Sport

The Morning Sports Briefing

Arsenal stroll but pressure still on Wenger, Guardiola aware of Monaco, Six Nations nearing boiling point, Heaslip eyes 2019 World Cup, McIlroy makes another poor decision, converts needed at congress and what to watch out for

Sutton fans on the pitch with police officers after their FA Cup defeat to Arsenal. Photo: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters
Sutton fans on the pitch with police officers after their FA Cup defeat to Arsenal. Photo: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters
Tue Feb 21 2017 - 08:16

Arsenal stroll in the suburbs

First to football this morning and Arsenal managed to get past the potentially huge banana skin of Sutton United last night thanks to goals from Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott at Gander Green Lane.

The Gunners will now face Lincoln City in the quarter-finals with pressure still firmly on the shoulders of Arsene Wenger.

City well aware of Monaco threat

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In the Champions League tonight Manchester City take on Monaco in their last 16 first leg clash with Pep Guardiola well aware of the big threat posed by the French side who currently top Ligue 1 ahead of PSG.

Tonight's other game sees Atletico Madrid travel to face Bayer Leverkusen.

Simmering Six Nations set to boil over

On to rugby and Gerry Thornley writes in his column this morning that there has never been a weekend as pivotal in the Six Nations as the upcoming one.

Despite the new bonus point system there is still just one point separating Ireland in second and Scotland in fifth ahead of Joe Schmidt’s side’s clash with France.

Heaslip eyes 2019 World Cup

Speaking at Carton House yesterday was Jamie Heaslip. The Kildare man last week signed a new contract with the IRFU and says that he has his eyes firmly set on the 2019 World Cup in Japan despite the fact that he will be 35 at the time.

In team news Johnny Sexton and Rob Kearney are both expected to be fit for Saturday's game while Josh van der Flier has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament with a shoulder injury.

Another poor decision from McIlroy

In golf there has been plenty of reaction so far to the news yesterday that Rory McIlroy joined US president Donald Trump for a round of golf at the weekend. Johnny Watterson writes that it is another poor call from McIlroy in a string of bad decisions.

Converts needed if motions to be passed at congress

In GAA a number of motions go to congress this week - most notably a proposal for football championship reform and also the motion to bring forward the date of the All-Ireland finals and associated replays.

What to watch out for

Soccer

TV3 from 7.30pm, BT Sport 2 from 7pm: (7.45) CL: Manchester City v Monaco.

BT Sport 3 from 7pm: (7.45) CL: Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid.