Tuesday’s briefing: Michael Carrick sees red over Lisandro Martinez’s dismissal

It is officially squeaky bum time in the Premier League with Michael Carrick losing his cool after Manchester United’s Old Trafford defeat to Leeds, and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal allegedly starting to crack under the pressure.

Liverpool are still hanging on to a top-five place but their focus is very much on this season’s Champions League with Virgil Van Dijk convinced the fans can play a part in their daunting second leg task against Paris St Germain.

John Terry is no stranger to Champions League success but he appears to be turning his attention to the rather less glamorous world of League Two with reports that he is involved in a bid to take control of Colchester.

Carrick fumers at Tierney over Martinez red card

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick described referee Paul Tierney’s decision to send off Lisandro Martinez in his side’s 2-1 home defeat to Leeds as “one of the worst I’ve seen”.

Martinez was shown the red card for pulling the hair of Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin as United’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League took a hit at Old Trafford.

“You can throw your arm in (Martinez’s) face and then as he’s off balance because of that, he touches the back of his hair, which then pulls the bobble out,” Carrick told Sky Sports.

“It’s not a pull, it’s not a tug, it’s not aggressive, he just touches it and gets sent off, and worst of all, he (Tierney) is actually sent to overturn it – clear and obvious error.

“Two games in a row we’ve had decisions like that go against us, but that one I have to say was one of the worst I’ve seen.”

Rooney believes Arsenal are cracking under the pressure

Wayne Rooney believes Arsenal are cracking under the pressure of trying to see out their first Premier League title in 22 years.

Manchester City have reduced the gap to Arsenal to just six points ahead of Sunday’s crunch clash between the two championship rivals at the Etihad Stadium.

And although Rooney, a five-time Premier League winner for Manchester United, insists Arsenal can still fend off City’s challenge, even if they lose on Sunday, he believes Pep Guardiola’s side now hold the psychological edge.

Speaking on the BBC’s The Wayne Rooney podcast, he said: “It is the pressure of trying to win the Premier League.

“Obviously, they still have got a great chance to win the league, but they are showing signs they are cracking a little bit. City know how to do it, they have a manager who knows how to do it, and they look strong.”

Van Dijk gearing up for stunning Champions League comeback

Virgil van Dijk admits Liverpool need to produce “something very special” to keep their Champions League hopes alive against Paris St Germain.

The Reds host the holders in the second leg of their quarter-final on Tuesday, trailing 2-0 on aggregate after being outplayed in the French capital last week.

Captain Van Dijk says improvement is essential and has called on fans to fuel a revival.

The Dutch defender said: “We need something very special to happen otherwise we will have no chance. If we play like we did in Paris then we will have no chance anyway, in my opinion.

“The fans will probably be the most important factor, together with our performance. I’ve been very lucky to experience those nights where the connection between the fans and the performance has been unbelievable.”

John Terry reportedly involved in Colchester takeover bid

John Terry is part of a consortium looking to take over League Two club Colchester, according to a newspaper report.

The former England and Chelsea captain is said to be involved in a £14million deal to purchase Colchester, who are currently 13th in League Two.

The Sun newspaper reported on Monday that Terry – who has been working at the Chelsea academy following coaching spells at Aston Villa and Leicester – will have “significant influence” over the footballing side of the Essex club.

The former defender’s nephew Frankie Terry is on Colchester’s books and it has been reported the 45-year-old, whose glittering playing career at Stamford Bridge included five Premier League titles, has already visited the club’s training ground “a few times”.

Sunderland condemn racist abuse directed towards Brian Brobbey

Sunderland have condemned racist abuse directed towards Brian Brobbey on social media and offered the striker their full support.

The club said Brobbey was targeted online after the Black Cats’ 1-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.

On Monday, a Sunderland statement said: “Sunderland condemns in the strongest possible terms the racist abuse directed at Brian Brobbey on social media following Sunday’s fixture against Tottenham.

“We stand firmly with Brian and offer him our full and unwavering support.”

What’s on today?

The first two Champions League quarter-finals see two of the competition’s big-hitters left with mountains to climb as both Liverpool and Barcelona look to overturn two-goal deficits against Paris St Germain and Atletico Madrid respectively.

In the Championship, Ipswich can take a giant stride towards booking an immediate return to the big time as Kieran McKenna’s second-placed side travel to relegation-threatened Portsmouth.