LONDON // Samir Nasri fired an impressive brace to help Arsenal get their title hopes firmly back on track and give Arsene Wenger something to smile about again as they recorded an impressive victory over the champions.
Wenger was left fuming earlier in the week after he had accused opponents of deliberately trying to injure his players, while his side had suffered a barren run of form going three games without a win, which included a shock 2-1 defeat against Stoke last weekend.
But Wenger's young side were back to their best at Emirates Stadium and dispelled any theories that they don't have the experience to compete at the top of the table.
Despite missing first-choice strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin Van Persie, Arsenal showed they have the quality to battle with the very best and in the process dented Manchester United's hopes of closing the gap on Chelsea and Liverpool at the top of the table.
United have now taken just one point from their games against the top three clubs this season which will come as a major worry to Sir Alex Ferguson.
Nasri was the difference between the two teams and is starting to show his true potential following his £11m (Dh 63m) move from Marseille in the summer.
The Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia got off to the worst possible start inside the opening sixty seconds when he picked up a back-pass from former United defender Mikael Silvestre. Referee Howard Webb had no hesitation in awarding a free-kick.
Anderson struck the ball into the wall. The rebound fell to Michael Carrick who fired wide.
Arsenal fought their way back into the game and could have opened the scoring on 11 minutes. Gael Clichy's cross picked out Nicklas Bendtner who had a free header inside the box, but flashed his close-range effort over the bar.
The home side went close again on 14 minutes when Nasri caused all kind of problems for Gary Neville down the left hand side and put in a dangerous cross which Bendtner and Theo Walcott just failed to connect with.
No-one could accuse this game of lacking in entertainment as both teams were desperate to come away with the three points.
United had a golden chance to take the lead on 19 minutes. Dimitar Berbatov's pass picked out Ronaldo who squared the ball across to Rooney. The England striker was completely unmarked inside the box but he fired his effort high over the bar.
Rooney was made to pay for his wastefulness as Arsenal took the lead in the 22nd minute.
A Cesc Fabregas corner was headed away by Berbatov into the path of Nasri. The French midfielder fired a powerful shot which took a wicked deflection off Gary Neville and flew past the wrongfooted goalkeeper Edwin van Der Sar.
Fabregas was involved in the heart of the action once again on seven minutes later when he broke clear on the edge of the box and saw his deflected shot fall inches past the post.
Ji-Sung Park forced a fine save from Almunia before the interval as United tried to hit back, but it was Arsenal who doubled their lead on 48 minutes.
Fabregas was the provider once again as his ball picked out Nasri who smashed a right-foot shot past Van Der Sar into the corner of the net.
Ferguson must have known it was not going to be his day after Ronaldo fired agonisingly wide with the goal at his mercy from close range.
Arsenal's nerves were not helped as goalkeeper Almunia had to be replaced by Lukasz Fabianski after the Spaniard was hurt in a challenge from Michael Carrick.
United did set up a tense finish as a minute from time substitute Rafael da Silva pulled a goal back when he fired an impressive volley past Fabianski.
Despite six minutes of stoppage time being played Wenger's side stayed strong to claim the vital victory.
* PA Sport
RESULT
Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')
Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Company%20profile
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Alita: Battle Angel
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Keean Johnson
Four stars
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Honeymoonish
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
The view from The National
PRIMERA LIGA FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (3pm)
Alaves v Real Madrid (6.15pm)
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao (8.30pm)
Girona v Barcelona (10.45pm)
Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo la Coruna (2pm)
Getafe v Villarreal (6.15pm)
Eibar v Celta Vigo (8.30pm)
Las Palmas v Leganes (8.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Valencia (10.45pm)
Monday
Real Betis v Levante (11.pm)
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
