Manchester City came from 2-0 down to behind to beat Crystal Palace 5-2, the goals coming from five different goalscorers. Each of the assists came from different players too.
Kevin de Bruyne, the captain who will leave City at the end of the season, was the game’s outstanding player, scoring one and assisting another, while Omar Marmoush again impressed in the absence of Erling Haaland.
Palace were two up inside 21 minutes thanks to Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards and City fans voiced some frustration towards manager Pep Guardiola.
While Haaland is out with an injured ankle for seven weeks, Marmoush is City’s main forward, the man on paper at the front of a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Against Crystal Palace he played towards the left, with De Bruyne more central in a setup that looked more narrow and even 4-2-2-2.
The pair combined after 12 minutes with City countering through the middle with De Bruyne pushing a ball forward to Marmoush.
The Egyptian’s first touch was faultless, but the ensuing shot wasn’t. He claimed he had been pulled, Guardiola claimed he had been pulled and appealed for a penalty. VAR said no.
De Bruyne hit the post on 23 and pulled a goal back on 33 when his free kick went in off the post before Marmoush equalised on 35, striking a loose ball downwards through three Palace defenders past Dean Henderson.
The equaliser sparked a strong reaction from Guardiola who turned and cupped his ears to the City fans before smiling. The Catalan then gestured to the fans to make more noise.
A minute after half time, a low Mateo Kovacic shot put City 3-2 up. Marmoush set up James McAtee who struck over after 50. Seven minutes later, the 22-year-old from nearby Salford took the ball around Henderson to make it 4-2. Another young local lad, Nico O’Reilly, 20, side footed City’s fifth on 79 minutes from a Palace header.
Marmoush looks like a smart signing for a City squad undergoing significant changes.
He scored 20 goals in 26 games for Eintracht Frankfurt in the first half of this season, even more impressive than his 17 in the whole of last term.
Bundesliga player of the month in September and November 2024, City paid a reported £59 million for him and he scored on his debut against Chelsea in January.
His seven City goals to date are credible in a new league, the most important being the winner at Bournemouth to send his side into the FA Cup finals.
All six of his league goals have come at home – and three of those were against Newcastle United. Interest in the player surged after that those three goals, all scored within the opening 33 minutes, with a sharp rise in interest from Egypt. City have had eight times more Egyptian visitors to their website since he signed.
But he’s far more than goals. His run-ins behind and between players have added a new dimension to City, his touches off De Bruyne effective.
He can take free kicks and amid the uncertainty of what City’s team will look like next season, he’s a good bet to be an important part of it. He left the field on 81 minutes to cries of ‘Marmoush!’ from the City fans,
Palace, in form and in 11th, can be satisfied with their season. A European place is not out of the question for next term, though not a Champions League one.
England will have at least five Champions League places next season. City started this season thinking they would be realistic contenders to win the top competition and end it hoping to get into the competition next year. The win against Palace was a big one.
“Kevin with a free kick changed the momentum,” said Guardiola after the match. “We scored two and after the second half started our next two goals were quick. If you see the chances that we had, we could have scored eight or nine easy because we arrive in the final third, one against one with the keeper how many times? The work ethic, the way we played was really good.”
“It’s been a hard year,” said De Bruyne. “Having a hernia was not much fun but I’ve been pain free for the past six weeks and that’s made a big difference. It was hard but now I feel free. I’m able to do a lot of training sessions.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen but I want to play on. We’ll see where I can end up. I’ve been here so long, my family’s been here 10 years, my kids were born in Manchester and lived their whole life here. It’s going to be something different for them and I think they’re a bit scared … excited.
“It’s a big unknown because we don’t know what’s going to happen for the moment. I want to play good football like I did today but I’ll be fine. If I can play football and my family’s happy, I’m good.”
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The Bio
Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.
Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results
During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks
Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy
Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The%20specs
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Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
Without Remorse
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Michael B Jordan
4/5
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,200 metres
Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Younis Kalbani (trainer)
5.30pm: UAE Arabian Derby (PA) | Prestige | Dh150,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Octave, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round 3 (PA) | Group 3 Dh300,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Harrab, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Ali
6.30pm: Emirates Championship (PA) | Group 1 | Dh1million | 2,200m
Winner: BF Mughader, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (TB) | Group 3 | Dh380,000 | 2,200m
Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) | Conditions | Dh70,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF La’Asae, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
Profile box
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
Monster Hunter: World
Capcom
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Cashew%0D%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202020%0D%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Ibtissam%20Ouassif%20and%20Ammar%20Afif%0D%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%0D%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%2410m%0D%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Mashreq%2C%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
THE SPECS
GMC Sierra Denali 1500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Price: Dh232,500
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
