Mikel Arteta said he was "absolutely fuming" about Myles Lewis-Skelly's red card but praised his Arsenal team's character in a 1-0 win over Wolves on Saturday that boosted their Premier League title hopes.

Lewis-Skelly, 18, was controversially sent off in the 43rd minute at Molineux after a foul on Matt Doherty 30 yards from the hosts' goal -- which referee Michael Oliver deemed was violent conduct. VAR upheld the decision, leaving Arsenal battling with 10 players with the score still 0-0.

But the numbers were evened up in the 70th minute when Wolves midfielder João Gomes was given his marching orders, and four minutes later Arsenal substitute Riccardo Calafiori scored what was ultimately the only goal of the game.

It leaves Arsenal six points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand and thrashed Ipswich 4-1 on Saturday.

"It is that clear and I will leave it to you guys," Arteta said about the Lewis-Skelly red card. "I am absolutely fuming. But I will leave it with you, it is that obvious that I don't think my words are going to help.

"It's that obvious, that maybe we don't even need to [appeal]."

Asked about the significance of the victory for his injury-hit side, who were without captain Martin Ødegaard, Arteta added: "It's incredible what the boys did again. The context that we were thrown into, it's shows the character and the personality of the game. The courage and intelligence to play the way we want to was exceptional.

"The team are not going to stop. We are going to keep going. This team has got the spirit and will to fight against anything. They showed that again today.

"A lot of things happened today, more things happened. Yesterday we lost Mikel [Merino], we lost Martin this morning. We are still going. That is what I love about the team."

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, meanwhile, said on the Lewis-Skelly red: "To be honest, I didn't see it very well because I was on the opposite side."

Manchester United's plans to redevelop their Old Trafford home have been boosted after the UK government threw its support behind the club's plans.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced she would be "championing" the project in a statement outlining the "bold reform" of the country's planning system issued by the Treasury on Sunday.

"The Chancellor also revealed today that she is championing a regeneration project around Old Trafford in Manchester that will see new housing, commercial and public space as a shining example of the bold pro-development model that will drive growth across the region, with authorities exploring setting up a mayoral development corporation body to redevelop the area," the statement said.

While United would be responsible for financing the stadium, the goverment's backing helps the club pursue wider development opportunities in the surrounding area.

United CEO Omar Berrarda welcomed the goverment's backing for the project.

"The delivery of a world-class stadium can be the catalyst for major regeneration of an area of Greater Manchester which requires new investment to thrive again," Berrarda said in a statement.

"We cannot achieve that wider aim on our own, which is why we welcome the announcement by the Chancellor and the ongoing support of the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Trafford Council. If we work together, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a landmark project around Old Trafford that the whole region can be proud of."

ESPN reported in August that United are leaning towards building a new 100,000-capacity arena rather than redeveloping the existing stadium, although a final decision has not been made. Building a new stadium on surrounding land would likely last six years and cost more than 2 billion ($2.5 billion) and is the option favoured by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the project task force, which includes Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham and former club captain Gary Neville.

United said the task force determined that a redeveloped stadium could increase Old Trafford's capacity to 87,000, while a new stadium could house 100,000 supporters. United said both options remain "under consideration" and the club are set to decide on the preferred option before the summer.

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of United States women's national team defender Naomi Girma for a world record fee on a long-term deal from San Diego Wave, as first reported by ESPN.

The deal sees Girma become the first player to break the $1 million mark in the women's game.

ESPN revealed on Jan. 16 that Chelsea were the leading contenders to sign Girma, with initial interest from Lyon and Arsenal, before confirming that the west London club had won the race for the 24-year-old's signature. It is understood that Arsenal were not among the final candidates.

The fee surpasses the previous record deal of $767,600, paid by NWSL side Bay FC to sign Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji from Madrid CFF in February 2024.

Girma was unveiled on the pitch at Stamford Bridge ahead of Chelsea's Women's Super League (WSL) clash with Arsenal on Sunday.

"I'm so happy and really excited to be here. It doesn't feel real," Girma said in a statement.

"There are a lot of things about Chelsea that made me want to come here -- the culture, the winning mentality, staff and players. It's a top environment to learn and grow in. Right now, that's what I'm looking to do. It was an easy choice for me."

Girma was instrumental in helping the USWNT achieve gold at the Paris Olympics last summer.

Former Chelsea manager and reining USWNT coach Emma Hayes has said Girma is "the best defender I've ever seen. Ever. I've never seen a player as good as her in the back."

Girma was under contract with the NWSL's San Diego Wave until 2026. She has 44 caps and has scored twice for her country after debuting in 2022. In 2023, she was named U.S. Soccer's women's player of the year.

Chelsea are six points clear at the top of the WSL table.

Information from ESPN's Tom Hamilton contributed to this report

MELBOURNE, Australia -- There's all sorts of ways beyond merely the score to measure just how dominant Jannik Sinner was while outplaying and frustrating Alexander Zverev during the 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory Sunday that earned the 23-year-old Italian a second consecutive Australian Open championship.

The zero break points Sinner faced. Or the 10 he accumulated. The 27-13 advantage in points that lasted at least nine strokes. Or the way Sinner accumulated more winners, 32 to 25, and fewer unforced errors, 27 to 45. The way Sinner won 10 of 13 points that ended with him at the net. Or the way he only let Zverev go 14 of 27 in that category, frequently zipping passing shots out of reach.

And here is one more bit of evidence: Listen to what Zverev told Sinner during the on-court trophy ceremony: "You're the best player in the world, by far. I was hoping that I could be more of a competitor today, but you're just too good. It's as simple as that."

That's coming from the guy who is ranked No. 2 behind Sinner, who has held the No. 1 spot since last June and is not showing any signs of relinquishing it. This was the first Australian Open final between the men at No. 1 and No. 2 since 2019, when No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated No. 2 Rafael Nadal -- also in straight sets.

"It's amazing," Sinner said, "to achieve these things."

That includes being the youngest man to leave Melbourne Park with the trophy two years in a row since Jim Courier in 1992-93 and the first man since Nadal at the French Open in 2005 and 2006 to follow up his first Grand Slam title by repeating as the champion at the same tournament a year later.

Since the start of 2024, Sinner has won three of the five major tournaments, including the US Open in September, and his record in that span is 80-6 with a total of nine tournament titles. His current unbeaten run covers 21 matches.

The only thing that's clouded the past 12 months for Sinner, it seems, is a doping case in which he was cleared by a ruling that was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. He tested positive for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid twice last March but blamed it on an accidental exposure involving two members of his team who have since been fired. Sinner initially was exonerated in August; a hearing in the WADA appeal is scheduled for April.

While Sinner became the eighth man in the Open era (which began in 1968) to start his career 3-0 in Grand Slam finals, Zverev is the seventh to be 0-3, adding this loss to those at the 2020 US Open and the 2024 French Open.

Those earlier setbacks both came in five sets. This contest was not that close. Not at all.

"We're trying to do all the right work," Zverev said. "I'm just not good enough."

Just before Zverev began speaking into a microphone during the trophy ceremony, a voice cried out from the stands, making reference to two of the player's ex-girlfriends who accused him of physical abuse.

During the match, there truly was only one moment that felt as if it contained a hint of tension. It came when Zverev was two points from owning the second set, leading it 5-4 and at love-30 on Sinner's serve. But a break point -- and a set point -- never arrived.

Zverev dropped the next four points, making it 5-all, and Sinner emerged with the ensuing tiebreaker. No surprise there: He went 4-0 in those set-deciders over the past two weeks and has grabbed 16 of his past 18.

A year ago, Sinner went through a lot more trouble to earn his first Slam, needing to get past Djokovic -- who quit one set into his semifinal against Zverev on Friday because of a torn hamstring -- first, before erasing a two-set deficit in the final against 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev.

This time, the 6-foot-3 Sinner applied pressure with an all-around style that does not really appear to have any holes as his sneakers squeak from a sprint to a slide that often nearly ends in the splits and he uses his long limbs to deliver deep groundstrokes.

On this night, he proved superior in just about every meaningful way, other than aces.

Returning serves from Zverev that reached 138 mph, Sinner got the lone break of the opening set with a passing shot for a 5-4 lead. Zverev walked back behind the baseline, shaking his head while talking to his father and brother, who were seated in the front row of their courtside coaches' box.

There was more negative body language after Sinner served out that set at love to continue his crescendo, the final note an ace at 120 mph. Zverev trudged to his bench, shoulders sagging, and dropped his racket on an equipment bag, a gesture that conveyed annoyance more than anger. Later, it became the latter: Zverev cracked one racket on the court and used a racket to hit another on the sideline.

Understandable, given what Sinner was doing on the other side of the net.

There are challenges that come with a famous family name though. These are young men carrying the preconceptions and expectations of others.

"I always get called Mike Friday's son, every time," says 18-year-old Friday with a smile.

"I want to make a name for myself as well. My dad has done everything he was really good but obviously I want to try and push on for myself.

"It is not about escaping his shadow. I just want to be seen as my own person as well, not just a son."

For Bracken it is about being more than a brother as well. Charlie, two years older, is also on Saracens' books and has represented England under-20s in the past.

Bracken says that being a wing rather than a scrum-half like Charlie and Kyran limits comparisons, though even if they do come he has the belief that he could hold his own against his father's heyday.

"I have been shown a few highlight reels and been told my dad used to be quicker than me I'm not sure that works anymore!" he says.

"I have also watched a few England games from the 2003 World Cup run. It is funny seeing how the game has changed so much in a short space of time, with the speed and the structure there is now.

"I wonder how good he would be today. I'm sure he would do alright."

The more pressing question for many England fans is how good this generation of youngsters can become after winning the junior version of both the Six Nations and World Cup in 2024.

Bracken, who is studying at Loughborough University, made his Saracens debut earlier this season in the Premiership Cup, while Friday appeared in the Premiership for the first time in December, coming off the bench in a victory over Newcastle.

Among the under 20s preparing for their Six Nations opener against Ireland on Thursday, they are now the wise, old heads.

"There are different faces from last time, but I am really enjoying the vibe and brotherhood we have got going," says Bracken.

"It has almost continued from last season and built again this season."

From babes-in-arms to brothers-in-arms, they won't be the last to follow their parents' stud marks towards the top.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Veteran goaltender John Gibson sustained an upper-body injury during the first period of the Anaheim Ducks' 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.

Lukas Dostal took over netminding duties at the start of the second period. Gibson made nine saves in the first period as the Ducks held a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Dostal made 31 saves across the final 40 minutes, giving up only one goal, en route to the win.

It's the second time this season Gibson has left a game because of injury. He was hit in the right eye by a stick blade during a Dec. 23 game against the Vegas Golden Knights and sat out the next two games.

Anaheim coach Greg Cronin, in his postgame media availability, told reporters that, after the first period -- when Gibson was being evaluated -- he was preparing the team to return to the ice, so he didn't have a major update other than saying "I think he's going to be fine."

One of few proven netminders who has been mentioned in trade rumors as the regular season hits its stretch run, Gibson also was out for the first 12 games of the regular season after undergoing an emergency appendectomy.

Gibson came into Saturday's game with an 8-8-2 record in 20 games, a 2.76 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. He has 201 career victories with the Ducks and is five away from tying Jean-Sebastien Giguere for the most wins in franchise history.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.