“My problem,” said Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in an indiscreet moment, preserved on video from earlier this year, “was only with Arteta”.
The feeling was mutual. “You cannot rescue trust,” the Arsenal manager told a documentary crew tracking the club through last season, explaining the abrupt departure of his then captain.
Eleven months ago, Arteta’s patience with Aubameyang snapped. Arsenal’s figurehead player, the leading scorer in two of the club’s three previous campaigns, was banished to train with the youth team, pushed towards the exit.
Safe to say it is an unlikely turn of events that will see these two antagonists sharing the same stage again this weekend when Arsenal visit Chelsea. Aubameyang has changed employer twice since the fallout; Arteta has taken an Arsenal orphaned of their ex-skipper to the top of the Premier League.
Hindsight now casts the fracture of that relationship as a crossroads moment in Arteta’s short career as a manager, a brave statement of his authority, his clarity. Perceived indiscipline, specifically around timekeeping, by Aubameyang led to the severing of ties. “He’s been late, apart from all the other issues, many times,” Arteta said.
Some complex negotiations at the tail-end of the January transfer window, then allowed Arsenal and Aubameyang to part on financially acceptable terms, the club agreeing to cancel the last six months of his lucrative contract so he could join Barcelona without a fee.
He took a significant salary cut for the chance to stretch his wide portfolio in club football. The intrepid Aubameyang, who began his senior career at Italy’s AC Milan, would be adding La Liga to France’s Ligue 1, where he played for several clubs, Germany’s Bundesliga, where he starred at Borussia Dortmund, and the Premier League to his résumé.
At Barca, Aubameyang showed that class travels smoothly. In half a season, he scored enough goals – 13 – to make himself Barcelona’s joint leading scorer for the entire campaign.
He scored a hat-trick on his first start in the La Liga; he scored twice and set up another in his first clasico at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu. He heard Xavi, the novice Barcelona coach, describe him in terms utterly distinct from the message from Arteta in his last weeks at Arsenal. “He set an example on and off the field,” beamed Xavi. “He’s a gem. You want these sorts of players in your group.”
But Barcelona, by the summer, wanted a different calibre of striker. Once they had signed Robert Lewandowski to lead the line and Raphinha to attack from wide on the left, they deemed Aubameyang most useful to them for the transfer fee he could bring in. He was sold to Chelsea close to the summer deadline.
“As a coach, I feel bad to lose a footballer like him,” said Xavi. “But it was a good opportunity for him and for the club.” Aubameyang, 33, brought €12m into debt-burdened Barcelona’s treasury.
His goals had also helped them finish second in La Liga. They had been outside the top four when they invited him to join them.
Arsenal, meanwhile, were seventh in the Premier League when Aubameyang played the last of his 163 games for them. They would finish the season fifth, outside the Champions League placings, their top scorer for the campaign Bukayo Saka, with 12.
If there were residual reasons then to feel Aubameyang was missed at Arsenal, the impact of Gabriel Jesus, signed from Manchester City, has quietened any Auba-nostalgia.
Arteta will take his team to Stamford Bridge with a 10-point advantage over Chelsea, confident that he has more accumulated expertise in how to tame Aubameyang than Graham Potter, Chelsea’s manager, has yet acquired in how best to use him.
The Gabonese striker initially signed for Chelsea assuming it would mean a reunion with Thomas Tuchel, who Aubameyang knew well from their time together at Dortmund. Tuchel was sacked within hours of Aubameyang’s debut.
Potter then watched him score his first Chelsea goal on his Premier League debut for his new club, at Crystal Palace, and begin his busy set of reunions with his ex-employers by scoring home and away against Milan in the Champions League. Those are his only Chelsea goals so far.
But on Wednesday, there were signs of growing confidence. His audacious back-heel to Raheem Sterling set up Chelsea’s first goal in the 2-1 win against Dinamo Zagreb. He later thumped an effort against the Dinamo crossbar. That followed a cut inside from the left, on to his right foot, and a stepover. It’s a manoeuvre Arsenal would recognise as Aubameyang’s trademark. It’s a trick Arteta will have his men fully briefed to watch out for.
The%20specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
Read more about the coronavirus
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIGHT%20CARD
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More on animal trafficking
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Teaching in coronavirus times
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Factfile on Garbine Muguruza:
Name: Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
World ranking: 15 (will rise to 5 on Monday)
Date of birth: October 8, 1993
Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
Place of residence: Geneva, Switzerland
Height: 6ft (1.82m)
Career singles titles: 4
Grand Slam titles: 2 (French Open 2016, Wimbledon 2017)
Career prize money: $13,928,719
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
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
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
