Trossard key in Arsenal win, Almiron wins for Newcastle, Casemiro sent off

(Updates with info on other matches)

Sports Desk, Mar 12 (EFE).- Manchester United were held to a scoreless draw by the Premier League’s bottom club Southampton at Old Trafford on Sunday.

United midfield lynchpin Casemiro was sent off in the first half for a studs-up challenge on Carlos Alcaraz after the VAR intervened.

Both teams had opportunities to break the deadlock, but the Saints hit the frame of the goal through Kyle Walker-Peters and James Ward-Prowse, while Bruno Fernandes also struck the post for United.

The draw hands a valuable point to Southampton, while United remain in third place, two points ahead of Tottenham with a game in hand.

In other Premier League action, Arsenal thumped Fulham on the road 3-0, with Leandro Trossard assisting on all three tallies before the intermission.

Trossard, who signed with the top Premier league club in January, helped set up header goals by Gabriel in the 21st minute and Gabriel Martinelli five minutes later, as well as team captain Martin Odegaard’s nice tally in extra first-half time, thus letting Arsenal establish a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.

Also, Newcastle prevailed over Wolverhampton 2-1 with Miguel Almiron coming off the bench to score the final – and game-winning – goal of the day with 11 minutes to play, a long curving shot.

Things were not looking good for Newcastle – who were winless in their last five matches before Sunday’s outing – when the Wolves’ evened things up on a tally by Hwang Hee-chan after Alexander Isak had gotten the team on the board first at St. James’ Park.

But Almiron was at the right place at the right time to turn Newcastle’s fortunes around and grab the win from the jaws of a draw with his 11th goal of the season.

Even so, it was just the second win in nine league matches for Newcastle, although the day’s action enabled them to claw over Liverpool and into the No. 5 spot on the table.

And West Ham pulled itself out of the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa, with Said Benrahma sending in the tying tally on a penalty kick after Ollie Watkins had gotten Villa on the board 17 minutes into the action on a header after Alex Moreno sent him a spot-on cross.

West Ham dominated play throughout the match, but they had trouble capitalizing on that ball control until Benrahma in minute 26 blasted a penalty kick into the twine past netminder Emiliano Martinez after Leon Bailey fouled Lucas Paqueta.

Villa is now in 11th place while West Ham is in 17th.

EFE –/ks-bp