What the back pages of the papers say - March 24

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On a day when Manchester United took a huge step towards retaining their Barclays Premier League crown with a 3-0 win over Benitez's men and rivals Arsenal lost 2-1 at Chelsea, Mascherano took centre stage by becoming the latest star name to show a lack of respect towards a match official.

In a week dominated by the debate over players' attitudes towards officials in the wake of the Ashley Cole affair at Tottenham, Mascherano was dismissed for haranguing Bennett in the 44th minute, with his side 1-0 down and still in the game.

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Also: Pascal Chimbonda is optimistic about opening talks with Tottenham over a contract extension - although Newcastle remain an option.

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Luis Fabiano, who has attracted interest from Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United, Roma and Real Madrid, has opened the door to his exit from Sevilla this summer.

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THE SUN: Didier Drogba blasted Chelsea back into the title race and is now gunning for Manchester United. The Blues striker sunk Arsenal with a double and said: "This result has given us belief that we are in the race with United. "This was a difficult game for us and although Arsenal are not dead yet, I'm not sure what the result will do to their confidence." Also: Alex Ferguson was amazed at Javier Mascherano's incredible show of contempt for referee Steve Bennett in a week when everyone in football was condemning the curse of dissent...Kevin Keegan has pleaded with Toon owner Mike Ashley to start contract talks with Michael Owen.

DAILY MIRROR: Javier Mascherano is facing a disrepute charge and a lengthy ban after completely losing control at Old Trafford yesterday. In disgraceful scenes the Liverpool midfielder chased the referee and refused to leave the pitch after being sent off by Steve Bennett for two yellow card offences. He was eventually calmed down by manager Rafa Benitez and coach Alex Miller, but the FA will investigate his reaction. Also: Birmingham's on-loan striker Mauro Zarate, who scored his first goal for the club at Reading on Saturday, has had a massive £20m price tag put on him by Qatar champions Al Sadd, who want to double the £10m they paid for him last summer...Spurs target Luis Fabiano is ready to leave Sevilla because he fears for his family's safety.

DAILY EXPRESS: David Beckham does believes he will be kept waiting for his elusive 100th cap after admitting he does not expect to start England's friendly with France. As Wayne Rooney handed the country an injury scare, former captain Beckham arrived at Heathrow Airport yesterday on an overnight flight from Los Angeles to join up with Fabio Capello's slimmed-down 23-man squad. But while Beckham survived Capello's Saturday night seven-man reduction in the squad, he told flight crew and passengers on the British Airways flight that he will not figure in England's starting XI in Paris on Wednesday. Also: Javier Mascherano is facing a lengthy ban and the prospect of a heavy fine after exploding in a rage and refusing to leave the pitch following his red card in Liverpool's defeat to Manchester United...El-Hadji Diouf has been carpeted by his own team-mates as the problems pile up for beleaguered Bolton boss Gary Megson.

DAILY STAR: Javier Mascherano made a mockery of the FA's Respect campaign yesterday. And Manchester United made a mockery of Liverpool's bid to derail their title ambitions - with goals from Wes Brown, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani. The petulant Mascherano refused to leave the field after being sent off by referee Steve Bennett for his second yellow card. Also: Two-goal Didier Drogba fired Chelsea back into the title race. He was then told by boss Avram Grant: "It's about time too!"

THE TIMES: Manchester United opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League yesterday on an afternoon when English football again witnessed the best and worst sides of the game.

DAILY TELEGRAPH: Chelsea yesterday emerged as Manchester United's main contenders in the Premier League title race as their manager, Avram Grant, answered vocal chants from his own supporters for Jose Mourinho by denting Arsenal's hopes with a 2-1 victory.

THE GUARDIAN: Liverpool's Javier Mascherano is likely to face a Football Association charge and an increased suspension for his furious reaction to being sent off at Manchester United yesterday.

THE INDEPENDENT: To the vast bank of history which fuels the vitriol between Liverpool and Manchester United fans was added a new legend yesterday: the moment Javier Mascherano lost his mind.