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SCOTLAND RELEGATED FROM NATIONS LEAGUE TOP TIER AFTER 0-3 DEFEAT TO GREECE

Scotland were relegated from Nations League A after a 3-0 home defeat by Greece.

Steve Clarke’s side made a decent start but goals from Giannis Konstantelias, Konstantinos Karetsas and Christos Tzolis had the visitors 3-1 up on aggregate with just 15 seconds of the second half played.
The Hampden crowd expressed their dissent on several occasions as Scotland never really looked like getting back into the game.
They now drop down to the second tier of the competition ahead of the next set of group games in the autumn of 2026.

Scotland had Ryan Christie back in the team after suspension with Lewis Ferguson the only player to drop out following the 1-0 first-leg win.

Greece made six changes including handing a first start to Karetsas, the 17-year-old wide player whose introduction helped change the flow of the game in Greece’s favour in the second half on Thursday.

Sir Alex Ferguson made a pre-match appearance, holding up a number 10 shirt in tribute to Denis Law before a minute’s applause for Scotland’s joint-record goalscorer in the first home international since his death.

The hosts started on the front foot.

Che Adams had a penalty appeal rejected before Scott McTominay had an angled shot saved after being played through by Kenny McLean.

Andy Robertson soon fired wide and McTominay then saw a shot deflected into the side net.

But Greece levelled the aggregate score in the 20th minute with their first meaningful attack.
Robertson was outnumbered as Karetsas fed overlapping right-back Georgios Vagiannidis, whose cutback found the untracked Giannis Konstantelias and the midfielder swept the ball home from 10 yards.

Scotland almost responded quickly. McTominay sliced wide from the edge of the box before playing in John McGinn, who was denied by goalkeeper Kostas Tzolakis.

Greece looked dangerous as the half progressed and they doubled their lead in the 42nd minute after the Scotland midfield again failed to track Konstantelias.

Robertson ran into the middle of the box to close the midfielder down after he collected a pass from the left wing, but that just left Karetsas unmarked. Konstantelias teed up the teenager, who curled the ball first time into the top corner.

Konstantelias produced another assist 15 seconds after half-time, collecting a loose pass from Christie and setting up Tzolis to finish.

Boos rang out from the home fans after Scotland were stretched again and Karetsas curled beyond the top corner.

The home fans were audibly unconvinced by Clarke’s first attempt to change the game in the 55th minute, notably the decision to take off Billy Gilmour. McLean and Adams also went off as Kieran Tierney and Lewis Ferguson joined the midfield and striker George Hirst made his Hampden debut.

There was little evidence of a cutting edge for Scotland. Hirst headed off target from two difficult chances and the scoreline could have been worse.

John Souttar’s goal-line clearance from Vangelis Pavlidis saved Grant Hanley’s blushes after the defender’s slip and Tzolis blazed over on the break.

Clarke went for broke in the 73rd minute by bringing on strikers Tommy Conway and James Wilson and handing them wide roles but the best chance fell to Tierney, then playing at left-back, with only seconds left. Tzolakis made a good diving save.

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UNL: EVAN FERGUSON ON TARGET AS REPUBLIC OF IRELAND HIT BACK TO BEAT BULGARIA AGAIN.

Evan Ferguson scored his first goal since November as the Republic of Ireland preserved their Nations League B status with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Bulgaria.

Ferguson, currently on loan at West Ham from Brighton, claimed his fifth senior international goal with 27 minutes remaining before substitute Adam Idah struck after coming off the bench to secure a 2-1 play-off second-leg win at the Aviva Stadium to go with the one which Ireland returned from Plovdiv with on Thursday.

Just as they had done on home soil, the Bulgarians took a first-half lead, this time through midfielder Valentin Antov, and again they were unable to defend it on a night when, contrary to Republic boss Heimir Hallgrimsson’s prediction of a no-holds-barred physical battle, they played some fluent and compact football.

Defender Jake O’Brien might have marked his first competitive start in style when he met Robbie Brady’s fourth-minute corner with a firm downward header, but saw keeper Plamen Iliev make a good reaction save.

With winger Mikey Johnston terrorising the Bulgarians down the right and linking well with Ferguson, Troy Parrott and Finn Azaz – defender Simeon Petrov had earlier had to make a timely block to prevent Johnston from finishing off a flowing move he had started – Ireland were firmly in the ascendancy.

Parrott turned a 24th-minute Brady cross on to the foot of the post as Ireland responded, but it was the visitors who took the lead on the half-hour when, after Georgi Milanov’s volley from Kiril Despodov’s corner had been block by Nathan Collins, Antov stabbed the loose ball past Caoimhin Kelleher, his side’s first attempt on goal.

Parrott flicked a Brady cross on to the roof of Iliev’s net and full-back Fabian Nurnberger cleared another O’Brien header off the line as the hosts fought for a way back into the game, but they went in at the break frustrated.

Johnston should have done better after being played into space by Parrott with 49 minutes gone, but screwed his right-foot shot well wide, and the West Brom midfielder saw another attempt smothered at source three minutes later after linking well with Parrott and Ferguson.

Azaz fired wide after O’Brien had headed down a Brady free-kick and Iliev clawed Ferguson’s 55th-minute strike out of his bottom corner after Parrott had robbed Petrov with chances – or at least half-chances – coming thick and fast.

Kelleher made his first save of the night when he plucked Nurnberger’s shot out of the air two minutes later, and his side was back in it after 63 minutes when Ferguson played a beautifully executed one-two with Azaz before lashing the ball into the roof of the net.

Ireland wrapped up victory with six minutes remaining when Azaz set Mark Sykes away down the left and he turned back inside before clipping the ball to the far post for fellow substitute Idah to volley home.

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LIVERPOOL BOSS ARNE SLOT GIVEN TWO-MATCH TOUCHLINE BAN FOLLOWING DERBY DISMISSAL

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff have both been handed two-match touchline bans after being sent off in the angry aftermath of the 2-2 draw at Everton earlier this month.

James Tarkowski’s equaliser deep into stoppage time at the end of the last Merseyside derby to be played at Goodison Park provoked chaotic scenes, with both Slot and Hulshoff sent off by Michael Oliver along with Liverpool’s Curtis Jones and Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure.


An independent regulatory commission has now given Slot and Hulshoff touchline bans after they admitted charges of using an improper manner and/or using insulting and/or abusive words and/or behaviour towards the match officials, with Slot to pay a fine of £70,000 and Hulshoff £7,000.

The Football Association also announced Everton have been fined £65,000 and Liverpool £50,000 for failing to ensure their players and/or staff did not behave in an improper way.

Slot and Hulshoff were both dismissed after approaching Oliver after the final whistle. Speaking about the incident at a press conference two days later, Slot admitted his emotions had got the better of him and he had “made the wrong decision”.

“I should have acted differently after the game, but it’s an emotional sport and sometimes individuals make wrong decisions and that’s definitely what I did,” the Dutchman said.

Jones and Doucoure clashed after the Everton player celebrated in front of the Liverpool fans, leading Jones to confront him before players and staff from both sides raced over.

Slot will miss Wednesday’s home game against Newcastle and the visit of Southampton on March 8 but can be on the touchline for next week’s Champions League last-16 first-leg clash against Paris St Germain.

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EX-RANGERS CAPTAIN BARRY FERGUSON MADE INTERIM MANAGER

Rangers have placed former captain Barry Ferguson in charge of first-team affairs until the end of the season following Philippe Clement’s sacking.

Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to St Mirren proved to be the final straw for Clement, with the club announcing the Belgian’s departure on Sunday night after 16 months at the helm.

The surprise loss left second-placed Rangers 13 points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic in the William Hill Premiership and came after a damaging Scottish Cup reverse to minnows Queen’s Park on February 9.

Ex-Scotland midfielder Ferguson won five league titles, five Scottish Cups and five League Cups across two spells at Ibrox.

The 47-year-old, who has previous managerial experience at Clyde, Kelty Hearts and Alloa, will be joined by coaches Issame Charai, Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor.

Chief executive Patrick Stewart told Rangers’ official website: “Philippe and his team have worked tirelessly during their time at the club and have played an important role in developing the first team’s young players.

“I want to reiterate, the issues we are facing run deeper than the manager. The ongoing football review seeks to address those issues and we will continue to implement its findings in the coming weeks and months ahead of appointing a new, permanent manager.

“When I spoke to RangersTV last week, I was clear that everyone is judged on results and nobody will get unlimited time in any role at the club.

“Ultimately, the team’s response following their early exit from the Scottish Cup was a cause for deep concern, leading the board to conclude that action had to be taken now.

“I want to wish Philippe every success in the future. He is a fine man whom I have enjoyed working with in my short time here so far.

“I also want to welcome Barry back to the club. We appreciate him and his team stepping into the role at this difficult time. Myself, the board and the executive team will give them our full support for the rest of the campaign.”

Alex Rae, Colin Stewart and Stephan van der Heyden have also followed Clement out of the door.

Clement succeeded Michael Beale in October 2023 and led Rangers to the League Cup two months after his appointment.

The former Club Brugge and Monaco boss also briefly hauled them into title contention last season, but they eventually finished eight points adrift of Celtic and he was never able to recapture the promising form of his early months in the job.
Although he led the Light Blues to the last 16 of the Europa League, where they will face Fenerbahce next month, the 50-year-old vacates his position at Ibrox with the club set to end the season without a domestic trophy.

Rangers have struggled badly on their travels this term, winning only five of their 13 away matches in the Premiership, but their relatively strong home form at least kept them clear of the pack in second place.

The likes of former boss Steven Gerrard, ex-Everton manager Sean Dyche and Derek McInnes, currently in charge at Kilmarnock, have been linked with the vacancy at Rangers, who are in talks about a multi-million-pound investment by a United States-led consortium which includes Paraag Marathe, president of 49ers Enterprises.

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MAN UNITED ANNOUNCE FURTHER REDUNDANCIES WITH UP TO 200 JOBS SET TO BE LOST

Manchester United expect up to 200 further redundancies as part of a “transformation plan” to improve the club’s financial sustainability.

Around 250 employees were made redundant last year and a statement on the United website on Monday announced that a plan aimed at “return(ing) the club to profitability” following five successive years of losses means “approximately 150-200 jobs may be made redundant”, subject to a consultation process.
United CEO Omar Berrada said: “We have a responsibility to put Manchester United in the strongest position to win across our men’s, women’s and academy teams. We are initiating a wide-ranging series of measures which will transform and renew the club.

“Unfortunately, this means announcing further potential redundancies and we deeply regret the impact on those affected colleagues. However, these hard choices are necessary to put the club back on a stable financial footing.

“We have lost money for the past five consecutive years. This cannot continue.

“Our two main priorities as a club are delivering success on the pitch for our fans and improving our facilities. We cannot invest in these objectives if we are continuously losing money.
“At the end of this process, we will have a more lean, agile and financially sustainable football club, while continuing to provide a world-class service to our valuable commercial partners.

“We will then be in a much stronger position to invest in football success and improved facilities for fans, while remaining compliant with UEFA and Premier League regulations.”

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I’M NOT RODRI’S REPLACEMENT – NICO GONZALEZ

Nico Gonzalez insists he is not the new Rodri but is convinced he can thrive in the Manchester City team.

The Spanish midfielder has been asked to fill the sizeable boots of his injured compatriot since joining City in a £50million deal from Porto in January.

It has been a tough start for him, arriving in the middle of an underwhelming campaign as City are sorely missing their injured Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.

The extent of their decline was highlighted on Sunday as the Premier League champions for the past four seasons were swept aside 2-0 by the side set to take their crown, Liverpool, at the Etihad Stadium.

The result left them fourth in the table, trailing the Merseysiders by 20 points and with Champions League qualification now their relatively modest aim.

With Gonzalez settling well — and described by manager Pep Guardiola as a “mini-Rodri” after his performance in a 4-0 win against Newcastle earlier this month — City will still be expected to achieve that.

Gonzalez said: “I’ve just arrived, I’m not used to playing against players of quality like (Mohamed) Salah.

“It’s tough to play against players like this but we also have really good players and I think we have the best team, so I’m pretty sure in the next matches we will have many wins.

“I don’t see myself as the replacement for Rodri, I see myself as another player.

“But I was raised in Barcelona and I’ve always more or less played the way we play here, so I’ve got used to playing here very quickly.

“Obviously the team plays really well, there are also players close to me and everyone wants the ball every time so it’s easy to find players and find passes.

“The quality of the players is so good so for me it’s easier to play here than the team I used to play.”

City started well against Liverpool and had good spells of possession throughout the game but did not overly trouble the visiting defence.

The Reds, by contrast, were clinical and took control of the game with first-half goals from the prolific Salah and Dominic Szoboszlai.

Gonzalez said: “It’s very disappointing to lose, especially like this because we deserved more.

“We had chances, we pressed really well, we had the ball most of the match, but they scored from a corner in the first minutes and a counter-attack.”

City now travel to Tottenham on Wednesday and Gonzalez is confident the team will quickly pick themselves up from their latest setback.

He said: “I think everyone has the will to improve the situation, to win all the matches and you’ve seen the intensity and the courage all players have played with.
“I think it’s just time. We need time to start winning but we did a really good match one week ago. Here we did a good match but we didn’t get the win we wanted.”

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NOTTINGHAM FOREST EDGE EXETER CITY TO WIN MARATHON FA CUP TIE ON PENALTIES

Nottingham Forest survived a huge FA Cup scare against 10-man Exeter to win a penalty shoot-out after drawing 2-2 at St James Park.

Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson all scored from the spot before fellow substitute Neco Williams wrapped up a marathon tie with the final kick of the contest at 11.03pm.

Josh Magennis and Tony Yogane were on target for League One Exeter, but Matz Sels saved Reece Cole’s poor penalty and Angus MacDonald struck the crossbar as Forest prevailed 4-2.

Forest, third in the Premier League and the highest-ranked team left in the FA Cup, will now play Ipswich at home in round five.

Magennis had scored twice for Exeter – the competition’s top scorer in taking his total to six – in giving the Grecians an early lead and then equalising at the start of the second period.

Ramon Sosa and Taiwo Awoniyi, who left the action in stoppage time on a stretcher after being attended to by medics for several minutes, turned the tie in Forest’s favour.
Exeter debutant Ed Turns was handed a red card for a thigh-high challenge on Gibbs-White three minutes from time, but Forest had to settle for an extra 30 minutes after Jota Silva thundered a shot against the crossbar.

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo took the opportunity to rest almost his entire regular starting XI after his squad had spent the week away at a warm-weather training camp in Dubai.

Brazilian midfielder Danilo was the sole survivor from the side which had demolished Brighton 7-0 last time out.

Nuno’s team sheet offered real hope to Exeter – 59 places below Forest on the football ladder – that they could replicate the giant-killing success of their Devon neighbours Plymouth, who had shocked Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.

Exeter had not won since their third-round victory over Oxford, losing four of their five games and conceding 10 goals against Leyton Orient and Stevenage in their previous two outings.

A huge banner with the words ‘Together We Can Create History’ was held aloft on Exeter’s Big Bank, the largest standing terrace in English football, as Grecians fans embraced the club’s first fourth-round tie since 1981.

Those supporters were able to celebrate a dream start when Carlos Miguel spilled Demetri Mitchell’s fifth-minute effort at the feet of Magennis.

The Northern Ireland international was possibly in an offside position, but with no VAR in operation the goal stood.
Vincent Harper rushed back to clear off the line after Awoniyi had toed the ball past Grecians goalkeeper Joe Whitworth.

But it was to be the briefest of reprieves for Exeter as moments later Ibrahim Sangare spied Sosa, and the Paraguayan found the net just as he had done in the third round against Luton.

Whitworth pushed Awoniyi’s volley around a post but the Forest forward was not to be denied after 37 minutes.

Again Sangare was the supplier and Awoniyi was allowed to turn on the edge of the box, work the ball onto his left foot, and find the bottom corner with Whitworth motionless.

Exeter equalised five minutes after the restart when Magennis rose highest at a corner to force Miguel into a point-blank save.

Magennis was on the rebound in a flash and Willy Boly turned it into his own net off a post.

Miguel was soon forced off through injury and replacement Sels stood firm to prevent Ilmari Niskanen profiting one-on-one.

It was one-way traffic in extra-time and Wood was twice denied by Whitworth as Forest were taken all the way.

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UCL LAST 16: JUDE BELLINGHAM LATE STRIKE HELP MADRID GET FIRST LEG LEAD AT MANCHESTER CITY

Jude Bellingham grabbed a late winner as Manchester City twice surrendered the lead to lose the first leg of their Champions League play-off against Real Madrid 3-2.

Erling Haaland put City ahead in each half in a thrilling contest at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday but the holders replied through Kylian Mbappe and substitute Brahim Diaz.

Both sides hit the woodwork in a game of numerous chances but it was England international Bellingham who had the final say in stoppage time.

The game lived up to its pre-match billing as the two European heavyweights – winners of the competition for the last three seasons – clashed for a place in the last 16.

It is the fourth season in succession the sides have been paired in the knockout stages and the stage is set for another epic clash at the Bernabeu Stadium next week.

After all their injury problems at centre-back this season, City manager Pep Guardiola managed to field five players who would consider that position their first choice.

Manuel Akanji and Josko Gvardiol played the full-back roles either side of fit-again Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias, while John Stones took up the midfield position in which he excelled in the 2023 treble-winning campaign.

This back line soon had their work cut out as Madrid created a succession of chances in the space of just a few minutes early on.

The home supporters had greeted the visitors with a huge banner referencing Real’s boycott of last year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in protest at City midfielder Rodri’s crowning ahead of their own Vinicius Junior.

“Stop Crying Your Heart Out,” the wording read, alongside a picture of the now-injured Rodri kissing his trophy.

It appeared this might have inspired Vinicius as the Brazilian was at the heart of Real’s slick attacking play.

He first raced onto a long ball and was hacked down in the area by Ederson. The referee awarded a penalty but City were reprieved by an offside flag.

Vinicius then played in Kylian Mbappe, whose effort was saved by Ederson, and teed up Ferland Mendy for a shot blocked by Ake. Poor defending allowed Vinicius another charge at goal but Akanji recovered.

City weathered that storm and snatched the lead against the run of play.

Jack Grealish, hoping to make the most of a rare start, clipped the ball into the box and Gvardiol’s knock-down was expertly turned past Thibaut Courtois by Haaland. After a lengthy delay, VAR ruled the Norwegian was millimetres onside.

Real were stung and Vinicius curled an effort onto the top of the bar.

City were forced into a change when Grealish limped off on the half-hour but his replacement Phil Foden quickly settled and tested Courtois with a fierce drive. Akanji then grazed the bar following a corner.

Real finished the first half strongly with Federico Valverde firing just over and Mbappe twice going close.

Haaland had a shot deflected onto the woodwork after the restart but Real continued to threaten, with Mbappe forcing Ederson to save.

The equaliser came just before the hour after a free-kick was blocked and the ball lofted back towards Mbappe by Dani Ceballos. The Frenchman completely mistimed his volley but it looped into the net past a static Ederson after slicing off his shin.

Real sensed more and Bellingham was denied by Ederson before Mbappe gave City another let-off.

Again City dug in and reclaimed the lead with a Haaland penalty after Foden was felled by Ceballos.

Yet Real were not finished and substitute Diaz – the former City academy star – thumped home a rebound to level before Vinicius set up Bellingham for the last-gasp winner.

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LIVERPOOL MUST HANDLE EMOTION OF EVERTON’S FINAL GOODISON PARK DERBY – ARNE SLOT

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot hopes his first-choice side will handle the emotion of Goodison Park’s final Merseyside derby better than the second string whose “unacceptable” performance resulted in them being dumped out of the FA Cup by Plymouth.

The Dutchman’s gamble in leaving nine of the side who beat Tottenham to progress to the Carabao Cup final on Thursday at home resulted in a 1-0 defeat to the Championship’s bottom club.

That starting XI still included nine senior squad players, including a forward line of Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, but could not find a way to break down committed and organised opponents.

The likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo will all be back for Everton’s 122nd and final derby at their historic home where the atmosphere is likely to be ramped up even more than usual.

“It should have an impact because if you are working at a club like this you should compete for every trophy. To lose against Plymouth is not acceptable,” said Slot of their cup exit.

“Now we have to show a different side of us tomorrow because it wasn’t only the result but the performance was far from what Liverpool’s standards are as well.

“It is probably going to be a fantastic atmosphere and that is never easy to play against because every single time they cross the halfway line or get a corner the fans will cheer for that and then you have to be mentally really strong as an away team to resist all that.

“You still have to be focused on what you have to do: defending the corner, defending the set-piece and when you have the ball be as calm as you can.

“It is not the first time for these players playing in an atmosphere like this. I hope they can focus on what they have to do but it is not only tactical, you also have to stand up those emotions.

“I noticed also in the Plymouth game the intensity of the tackles, how aggressive they were, was a quality of their players but it was also definitely because of the emotions in the stadium so we have to be up for that.”

Slot said his players needed to display “a cool head but not cool legs” in the cauldron of a Goodison derby, having lost there for the first time since 2010 last April.

“Every time you play against a team that wants to fight with you – and that is almost every time we play against any opponent but maybe this one even more – you have to be ready for that,” added the Dutchman, whose team could go nine points clear at the top of the table with victory.

“You have to run just as much, be just as intense in tackles, not going across the line but being cool enough to play a good and firm tackle.

“That is where it starts and nine of 10 times after 10 or 15 minutes a game settles down a bit and then you can start to think even more about playing football.

“I have seen the game of last season, for example, and we were quite ready because after 10 minutes the referee had blown his whistle 11 times and 10 times it was in favour of Everton.

“The Liverpool players were ready to compete but every time they touched them it was a free-kick so I assume our players are ready for another battle tomorrow for the simple reason they have been ready the whole season.”

Trent Alexander-Arnold has missed the last two matches with a minor injury but Slot is hopeful, having returned to parts of training, he could be available.

Fellow defender Joe Gomez is looking at another spell on the sidelines after re-injuring the hamstring which put him out for all of January.

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NEWCASTLE SEAL DOMINANT WIN OVER ARSENAL TO REACH CARABAO CUP FINAL

Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon fired Newcastle to a second Carabao Cup final in three years as the Magpies secured a thumping aggregate win over Arsenal and moved a step closer to ending their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy.

Murphy and Gordon struck either side of half-time to seal a 2-0 victory over the Gunners at St James’ Park, to go with their win by the same scoreline at the Emirates Stadium last month, to book a Wembley showdown with either Liverpool or Tottenham.

Fourteen years to the day from a remarkable 4-4 Premier League draw between the sides which was secured by the late Cheick Tiote’s wonder strike, his son Rafael was among the mascots as the Magpies dispelled the pre-match nerves of the home fans to claim a 4-0 semi-final win on aggregate.

If Eddie Howe’s three-man rearguard – he had drafted in central defender Sven Botman as a replacement for injured midfielder Joelinton – set the tone for an uncompromising display, it was the pace and potency of striker Alexander Isak, for so long the subject of speculation linking him with the North London club, which terrified the visitors.

Isak’s stunning early finish may have been ruled out by VAR but it was his incision which led to the opening goal and the attention the Gunners had to pay to him throughout was instrumental in what followed.

The game kicked off amidst a cacophony as the home fans attempted to roar their side on after back-to-back home defeats.

They thought they had got their reward within four minutes when Gordon slid Isak in behind Gabriel and he sent a thunderous shot high past David Raya and into the top corner, only for a lengthy VAR review to result in an offside decision.

Relieved as the Gunners were, they looked rattled as the Magpies pressed high, although they gradually began to impose themselves with Leandro Trossard in particular making in-roads down the right.

Lewis Hall volleyed Jacob Murphy’s 15th-minute cross into the side-netting from an unlikely angle but Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard forced a block from Botman and then clipped the outside of the post seconds later.

However, Newcastle made the most of their escape with 19 minutes gone when Gordon once again picked out Isak’s run and, although the Sweden international’s shot came back off the post, Murphy steered the rebound past the stranded Raya.

Opposite number Martin Dubravka had to make a solid reaction save to deny Trossard four minutes later with the visitors scrapping for a lifeline.

Mikel Arteta’s men were dominating both possession and territory but they were playing largely in front of the massed black and white ranks.

Early substitute Ethan Nwaneri’s pace down the right gave the Gunners renewed threat but Gordon curled a right-foot shot just wide in first-half stoppage time after leaving Declan Rice for dead.

The former Everton forward might have put the game beyond doubt within four minutes of the restart when he robbed William Saliba with Raya out of his goal but he could not find the target from distance.

But Gordon made no mistake with 52 minutes gone when Fabian Schar caught Rice in possession from Raya’s ill-judged pass and the England international gleefully fired home.

The Gunners were laboured in their efforts to claw their way back into the tie, with Dubravka fielding Nwaneri’s tame 74th-minute attempt comfortably as Howe’s men saw out a third win of the season over Arsenal with little difficulty.