The ninth round of fixtures in the Premier League threw up some significant results and has left the top of the table with an unfamiliar look to it.
Title favourites Arsenal enjoy a four-point cushion after their win over Crystal Palace, but behind them it is Bournemouth, Tottenham and Sunderland who are riding high and occupy the remaining slots in the top four. Liverpool continued their dismal run, while Manchester City also dropped points, beaten 1-0 at Aston Villa.
All three promoted teams won on the same weekend, with Leeds and Burnley – like Sunderland – also defying the grim pre-season predictions.
Below is our team of the week (4-3-3):
Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham): The Tottenham goalkeeper was in top form at Hill Dickinson Stadium to keep Everton at bay and earn himself a well-deserved clean sheet.
Matty Cash (Aston Villa): The Villa right-back has impressed lately as Unai Emery's side continue their march up the table. The Poland international cut in from the right and arrowed a left-footed shot into the corner to earn Villa all three points against City.
Nordi Mukiele (Sunderland): The French centre-back has quietly been one of the signings of the season and shone once again in the Black Cats' surprise win at Chelsea.
Micky Van de Ven (Tottenham): The Dutch international scored twice from set pieces and defended admirably during Spurs' win at Everton. A fan favourite and it's easy to see why.
Quilindschy Hartman (Burnley): The Burnley left back was instrumental in their vital victory at Wolves as he set up both of Zian Flemming's goals.
Amadou Onana (Aston Villa): The Belgian international put in a beastly display in Villa's win over City, bossing the midfield in and out of possession, with his tireless off-the-ball work complemented by some smart distribution.
Granit Xhaka (Sunderland): The Swiss looked a shrewd pick up in the summer and that's exactly how it has played out. His combination of experience and technical quality was pivotal in their victory at Stamford Bridge.
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United): The Brazilian midfielder had another strong game in Newcastle's 2-1 victory over Fulham. He did miss a sitter but made amends with the late winner.
Bryan Mbeumo (Man United): Has hit the ground running at Old Trafford and built on his strong start at the club with a superb showing against Brighton, scoring a brilliant third and a nerve-calming fourth.
Igor Thiago (Brentford): The big Brentford striker gave Liverpool's out-of-form skipper Virgil van Dijk a tough time on Saturday and his goal, from the spot, was his seventh of the season already.
Matheus Cunha (Man United): Just a high-quality footballer who has raised the level of United's attack. Grabbed his first goal for the club with a sublime curling effort.
Manager – Regis Le Bris (Sunderland): The Frenchman has guided the promoted side up to fourth place in the table and their latest win, 2-1 at Chelsea, might be their best so far.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
RCA records
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ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Naga
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Kanye%20West
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
