..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Herrera confident he has Man Utd role to play despite limited game time

Ander Herrera still feels “important” at Manchester United despite seeing limited game time this season under Jose Mourinho.The Spain international emerged as a key performer for the Red Devils in 2016-17, with his fine form recognised as he was named the club’s Player of the Year.

He has, however, been shunted down the pecking order following the £40 million arrival of Nemanja Matic, with the big-money Serb fitting seamlessly into a holding role.

Herrera has seen just 90 Premier League minutes as a result, but the 28-year-old remains confident that he has a role to play and that he can continue to learn from those around him.He told reporters: “I feel as important as I did last season.

“I am a team player and I always say that and if the manager decides to keep me on the bench I will be ready. I said that last season and it is the same now.“I can learn from Nemanja and from ‘Felly’ [Marouane Fellaini], he has some abilities that we don’t have in midfield. Paul Pogba is our most free midfielder and I can learn from him as well.

“I will try to enjoy every minute I have on the pitch. I want to win titles and feel part of the team and feel important and I really do feel important because the manager makes me feel important.”Herrera has started just one game for United so far this season – a 2-2 draw away at Stoke on September 9.

He has only appeared in three games in total, with no minutes seen during the Red Devils’ opening Champions League group stage clash with Basel.

 

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Frustrated Gundogan admits he may never be the same player again


Ilkay Gundogan has admitted he may never return to his previous level as a player after his injury troubles.The midfielder played his first game of the season for City when he came off the bench in the second half of Saturday's 6-0 win over Watford in the Premier League.

Gundogan made just 16 appearances in all competitions last season, having picked up an injury shortly after his arrival from Borussia Dortmund and latterly suffering a cruciate ligament tear.Injuries have been a constant issue on the 26-year-old's career and he admits that he may never get back to his best after the latest upset.

"There are doubts if I will be again at the level I had before so, of course that is the case," he said. "Because of these ups and downs, more of the downs, it is sometimes frustrating.

"The doubts are at this point even bigger. But I had no other choice. I am a football player. This is what I do. This is what I have done all my life. This is my job. For me, there was no other choice than to try again.

"If I said I am the same player as I was a year ago, I would be lying. I mean, through the injury, you don't feel the same. You don't feel as though you are the most powerful guy in the world - not that I ever did. I had two injuries on my knee and I know what to do to prepare myself for the games and to warm my knee up and be generally fit.

"I will do everything to be as fit as possible. That could be it for all the injuries! I think I am done now! I am ready to continue playing, to keep fit. To enjoy playing."The long spells on the sidelines have had an effect on the Germany international, but was determined to return to action.

"It was a long wait – and tough as well. That is why it feels so special to return," he said. "I was sad just to watch in front of the TV or in the stands. I am used to playing every three or four days. If an injury takes it away then it is always disappointing and it feels weird.

"To be honest, you don't feel as part of the group anymore. You are not travelling with the team anymore. You do everything on your own or with the physio. So of course, that is the worst feeling you can have as a football player. So, that is also the reason it was that hard over the months."

"The worst time was of course the day of the injury or when I knew what exactly happened. When I knew there would be six, seven, eight, nine months out. That was the worst feeling.

"The day after the surgery was not so good either. But then, at one point, you start to do it again. You start to do your rehabilitation. You recover. You have ups and downs, days you feel better, days you feel very bad. I think that is normal. It is not just me.

"I did not have doubts whether I would play anymore. The ACL is a common injury so you have surgery, the doctors know what they are doing. But of course it is long and it is my second knee injury."

 

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We aren't far off Real Madrid – Herrera sees no reason for De Gea to head home


Ander Herrera sees no reason why Manchester United team-mate David De Gea would leave the club for Real Madrid, as the midfielder is adamant they are not far behind the Spanish giants.De Gea has developed into arguably the world's best goalkeeper since joining United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and is often linked with a return to his home city.


Real Madrid were reportedly close to signing the Spain international in 2015, but they ultimately missed out and a few days later De Gea committed himself to a contract which runs to 2019, with the option of another year.

Herrera expects that Madrid will bid for De Gea again in the coming years, but the 28-year-old is confident that United's trajectory has them on a similar level to the reigning European champions.

"I respect all the keepers like Manuel Neuer, Gianluigi Buffon and Marc-Andre ter Stegen," Herrera said. "But David right now is the number one in the world."He wants to be a legend at the club which is important for us. He has that quality. In Spanish we say it comes from God. He makes a difference. He intimidates strikers.

"David is really happy at the moment because we are fighting for everything. Real Madrid are going to talk about him every summer because he is the best keeper in the world. But we don't think we are far from Real Madrid."

 

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Cavani has 'no problem' with €222m PSG strike partner Neymar despite penalty spat


Edinson Cavani maintains that he has “no problem” with Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Neymar despite their recent on-field squabble.A desire to be among the goals led the pair to clash during a recent Ligue 1 meeting with Lyon.

Neymar prevented Cavani from taking a free-kick early in the second half of that contest, before the Uruguayan then snatched penalty duty away from his Brazilian colleague – only to then fail from the spot.

The incidents have sparked talk of a feud inside the PSG camp, with French publication L’Equipe claiming that there was a dressing room “clash” after the Lyon game.

Cavani, though, has been quick to rubbish such talk, telling Gol de Medianoche de Radio Universal: "These things are created. I don't know why these stories are created. The truth is that these are normal things; things that happen in football.

"I learned of the story just now talking with my brother, about people saying that Cavani won't let anyone take penalties and that there's a problem with Neymar. The truth is that there's no problem.

"He [Neymar] has just arrived and like I said from the off we are keen for him to adapt in the best way possible. I think that's been proven because you can see he is adapting quickly."

PSG broke the world transfer record to lure Neymar away from Barcelona over the summer, with a €222 million deal taking him to the French capital.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed a bright start to his time at Parc des Princes, netting five times in six appearances.While he has been brought in to add extra firepower to the PSG ranks, alongside fellow new recruit Kylian Mbappe, their presence has taken some of the shine away from Cavani.

The 30-year-old frontman netted 49 times in all competitions last season and is understandably keen to ensure that he remains a regular on the scoresheet in the face of added competition.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Klopp hints at January deals for Liverpool to aid trophy quest


Jurgen Klopp may dip into the January transfer market in order to ensure that Liverpool remain competitive on multiple fronts.The Reds have endured a mixed start to the 2017-18 campaign, with a bright opening prior to the international break having been countered by a slight wobble after it.

Defensive frailties continue to be exposed at home and abroad, with a 5-0 mauling at the hands of 10 men at the hands of Manchester City followed by draws against Sevilla and Burnley.

Klopp, though, is happy enough with those currently at his disposal and will continue in his efforts to bring the best out of them until in a position to reassess the situation at Anfield when the next window of opportunity opens in the New Year.
The German coach told reporters: “From today's perspective yes, we have the resources, but we will see how it is again in January.

“What is my alternative - go to Leicester [in the League Cup on Tuesday] with a white flag and tell them if they want to go to the semi-finals in January then do it because we don't want to be part of it?“We have had a few different line-ups and everything has been good in this competition in the last few years when we went to the final and semi-final.

“At one point we didn't have the opportunity to line up with the strongest side and a lot of England legends said I didn't respect the cup competitions, which is obviously not so nice.

“But in this moment we have the squad to play in different competitions and to go as far as possible. That is the plan.“The competition is good. The final was good when we played there. The semi-final against Southampton last year was for us the wrong possible moment, that's true, but we couldn’t change that.

“We will see how we are in January but at this moment I feel quite comfortable to use the players and bring players into different games.”Klopp has faced continuous questioning since the summer deadline regarding his failure to bring in another centre-half, with Liverpool having missed out on the likes of Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.He has become agitated by the discussion, but may decide to address the issue when in a position to do so in January.

 

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Barcelona 6 Eibar 1: Majestic Messi leads romp with four goals for LaLiga leaders

Lionel Messi was in inspirational form as he scored four goals to lead Barcelona to a crushing 6-1 LaLiga win over Eibar on Tuesday, continuing their 100 per cent start to the campaign.

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde was without the injured Ousmane Dembele after the club's record signing was ruled out for up to four months with a torn hamstring and he opted to rest several regulars such as Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic, but that mattered little as Messi stepped up and produced an irresistible performance.

Barca were actually quite sluggish during the early exchanges, but they soon clicked into gear broke the deadlock, as Messi stylishly converted a penalty 20 minutes in to take his 2017 tally to 40 goals in as many games.

Paulinho, making his first LaLiga start, then answered his critics again just before the break, heading in Barcelona's second of the contest to add to his winning goal at Getafe on Saturday.


Denis Suarez got Barca's first at Getafe and he followed Paulinho's lead in scoring for the second successive game with a smart finish inside the near post early in the second half, just a few moments before Sergi Enrich pulled one back.

But Messi then stepped up, scoring twice in quick succession to blow Eibar away and complete his hat-trick - his second of the season after putting three past Espanyol.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was not done there as he added a sixth three minutes from the end to leave Eibar on the end of a truly emphatic hammering.
Barcelona came out to an expectant Camp Nou crowd donning shirts with "courage Ousmane" emblazoned across the front following Dembele's injury at Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

But the supporters were given cause for concern just three minutes in, when David Junca's curled pass picked out the run of Enrich in behind Gerard Pique, only for the striker to hit a tame effort at Marc-Andre ter Stegen when one-on-one.

Barca duly punished that miss, as Messi nonchalantly tucked away a spot kick after Alex Galvez clumsily sent the impressive Nelson Semedo tumbling.

Marko Dmitrovic denied Messi nine minutes before the break, palming a stinging 20-yard drive around the post.

But the goalkeeper was helpless from the resulting corner as Paulinho charged into the danger zone and met Denis Suarez's delivery with an unstoppable header.
Barca looked more impressive after the break and were fully deserving of their third goal.

Paulinho initially did well to release Messi, who dazzled the Eibar defence and got a shot away, with Dmitrovic parrying it straight to Denis Suarez to tuck away.Enrich pulled one back with a clever cushioned finish from Junca's cross shortly after in the 57th minute, but all that seemed to do was jolt Barca into life again.

Messi took centre-stage, restoring Barca's three-goal cushion with a fine placed finish into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box, following a delightful move which involved Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta.

And he then completed his hat-trick with 27 minutes to go, charging in from the right-hand side of the penalty area and prodding an effort beyond Dmitrovic.

Eibar nearly got a second when Ruben Pena hit the post late on, but Messi soon showed them how it should be done, as he met Aleix Vidal's cut-back and guided a finish into the far side of the net to wrap up a crushing win.

 

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Tottenham 1 Barnsley 0: Alli sees off stubborn Tykes

Dele Alli's second-half strike prevented a shock at Wembley as Tottenham were made to earn a 1-0 win over Barnsley in the EFL Cup third round.

On the back of a frustrating 0-0 home draw against Swansea City, the hosts had to wait until the 65th minute for England star Alli to break the resilience of the second-tier visitors.

Mauricio Pochettino retained five of his XI from the weekend as he handed first starts to Fernando Llorente and teenage defender Juan Foyth.And Llorente should have broken the deadlock after half an hour when he headed over from Kieran Trippier's corner, while Liam Lindsay also failed to get a close-range header on target with Barnsley's best chance of the opening period.

Chelsea loanee Ike Ugbo regularly threatened as the Tykes grew in confidence after the restart, but the Premier League side's class eventually told when Trippier got away down the right and put the opening goal on a platter for Alli.



Pochettino introduced Eric Dier to help the safeguard result with just over 10 minutes remaining as Spurs booked their place in the final 16.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Leicester City 2 Liverpool 0: Okazaki, Slimani dump Klopp's men out of EFL Cup

Liverpool's EFL Cup campaign came to an early end as second-half goals from Shinji Okazaki and Islam Slimani gave Leicester City a 2-0 win at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday.

Substitute Okazki - on in place of the injured Leonardo Ulloa - was in the right place to pick up a loose ball inside the penalty area to break the deadlock in the 65th minute.

Strike partner Slimani settled the third-round tie in style 13 minutes later, sending a left-footed drive flashing beyond goalkeeper Danny Ward to get his third goal in the competition this season.

The result means Liverpool - beaten finalists in 2016 - are still yet to record a win in September, a worrying four-game rut they will hope to stop on Saturday when the two teams meet again at the same venue in Premier League action.

Jurgen Klopp's side were impressive in the first half but, just as was the case in their 1-1 draw with Burnley at the weekend, struggled to turn their dominance into clear-cut opportunities.


The German made eight changes from Saturday, although Philippe Coutinho retained his place in a starting XI that included Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the first time. The deadline-day signing from Arsenal looked set to mark his full debut with a goal for the visitors, only to see his effort deflected over the bar by a sliding Ben Chilwell.

Still, the early opportunity set the tone for a one-sided first half.Andy Robertson's raids down the left caused constant problems, with one driven cross missed by both Dominic Solanke and Coutinho when the goal appeared to be at their mercy.

Goalkeeper Ben Hamer – one of seven changes for Leicester – was called into action to keep out low shots from Coutinho and Oxlade-Chamberlain.While Solanke sent a lob onto the roof of the net, the home team mustered just one attempt at goal before the break – a feeble shot from Demarai Gray that dribbled straight to Ward.

Coutinho did not appear after the interval as he was replaced by teenager Ben Woodburn. Without the Brazilian pulling the strings, Liverpool struggled to find the same fluency in possession.Although Leicester lost Ulloa in the opening minutes of the second half to a head injury, his replacement came up with the opening goal.

Liverpool initially cleared a corner, only for the return ball into the box to drop kindly for Okazaki, who took a touch before getting away a shot that flicked off Robertson before reaching the net.

Danny Ings was sent on to try and grab an equaliser but Slimani put the game beyond Klopp's team, producing a thunderous drive to follow up his brace against Sheffield United in the last round.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bologna 1 Inter 1: Contentious Icardi spot-kick maintains Spalletti's unbeaten run

Inter continued their unbeaten start under Luciano Spalletti in Serie A and edged to the top of the table as Mauro Icardi's penalty salvaged a 1-1 draw at Bologna.

It looked as though Simone Verdi's first-half stunner would prove enough for Bologna to claim a first top-flight victory over Inter after six encounters without a win, but the Nerazzurri were handed a lifeline in fortuitous circumstances.With Bologna on the back foot after Inter's second-half resurgence, Ibrahima Mbaye slipped in the hosts' area and fell into Eder, who flopped to the floor.

The referee showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot and - after double-checking with the video assistant referee - the decision stood, with Icardi keeping his nerve to slam home in the 77th minute


It set up a grandstand finish, and though Inter could not craft a winner, Roberto Donadoni's side were left to rue some golden opportunities squandered in a first half they dominated. The point maintains Spalletti's impressive start to his Inter tenure, though does bring to a halt the Nerazzurri's four-game winning streak under the former Roma boss.

Inter should have been ahead inside the first minute when Joao Mario failed to connect with Antonio Candreva's cross after the former Lazio winger stole in behind Bologna's defence.

Bologna responded forcefully - Federico Di Francesco curling a strike just wide before Verdi hit the right-hand upright from an acute angle.Verdi should have done much better shortly afterwards, prodding will having latched onto a poor pass from Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, but he atoned for that miss in the 32nd minute.

Moments after testing Handanovic with a dipping free-kick, Bologna's striker breezed his way through Inter's defence before thumping a sublime long-range shot into the left-hand corner.

Inter would have found themselves level prior to the break had Mauro Icardi got on the end of Ivan Perisic's cross, and that chance seemed to boost Spalletti's men after the restart. However, it was not until the hour that Inter would bring a save out of Antonio Mirante, who reacted sharply to deny Milan Skriniar a second goal in as many matches.

Spalletti's side grew in confidence, though Bologna continued to present a threat on the counter - Godfred Donsah blazing a strike over from distance.Bologna were made to pay for an overall sluggish second-half approach when Eder made the most of Mbaye's unfortunate tumble.



Icardi made no mistake with an emphatic finish high into the net, sparring Inter's blushes and take them - temporarily at least - top of Serie A.

 

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Schalke 0 Bayern Munich 3: James scores on first Bundesliga start

Bayern Munich moved top of the Bundesliga after cruising to a 3-0 victory over Schalke that further eases the pressure on coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Robert Lewandowski scored his fourth goal in three games from the penalty spot to get the champions off the mark before James Rodriguez – making his first Bundesliga start – doubled their lead.Rodriguez turned creator for Bayern's third, providing a brilliant assist for second-half substitute Arturo Vidal to open his account for 2017-18.

Ancelotti came under fire after Bayern were beaten 2-0 by Hoffenheim in their third game of the Bundesliga season 10 days ago, but there were few signs of a repeat result at Veltins Arena.


The two sides went into the game level on points and with victories from their previous two games but Schalke struggled to contain Bayern's attack despite the absence of Arjen Robben, who missed the game through illness.

The visitors also lined up without injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, although deputy Sven Ulreich impressed when called upon to ensure three points went back to Bavaria.

Bayern peppered Ralf Fahrmann's goal with shots from the outset and the Schalke keeper made an excellent save after seven minutes to keep out Sebastian Rudy's fierce drive, before thwarting Thomas Muller at close quarters.

Guido Burgstaller had the ball in the net in the 21st minute when Schalke swept through the Bayern defence, converting following a double save from Ulreich, but the offside flag was raised.That disappointment was compounded for the home side two minutes later when Naldo was judged to have blocked James' cross with his arm.

Marco Fritz consulted his video assistant referee before pointing to the spot and Lewandowski made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Fahrmann the wrong way to score in the bottom left corner.

Bayern were gifted an easy second when Corentin Tolisso squared to James, who found himself completely unmarked on the edge of the box and beat Fahrmann with a low shot at his near post to make it 2-0 after 28 minutes.

Muller crashed a header against the post from James' cross five minutes into the second half, before Leon Goretzka muscled his way through the Bayern defence and flashed a shot narrowly wide at the other end.

Schalke continued to probe for a way back into the game and substitute Yevhen Konoplyanka burst into the box before dragging a shot across the face of goal and wide of the far post, before Goretzka missed with an ambitious low drive from 25 yards.

Burgstaller should have made it 2-1 when he went one-on-one with Ulreich after 65 minutes and shot straight at the goalkeeper's feet, but 10 minutes later the game was put out of Schalke's reach.

Bayern's third goal was superbly crafted by the ever-industrious James, who turned three defenders on the edge of the Schalke penalty area before playing a wonderfully delicate chip to Vidal and the Chilean thumped the ball into the top corner with aplomb.



Rodriguez almost capped a brilliant full Bundesliga debut with a second goal when he met Muller's cross with a first-time shot from close range, but Fahrmann turned it around the post to prevent a more emphatic scoreline.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

EFL Cup Third Round Fixtures 2017.09.20

EFL Cup Third Round Fixtures 2017.09.20

Arsenal Vs Doncaster Rovers

Chelsea Vs Nottingham

Everton Vs Sunderland

Manchester United Vs Burton

WBA Vs Manchester City

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LA Liga Fixtures 2017.09.20

LA Liga Fixtures 2017.09.20


Athletic Bilbao Vs Atletico Madrid

Leganes Vs Girona

Deportivo Vs Alaves

Real Madrid Vs Real Betis

Sevilla Vs Las Palmas
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Serie A Fixtures 2017.09.20

Serie A Fixtures 2017.09.20


Benevento Vs Roma

AC Milan Vs Spal

Atalanta Vs Crotone

Cagliari Vs Sassuolo

Genoa Vs Chievo

Juventus Vs Fiorentina

Lazio Vs Napoli

Udinese Vs Torino

Verona Vs Sampdoria
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Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.09.20

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.09.20


Cologne Vs Frankfurt

Mainz Vs Hoffenheim

Hamburg Vs Dortmund

Hertha Berlin Vs Leverkusen

Freidburg Vs Hannover
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[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United Vs Burton

Manchester United Starting Line-up

Sergio Romero
Chris Smalling
Victor Lindelof
Daley Blind
Matteo Darmian
Juan Mata
Ander Herrera
Michael Carrick
Marcus Rashford
Anthony Martial
Jesse Lingard

&

Burton Starting Starting Line-up

Connor Ripley
Tom Flanagan
Tom Naylor
Ben Turner
Lloyd Dyer
Matthew Lund
Matthew Palmer
Jamie Allen
Hope Akpan
Luke Varney
Joe Mason
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Good Luck Manchester United!
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[Wolverine GTR]

Half Time

Manchester United 3 Vs 0 Burton

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[Wolverine GTR]

Full Time

Manchester United 4 Vs 1 Burton

Manchester United Goal(s)

M.Rashford 05,17'
J.Lingard 36'
A.Martial 60'

&

Burton Goal(s)

L.Dyer 90+1'
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[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Manchester United!

Martial & Rash patta

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal 1 Doncaster Rovers 0: Walcott hits winner for Wenger's men

Theo Walcott scored his first goal of the season to earn Arsenal a 1-0 win over Doncaster Rovers and a place in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.

Walcott, who had not netted a competitive goal for the Gunners since April, pounced in the 25th minute to make it 1-0 at the Emirates and at that stage it looked as though Arsenal would steamroller their League One opponents.

Despite a glut of first-half chances the hosts failed to extend their lead and Doncaster, having frustrated Olivier Giroud as he sought his 100th goal for Arsenal, probed for an equaliser and gave the Premier League side a number of scares.

Darren Ferguson's men lacked quality in the final third and the few clear-cut chances they created went begging, leaving Arsene Wenger to reflect on a positive result and another good performance from Jack Wilshere.

The midfielder, who spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, made his first start for the club since May 2016 and was involved in much of Arsenal's best play, while full-back Reiss Nelson also emerged with credit on his full debut.

A lively opening four minutes saw Doncaster winger Rodney Kongolo draw a diving save from David Ospina with a low drive, before Giroud had a strong claim for a penalty turned down when the referee refused to acknowledge that he was hauled down in the penalty area.

The Frenchman almost scored a contender for goal of the competition two minutes later when he met Wilshere's delicately chipped ball into the box with an acrobatic scissor-kick that beat Ian Lawlor but rattled the crossbar.Giroud headed a pinpoint Mohamed Elneny cross narrowly over the crossbar after 20 minutes as Arsenal camped themselves in Doncaster's half, with Wilshere and Nelson moving the ball around crisply.

The breakthrough arrived after 25 minutes when Alexis Sanchez looped the ball into the box and behind the Doncaster defence where Walcott arrived and took a touch to control before side-footing it past Lawlor and into the net.


Wilshere would have added a second with a rasping 30-yard drive had Lawlor not made an impressive save at full stretch, before lone Doncaster striker Alfie May lashed a shot against the side netting on the cusp of half-time. Within three minutes of the re-start, Giroud created a golden opportunity to double Arsenal's advantage, but Walcott fired over the crossbar with only Lawlor to beat.

May, who only turned professional in January, looked set to equalise when he broke into Arsenal's half on his own after 58 minutes but he was easily caught by Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who dispossessed him as Arsenal survived a nervous moment.

Nelson drew a good save from Lawlor with an angled drive after 64 minutes, leaving Arsenal vulnerable to the threat of an equaliser and extra-time as Doncaster launched a series of counter-attacks in the closing stages, but Andy Butler and John Marquis both fired over the bar when chances fell their way.

Maitland-Niles scuffed a backwards pass on the half-way line and allowed Benjamin Whiteman a chance to run at goal, but once again the young Arsenal defender showed his pace and successfully back-tracked to cut out the danger.



Liam Mandeville and Matty Blair both had late chances to grab a dramatic late equaliser in the final six minutes, but both lacked accuracy in front of goal and Arsenal's slender lead survived.