign this summer With Solskjaer confirmed as permanent manager, he now needs to think about strengthening his squad
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Europa League Is the 'Right Place' for

---

Title-chasing Arsenal have three players in the 2019 PFA Women's Super League Team of the Year, including prolific Netherlands forward Vivianne Miedema. The division's highest scorer, who has struck 21 times and provided nine assists in 18 appearances to edge the Gunners to the brink of their early title since 2012, is joined in the XI by
Vivianne Miedema among three Arsenal players in PFA Women's
fussboll.com/2019/04/27/vivianne-miedema-among-three-arsenal-players-in-pfa-womens-super-league-team-of-the-year/
Title-chasing Arsenal have three players in the 2019 PFA Women's Super League Team of the Year, including prolific Netherlands forward Vivianne Miedema.
Vivianne Miedema among three Arsenal players in PFA Women's
gistjunction.com/2019/04/26/vivianne-miedema-among-three-arsenal-players-in-pfa-womens-super-league-team-of-the-year/
Title-chasing Arsenal have three players in the 2019 PFA Women's Super League Team of the Year, including prolific Netherlands forward Vivianne Miedema. The division's top scorer, who has struck 21 times and provided nine assists in 18 appearances to lead the Gunners to the brink of their first title since 2012, is joined in the XI by
Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema named in PFA Women's Super

---

Had he been to any other club other than Real Madrid, the answer would have been NO! But for Real Madrid, Yes maybe! He had a fantastic debut season, for starters.
Post Match Thread: Villarreal vs Real Madrid : realmadrid

---