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Marseille manager Igor Tudor has announced that he will fine Arsenal loanee Nuno Tavares following a red card and rude gesture towards Montpellier fans.
Prior to the incident, the game at the Stade de la Mosson on January 1 went rather well for Tavares. He scored his fifth goal of the Ligue 1 season to give Marseille the lead.
In the 61st minute, Maxime Esteve scored an own goal to double the Olympians' lead.
However, in the 87th minute, Tavares attacked Arnaud Souquet, leading to a red card after a VAR review. As he left the field, the Arsenal loanee made a 2-0 gesture towards the home fans and his actions deeply upset manager Tudor.
Speaking to Amazon France, the unhappy manager slammed Tavares' actions (via Standard):
“He's lost his mind, he's going to get a nice fine. It can happen, but he's going to be fined, because it will penalise us in the future. We are lucky that it went well at the end of the match.”
Despite being a player down late on, Marseille were able to secure the win. However, it did come at a small price as they conceded a goal in added time as Teji Tedy Savanier scored a penalty for Montpellier.
The win against Montpellier was a vital one for Marseille as they are fighting to overtake Lens and secure second place in the Ligue 1 table. They currently sit in third but are only eight points behind league leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
Tudor and his men will be pleased with their fourth consecutive win in a row. They will be hoping that the win can serve as a catalyst for the team and that they can build on this momentum in their upcoming matches.
However, they will also have to play at least one match without Arsenal loanee Tavares, who will be suspended due to his red card.
It remains to be seen how the team will cope in his absence, as the defender has racked up 16 Ligue 1 appearances this season. Tudor will certainly be hoping that the rest of the squad can step up and fill the void left by the talented, but temperamental, defender.
Arsenal headed towards a Premier League title
It has been six years since Arsenal last finished in the Premier League top four, which has kept them out of the UEFA Champions League. However, they currently find themselves in a position where they could potentially compete for their first domestic title since 2003-04.
They have a seven-point lead over defending champions Manchester City. However, manager Mikel Arteta is keen to make sure that expectations at the Emirates Stadium are kept in check.
Speaking to the press (via GOAL), Arteta has said of Arsenal's pursuit of the Premier League title:
“It’s not about stopping anybody. it’s about being realistic where we are. The way we are performing, obviously it’s impressive and we are really happy with that. But, as well, we set the objectives in the short term and what we want to improve and what is making us win that many football matches.”
Arsenal are set to host Newcastle United in the Premier League on January 3.
