Sport

The Morning Sports Briefing

Arsenal land a blow in title race, United consider Mourinho and Gerry Thornley looks to the interprovincial festive derbies

Manchester City’s English goalkeeper Joe Hart fails to stop a shot from Arsenal’s Theo Walcott. Photograph: Getty Images
Manchester City’s English goalkeeper Joe Hart fails to stop a shot from Arsenal’s Theo Walcott. Photograph: Getty Images
Tue Dec 22 2015 - 08:32

Soccer

Arsenal landed what may prove a decisive blow in the Premier League title race as they overcame Manchester City 2-1 at the Emirates last night.

Theo Walcott put the London side ahead on the half hour mark, but it was Oliver Giroud’s effort on 45 minutes which proved decisive as Yaya Toure gave the visitors a lifeline late on. The win puts Arsène Wenger’s team two points off current leaders Leicester City and four clear of Manchester City.

Much of the soccer headlines this morning though are dominated by yesterday's Fifa ethics committee's decision to hand out eight year bans from football to outgoing president Sepp Blatter, and Uefa president Michel Platini - the two most powerful men in football, for a "disloyal payment" of 2million Swiss francs made to the latter and signed off by Blatter in 2011.

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Elsewhere and Manchester United are believed to be ready to consider José Mourinho as a replacement for Louis van Gaal, if they should decide to part ways with the Dutch manager. The club though will want assurances from Mourinho that he understands the club's traditions and is willing to fall into line, with doubts persisting at the highest level in Old Trafford about his managerial style.

Back on home soil and former Republic of Ireland international Damien Duff brought an end to his 20-year playing career yesterday evening - finally he says, putting his body before his heart.

Rugby

Gerry Thornley is looking to the interprovincial festive derbies, remarking that rarely have such clashes found either Munster and Leinster at such a low ebb. "Right now, the form team in Ireland is very much Ulster. The arrival of Les Kiss as director of rugby has coincided with an improved defence and has seemingly enabled Neil Doak to concentrate on his excellence as a skills' coach."

Leinster will find out on Wednesday the outcome of Cian Healy's appeal of his two week suspension, while fellow front rower Mike Ross may miss the beginning of the Six Nations championship after suffering a serious hamstring tear during the province's defeat to Toulon last weekend.

Racing

Bryan Cooper will enter the Christmas period on a positive note if Bello Conti, his sole mount at Clonmel manages to win, and the jockey is eagerly-anticipating another potentially vintage festive spell. The 23-year-old rider secured four Grade One prizes at Leopardstown in 2014.