Arsenal's Martin Odegaard, left, puts his arm around Arsenal's Bukayo Saka after Sako failed to score from a penalty kick during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Arsenal at the London stadium in London, Sunday, April 16, 2023. (AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard, left, puts his arm around Arsenal's Bukayo Saka after Sako failed to score from a penalty kick during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Arsenal at the London stadium in London, Sunday, April 16, 2023. (AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard, left, puts his arm around Arsenal's Bukayo Saka after Sako failed to score from a penalty kick during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Arsenal at the London stadium in London, Sunday, April 16, 2023. (AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard, left, puts his arm around Arsenal's Bukayo Saka after Sako failed to score from a penalty kick during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Ars

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Football

Premier League talking points: West Ham setback far from fatal for Arsenal

Leaders still firmly in contention for the title despite throwing away a two-goal lead for the second straight week

Jon Turner

April 18, 2023

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As has become customary for this season, it was another dramatic weekend in the Premier League full of twists and turns. Here are the biggest talking points from the latest round of matches.

West Ham setback far from fatal for Arsenal

It was a case of recent history repeating itself for Arsenal: race into a 2-0 lead, in total control, and on course to make a major statement about their title intentions, the Gunners had to settle for a point for a second straight week after West Ham fought back for a 2-2 draw.

It was a similar story at Anfield the previous week, and while the failure to secure maximum points from either match, particularly from such position of strengths, will be the primary concern for Mikel Arteta, the sharp decline in performance mid-match should also set off an alarm bell or two.

After Aaron Rasmdale's late heroics prevented defeat to Liverpool, Said Benrahma's penalty sparked West Ham into life and the hosts went on to dominate. Of course, Bukayo Saka's missed penalty, which would have made it 3-1, was a significant moment but on the balance of the game, it was the Hammers who could perhaps have been disappointed not to win.

Still, talk of Arsenal buckling under the pressure feels premature. The last time the Gunners suffered a wobble, they bounced back with six straight wins, and there's nothing to suggest that they could not do similar this time around.

The draw at West Ham certainly feels like a setback but Arsenal still lead Manchester City by four points, albeit from one more game, and if they avoid defeat at the Etihad, the title is firmly back in their hands.

After all, it is Arsenal with points on the board and City who need to deliver results to close them down. Granted, City's imperious form means they could feasibly win all their remaining games, but one slip and the picture will look far rosier for the Gunners.

WEST HAM RATINGS: Lukasz Fabianski - 6. Forced into a routine save by Martinelli just after the restart. Made a number of decent saves in the second half. AFP
WEST HAM RATINGS: Lukasz Fabianski - 6. Forced into a routine save by Martinelli just after the restart. Made a number of decent saves in the second half. AFP
Aaron Cresswell - 6. Was nowhere to be found as Odegaard found space on the right to score the Gunners’ second goal. Sent in a number of dangerous crosses in the second half. Reuters
Aaron Cresswell - 6. Was nowhere to be found as Odegaard found space on the right to score the Gunners’ second goal. Sent in a number of dangerous crosses in the second half. Reuters
Vladimir Coufal - 6. Switched off at the back post and allowed Jesus a simple tap-in for the Gunners’ opener. Limited the influence of Martinelli in the second half. Reuters
Vladimir Coufal - 6. Switched off at the back post and allowed Jesus a simple tap-in for the Gunners’ opener. Limited the influence of Martinelli in the second half. Reuters
Kurt Zouma - 7. Did well to stop a Saka cross from finding Odegaard in the 29th minute. Crucial in the air for West Ham in the second half. AFP
Kurt Zouma - 7. Did well to stop a Saka cross from finding Odegaard in the 29th minute. Crucial in the air for West Ham in the second half. AFP
Thilo Kehrer - 7. Failed to get close to White quickly enough to prevent him from finding Jesus in the build-up to Arsenal’s first goal. Played a delightful ball over the Gunners’ defence and into the path of Bowen for the Hammers’ second goal. PA
Thilo Kehrer - 7. Failed to get close to White quickly enough to prevent him from finding Jesus in the build-up to Arsenal’s first goal. Played a delightful ball over the Gunners’ defence and into the path of Bowen for the Hammers’ second goal. PA
Declan Rice - 7. Began the move that led to the Hammers’ opener by pressing high and winning the ball from Partey. Crucial to everything positive the Hammers did in the second half. Getty
Declan Rice - 7. Began the move that led to the Hammers’ opener by pressing high and winning the ball from Partey. Crucial to everything positive the Hammers did in the second half. Getty
Lucas Paqueta - 7. Fouled by Gabriel to gift the Hammers a penalty in the 32nd minute. Almost gifted the visitors a goal in the 69th minute after his misplaced pass Saka to kickstarted a counterattack for the Gunners. Getty
Lucas Paqueta - 7. Fouled by Gabriel to gift the Hammers a penalty in the 32nd minute. Almost gifted the visitors a goal in the 69th minute after his misplaced pass Saka to kickstarted a counterattack for the Gunners. Getty
Tomas Soucek - 6. Backed off from Martinelli and allowed him to play in the cross for Arsenal’s second goal. Stopped a Saka shot from troubling Fabianski just after the break. AP
Tomas Soucek - 6. Backed off from Martinelli and allowed him to play in the cross for Arsenal’s second goal. Stopped a Saka shot from troubling Fabianski just after the break. AP
Jarrod Bowen - 8. Brought the Hammers level with a left-footed finish to send the fans into delirium. Sent a teasing ball into the Gunners’ penalty area in the 57th minute but there was no West Ham shirt on hand to take advantage. Getty
Jarrod Bowen - 8. Brought the Hammers level with a left-footed finish to send the fans into delirium. Sent a teasing ball into the Gunners’ penalty area in the 57th minute but there was no West Ham shirt on hand to take advantage. Getty
Said Benrahma - 8. Expertly dispatched the penalty that brought the Hammers back into the game. Whipped in a decent cross that caused chaos in the Gunners’ penalty area midway into the second half. Getty
Said Benrahma - 8. Expertly dispatched the penalty that brought the Hammers back into the game. Whipped in a decent cross that caused chaos in the Gunners’ penalty area midway into the second half. Getty
Michail Antonio - 7. Caused problems for Arsenal defenders early in the game with his directness. Breathed a huge sigh of relief when Saka hit his spot kick wide after he had handled Martinelli’s shot to concede the penalty. Hit the crossbar with a glancing header in the last ten minutes. Getty
Michail Antonio - 7. Caused problems for Arsenal defenders early in the game with his directness. Breathed a huge sigh of relief when Saka hit his spot kick wide after he had handled Martinelli’s shot to concede the penalty. Hit the crossbar with a glancing header in the last ten minutes. Getty
SUBS: Maxwel Cornet (Antonio, 88) - N/A. Flynn Downes (Paqueta, 88) - N/A. Pablo Fornals (Benrahma, 90) - N/A. PA
SUBS: Maxwel Cornet (Antonio, 88) - N/A. Flynn Downes (Paqueta, 88) - N/A. Pablo Fornals (Benrahma, 90) - N/A. PA
ARSENAL RATINGS: Aaron Ramsdale - 6. Made a routine save to keep out Antonio’s header 38th minute. Could have done better for the Hammers‘ second goal. Reuters
ARSENAL RATINGS: Aaron Ramsdale - 6. Made a routine save to keep out Antonio’s header 38th minute. Could have done better for the Hammers‘ second goal. Reuters
Kieran Tierney - 7. Used in the Zinchenko role, Tierney added defensive solidity to the Gunners’ left flank. Played a dangerous cross across the face of goal in the 64th minute. Reuters
Kieran Tierney - 7. Used in the Zinchenko role, Tierney added defensive solidity to the Gunners’ left flank. Played a dangerous cross across the face of goal in the 64th minute. Reuters
Ben White - 7. Credited with the assist for Arsenal’s opener with a nice cutback into the penalty area for Jesus. Failed to get the connection right with Saka in the second half. Getty
Ben White - 7. Credited with the assist for Arsenal’s opener with a nice cutback into the penalty area for Jesus. Failed to get the connection right with Saka in the second half. Getty
Rob Holding - 5. Had a nervy start to the game with a couple of physical battles with Antonio. Made the wrong decision of trying to outrun Benrahma and almost cost the Gunners a goal in the 81st minute. AFP
Rob Holding - 5. Had a nervy start to the game with a couple of physical battles with Antonio. Made the wrong decision of trying to outrun Benrahma and almost cost the Gunners a goal in the 81st minute. AFP
Gabriel Magalhaes - 6. Made an excellent last-man challenge to stop Antonio from running through on goal on the half hour mark. Responsible for conceding the penalty that helped the Hammers cut the deficit in the first half. AFP
Gabriel Magalhaes - 6. Made an excellent last-man challenge to stop Antonio from running through on goal on the half hour mark. Responsible for conceding the penalty that helped the Hammers cut the deficit in the first half. AFP
Thomas Partey - 5. Lost possession which led to the Gunners conceding a penalty for the Hammers to pull one back. Never fully recovered from that error and got subbed off for Jorginho in the second half. PA
Thomas Partey - 5. Lost possession which led to the Gunners conceding a penalty for the Hammers to pull one back. Never fully recovered from that error and got subbed off for Jorginho in the second half. PA
Granit Xhaka - 6. Had a quiet game in the middle of the pitch for the Gunners. Kept things simple. Reuters
Granit Xhaka - 6. Had a quiet game in the middle of the pitch for the Gunners. Kept things simple. Reuters
Martin Odegaard - 7. Heavily involved in the build-up to the Gunners’ first goal and scored the second with a cushioned left-footed finish at the back post. Never stopped trying as the Gunners looked to regain the lead in second half. Getty
Martin Odegaard - 7. Heavily involved in the build-up to the Gunners’ first goal and scored the second with a cushioned left-footed finish at the back post. Never stopped trying as the Gunners looked to regain the lead in second half. Getty
Bukayo Saka - 4. Stepped up but hit his spot kick wide when he had the chance to score the Gunners’ third in the 51st minute. Could only manage a tame effort when he had the chance to test Fabianski later on. AP
Bukayo Saka - 4. Stepped up but hit his spot kick wide when he had the chance to score the Gunners’ third in the 51st minute. Could only manage a tame effort when he had the chance to test Fabianski later on. AP
Gabriel Martinelli - 6. Assisted Odegaard’s goal with an inch-perfect cross to the back post. Antonio handled his shot into the penalty area to gift the Gunners a penalty in the second half. EPA
Gabriel Martinelli - 6. Assisted Odegaard’s goal with an inch-perfect cross to the back post. Antonio handled his shot into the penalty area to gift the Gunners a penalty in the second half. EPA
Gabriel Jesus - 7. Scored the Gunners opener with a simple tap-in at the back post into an empty net. Dropped very deep to help the Gunners facilitate play from the back. PA
Gabriel Jesus - 7. Scored the Gunners opener with a simple tap-in at the back post into an empty net. Dropped very deep to help the Gunners facilitate play from the back. PA
SUBS: Leandro Trossard (Jesus, 66) - 6. Almost slipped Martinelli through with a deft pass in the 80th minute. Dropped back to help in the build-up as the Gunners chased a winner. Reuters
SUBS: Leandro Trossard (Jesus, 66) - 6. Almost slipped Martinelli through with a deft pass in the 80th minute. Dropped back to help in the build-up as the Gunners chased a winner. Reuters
Jorginho (Partey, 66) - 6. Helped the Gunners regain control of proceedings in the second half but couldn’t provide the final pass to breach the Hammers’ backline. PA
Jorginho (Partey, 66) - 6. Helped the Gunners regain control of proceedings in the second half but couldn’t provide the final pass to breach the Hammers’ backline. PA
Fabio Vieira (Tierney, 85) - N/A. Reiss Nelson (Martinelli, 85) - N/A. Eddie Nketiah (Odegaard, 90) - N/A. Reuters
Fabio Vieira (Tierney, 85) - N/A. Reiss Nelson (Martinelli, 85) - N/A. Eddie Nketiah (Odegaard, 90) - N/A. Reuters

Have Liverpool turned a corner this time?

What a strange season this has been for Liverpool. A slow start to the campaign appeared to end with a 9-0 win over Bournemouth in their fourth match, but that ultimately failed to deliver a prolonged run of positive results, despite wins over City and Tottenham.

Then came the historic 7-0 humiliation of rivals Manchester United, only to meekly lose to Bournemouth the following week, escape with a goalless draw against struggling Chelsea, and be outclassed by City.

This time? Monday night's 6-1 thrashing of Leeds United was once again Liverpool at their devastating attacking best, but given what has come before this season, it can hardly be used as an indicator that Jurgen Klopp's side have finally turned a corner.

Their next game is at home against a Nottingham Forest side without a win in their last nine, so it should present an ideal opportunity for Liverpool to follow up with another emphatic victory. At the same time, the Reds could conceivably lose as the defensive problems which have plagued their season resurface. Considering their inconsistency, neither outcome should surprise.

LEEDS UNITED PLAYER RATINGS: Illan Meslier – 2. A forgettable night for Meslier who picked the ball out of the net on six occasions, though much was down to a shocking defensive display. Reuters
LEEDS UNITED PLAYER RATINGS: Illan Meslier – 2. A forgettable night for Meslier who picked the ball out of the net on six occasions, though much was down to a shocking defensive display. Reuters
Junior Firpo – 2. Firpo’s mistake was the crucial one as he failed to clear his lines with any conviction, allowing Alexander-Arnold to assist the opener. Struggled to cope with Salah, whom he left wide open in the second half when scoring his brace. PA
Junior Firpo – 2. Firpo’s mistake was the crucial one as he failed to clear his lines with any conviction, allowing Alexander-Arnold to assist the opener. Struggled to cope with Salah, whom he left wide open in the second half when scoring his brace. PA
Pascal Struijk – 2. Looked to give up on tracking Salah for Liverpool’s second and lacked communication with Firpo on his side. PA
Pascal Struijk – 2. Looked to give up on tracking Salah for Liverpool’s second and lacked communication with Firpo on his side. PA
Robin Koch – 3. Started brightly by marking Gakpo tightly, but in the end was part of a torrid defensive display. Beaten too easily by Robertson on Salah’s brace. Reuters
Robin Koch – 3. Started brightly by marking Gakpo tightly, but in the end was part of a torrid defensive display. Beaten too easily by Robertson on Salah’s brace. Reuters
Rasmus Kristensen – 3. Kept Jota quiet early on but eventually lost track of him. Played Nunez onside for Liverpool’s sixth goal of the game. Reuters
Rasmus Kristensen – 3. Kept Jota quiet early on but eventually lost track of him. Played Nunez onside for Liverpool’s sixth goal of the game. Reuters
Marc Roca – 4. Seemed to get unnecessarily dragged out to wide areas where he delivered crosses that were easily dealt with. Reuters
Marc Roca – 4. Seemed to get unnecessarily dragged out to wide areas where he delivered crosses that were easily dealt with. Reuters
Weston McKennie – 4. Sloppy in possession and provided little assurance after the opening goal. Had to do more to block off the areas around the penalty area, as seen with Jota’s unchallenged volley. AFP
Weston McKennie – 4. Sloppy in possession and provided little assurance after the opening goal. Had to do more to block off the areas around the penalty area, as seen with Jota’s unchallenged volley. AFP
Luis Sinisterra – 6. Looked to make things happen when on the ball and got his reward when tackling Konate in his own half before an excellent finish. Worryingly for Leeds fans, Sinisterra was later forced off with an injury. Getty
Luis Sinisterra – 6. Looked to make things happen when on the ball and got his reward when tackling Konate in his own half before an excellent finish. Worryingly for Leeds fans, Sinisterra was later forced off with an injury. Getty
Brenden Aaronson – 5. Unlucky with an effort before the hour mark that was inches from finding the top corner, and always tried to get Leeds going in the right direction. Reuters
Brenden Aaronson – 5. Unlucky with an effort before the hour mark that was inches from finding the top corner, and always tried to get Leeds going in the right direction. Reuters
Jack Harrison – 4. Struggled to create anything meaningful with play that saw attacks break down when the ball got to him. Must be much more accurate with his passing. Reuters
Jack Harrison – 4. Struggled to create anything meaningful with play that saw attacks break down when the ball got to him. Must be much more accurate with his passing. Reuters
Rodrigo – 4. Had a half-chance from a set piece but lacked conviction with his header. Anonymous in the second half. Reuters
Rodrigo – 4. Had a half-chance from a set piece but lacked conviction with his header. Anonymous in the second half. Reuters
SUBS: Crysencio Summerville (Rodrigo 66’) – 5. Scored the decisive goal in the previous fixture at Anfield, but there was no chance of heroics this time around. Always looked to play progressively despite having a lack of options at times. AP
SUBS: Crysencio Summerville (Rodrigo 66’) – 5. Scored the decisive goal in the previous fixture at Anfield, but there was no chance of heroics this time around. Always looked to play progressively despite having a lack of options at times. AP
Georginio Rutter (Aaronsen 66’) – 5. Rarely found himself in possession after being introduced for Aaronsen in the 66th minute. AFP
Georginio Rutter (Aaronsen 66’) – 5. Rarely found himself in possession after being introduced for Aaronsen in the 66th minute. AFP
Wilfried Gnonto (Harrison 77’) – N/A. Did nothing when introduced as Liverpool continued to control the game. Reuters
Wilfried Gnonto (Harrison 77’) – N/A. Did nothing when introduced as Liverpool continued to control the game. Reuters
Adam Forshaw (Sinisterra 77’) – N/A. Introduced in the 77th minute after Sinisterra went down after appearing to tweak something. PA
Adam Forshaw (Sinisterra 77’) – N/A. Introduced in the 77th minute after Sinisterra went down after appearing to tweak something. PA
LIVERPOOL PLAYER RATINGS: Alisson – 6. Commanded his area to claim the ball and positioned well to save from Rodrigo. Lost his cleansheet after a poor error from Konate allowed Sinisterra to chip past him. Getty
LIVERPOOL PLAYER RATINGS: Alisson – 6. Commanded his area to claim the ball and positioned well to save from Rodrigo. Lost his cleansheet after a poor error from Konate allowed Sinisterra to chip past him. Getty
Andrew Robertson – 6. Pressed well and didn’t get beaten on his side, though his best moment of the match was his involvement for Salah’s brace when he breezed past Koch with an impressive first touch. Reuters
Andrew Robertson – 6. Pressed well and didn’t get beaten on his side, though his best moment of the match was his involvement for Salah’s brace when he breezed past Koch with an impressive first touch. Reuters
Virgil van Dijk – 7. Anticipated the danger instantly to track balls coming in behind and looked comfortable when winning his duels. AP
Virgil van Dijk – 7. Anticipated the danger instantly to track balls coming in behind and looked comfortable when winning his duels. AP
Ibrahima Konate – 5. - Impressive outside of one moment of madness that saw him too slow to react, failing to clear the danger amid pressure from Sinisterra. AFP
Ibrahima Konate – 5. - Impressive outside of one moment of madness that saw him too slow to react, failing to clear the danger amid pressure from Sinisterra. AFP
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7. Got Liverpool off and running after winning back possession before assisting the opener. Regularly found space in midfield to help transition the ball forward. AP
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7. Got Liverpool off and running after winning back possession before assisting the opener. Regularly found space in midfield to help transition the ball forward. AP
Fabinho – 6. Alert to developing situations and blocked off the central areas of the pitch well. Kept things simple with his passing. Reuters
Fabinho – 6. Alert to developing situations and blocked off the central areas of the pitch well. Kept things simple with his passing. Reuters
Curtis Jones – 7. A third Premier League start in a row for Jones who capped it off with a superb pass to Jota for Liverpool’s third. A solid display from midfield where he took good care of the ball. PA
Curtis Jones – 7. A third Premier League start in a row for Jones who capped it off with a superb pass to Jota for Liverpool’s third. A solid display from midfield where he took good care of the ball. PA
Jordan Henderson – 7. Slow to get going but benefitted when spaces began to open. Worked hard to win the midfield battle and keep Liverpool on the front foot. Reuters
Jordan Henderson – 7. Slow to get going but benefitted when spaces began to open. Worked hard to win the midfield battle and keep Liverpool on the front foot. Reuters
Diogo Jota – 8. A wasteful 30 minutes from Jota saw him not wake up until late on in the first half, winning back possession before putting the ball perfectly on Salah’s left-foot to finish with class. Then helped himself to two goals in the second half. Getty
Diogo Jota – 8. A wasteful 30 minutes from Jota saw him not wake up until late on in the first half, winning back possession before putting the ball perfectly on Salah’s left-foot to finish with class. Then helped himself to two goals in the second half. Getty
Cody Gakpo – 8. Showing signs of progress in the false nine role, where he linked play elegantly on the front line. Rarely gave away possession and was patient with his decision-making. Opened the scoring and picked up an assist after finding Salah for his brace. Getty
Cody Gakpo – 8. Showing signs of progress in the false nine role, where he linked play elegantly on the front line. Rarely gave away possession and was patient with his decision-making. Opened the scoring and picked up an assist after finding Salah for his brace. Getty
Mohamed Salah – 8. The Egypt international was in clinical form at Elland Road, with two finishes that came from the top drawer. That is the sort of lethality that the Reds need him to show if they are to make the top four. EPA
Mohamed Salah – 8. The Egypt international was in clinical form at Elland Road, with two finishes that came from the top drawer. That is the sort of lethality that the Reds need him to show if they are to make the top four. EPA
SUBS: James Milner (Henderson 81’) – N/A. Back at the club where he made his professional debut. PA
SUBS: James Milner (Henderson 81’) – N/A. Back at the club where he made his professional debut. PA
Darwin Nunez (Gakpo 81’) – 7. Put the icing on the cake with a well-timed run and finish past Meslier. EPA
Darwin Nunez (Gakpo 81’) – 7. Put the icing on the cake with a well-timed run and finish past Meslier. EPA
Luis Diaz (Gakpo 81’) – N/A. Back after a long time out through injury, and much appreciated by the Liverpool fans in the away end. EPA
Luis Diaz (Gakpo 81’) – N/A. Back after a long time out through injury, and much appreciated by the Liverpool fans in the away end. EPA
Roberto Firmino (Jota 82’) – N/A. Came on for Jota in the 82nd minute. EPA
Roberto Firmino (Jota 82’) – N/A. Came on for Jota in the 82nd minute. EPA
Thiago Alcantara (Fabinho 85’) – N/A. More beneficial minutes for Thiago who has just returned from injury. Getty
Thiago Alcantara (Fabinho 85’) – N/A. More beneficial minutes for Thiago who has just returned from injury. Getty

Aston Villa's Emery revival leads to European push

In a season which has seen a record number of managerial changes in the Premier League, Unai Emery is the prime example for when it works.

The Spaniard arrived at Aston Villa at the start of November with the club 15th in the Premier League table. In the 18 games under Emery, Villa have won 12 and lost just four to surge up the standings. Their latest victory – a 3-0 breeze past Newcastle – was their fifth in a row and has thrust Villa into European contention.

Emery insisted that the top four, and with it Champions League football next season, is beyond Villa but he's not fooling anyone. Villa are six points behind fourth-placed Newcastle, who have played one game fewer, but there are still plenty of points up for grabs from the remaining seven or eight games.

Even if the top four is ultimately beyond Villa, a place in the Europa League or Europa Conference League looks very much on the cards. Wherever Villa end the season, the future looks bright under Emery.

Unai Emery has led Aston Villa from 15th to sixth and into European contention. Getty
Unai Emery has led Aston Villa from 15th to sixth and into European contention. Getty

Lampard's inability to spark Chelsea a blessing in disguise

No supporter enjoys watching their team lose. Even when there is disgruntlement aimed at the manager, board or owner, fans still want their team to win each and every match.

That said, Frank Lampard's inability to spark Chelsea into life since his surprise return could be a blessing in disguise. Chelsea's season was dead and buried long before the club's greatest goalscorer returned to the dugout, but three straight losses in his first three games – the latest a 2-1 home defeat to Brighton – should dash any hope of a more permanent appointment.

Had Lampard emulated Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who while in caretaker charge of United in 2018/19 led the club to 11 wins 13 games to earn the gig full-time, he might have forced his way into contention for the Chelsea job beyond the end of the season.

After getting their last managerial appointment so wrong, Chelsea can ill-afford to make the same mistake again, and whoever the club feel is the answer, Lampard isn't it. His short spell so far should confirm that, even if the Blues pull off a Champions League miracle against Real Madrid.

Chelsea have lost all three games under Frank Lampard. Getty
Chelsea have lost all three games under Frank Lampard. Getty

Bournemouth the unlikely relegation candidate to pull clear

A relegation battle that only a few weeks ago involved as many as nine clubs appears to be increasingly concentrated on fewer teams, and one of those expected to be in the thick of the scrap is in fact pulling clear.

Of the clubs expected to ultimately suffer the drop, Bournemouth were prime candidates. Instead, the south-coast side have won four of their last five to surge to 14th in the table and six points clear of danger.

Saturday's last-minute 3-2 win at Tottenham was the sort of result and performance that should safeguard Bournemouth's top-flight status, against all expectations.

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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
NYBL PROFILE

Company name: Nybl 

Date started: November 2018

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Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence

Initial investment: $500,000

Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)

Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up 

The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press

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%3Cp%3EThe%20Royal%20Navy%20raid%20is%20the%20latest%20in%20a%20series%20of%20successful%20interceptions%20of%20drugs%20and%20arms%20in%20the%20Gulf%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%2011%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUS%20coastguard%20recovers%20%2480%20million%20heroin%20haul%20from%20fishing%20vessel%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%208%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20coastguard%20vessel%20USCGC%20Glen%20Harris%20seizes%20heroin%20and%20meth%20worth%20more%20than%20%2430%20million%20from%20a%20fishing%20boat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarch%202%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Anti-tank%20guided%20missiles%20and%20missile%20components%20seized%20by%20HMS%20Lancaster%20from%20a%20small%20boat%20travelling%20from%20Iran%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOctober%209%2C%202022%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERoyal%20Navy%20frigate%20HMS%20Montrose%20recovers%20drugs%20worth%20%2417.8%20million%20from%20a%20dhow%20in%20Arabian%20Sea%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeptember%2027%2C%202022%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20Naval%20Forces%20Central%20Command%20reports%20a%20find%20of%202.4%20tonnes%20of%20heroin%20on%20board%20fishing%20boat%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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More coverage from the Future Forum
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

England-South Africa Test series

1st Test England win by 211 runs at Lord's, London

2nd Test South Africa win by 340 runs at Trent Bridge, Nottingham

3rd Test July 27-31 at The Oval, London

4th Test August 4-8 at Old Trafford, Manchester

Ad Astra

Director: James Gray

Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones

Five out of five stars 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EShaffra%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDIFC%20Innovation%20Hub%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Emetaverse-as-a-Service%20(MaaS)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Ecurrently%20closing%20%241.5%20million%20seed%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20different%20PCs%20and%20angel%20investors%20from%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.

 

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ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

AUSTRALIA SQUAD

Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

Results

Stage 7:

1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29

2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time

3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious

4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep

5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM

General Classification:

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35

3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02

4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42

5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45

Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

Read
RESULTS

Light Flyweight (48kg): Alua Balkibekova (KAZ) beat Gulasal Sultonalieva (UZB) by points 4-1.

Flyweight (51kg): Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) beat Mary Kom (IND) 3-2.

Bantamweight (54kg): Dina Zholaman (KAZ) beat Sitora Shogdarova (UZB) 3-2.

Featherweight (57kg): Sitora Turdibekova (UZB) beat Vladislava Kukhta (KAZ) 5-0.

Lightweight (60kg): Rimma Volossenko (KAZ) beat Huswatun Hasanah (INA) KO round-1.

Light Welterweight (64kg): Milana Safronova (KAZ) beat Lalbuatsaihi (IND) 3-2.

Welterweight (69kg): Valentina Khalzova (KAZ) beat Navbakhor Khamidova (UZB) 5-0

Middleweight (75kg): Pooja Rani (IND) beat Mavluda Movlonova (UZB) 5-0.

Light Heavyweight (81kg): Farida Sholtay (KAZ) beat Ruzmetova Sokhiba (UZB) 5-0.

Heavyweight (81 kg): Lazzat Kungeibayeva (KAZ) beat Anupama (IND) 3-2.

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm

Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Price: from Dh155,000

On sale: now

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Opinions on Lebanon
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea
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Tuesday's fixtures
Group A
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Iran v Uzbekistan, 8pm
N Korea v UAE, 10.15pm
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
On Women's Day
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Rating: 2/5
Match info

Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')

Bournemouth 1
(Ake 45 2')

Red card: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)

Top tips to avoid cyber fraud

Microsoft’s ‘hacker-in-chief’ David Weston, creator of the tech company’s Windows Red Team, advises simple steps to help people avoid falling victim to cyber fraud:

1. Always get the latest operating system on your smartphone or desktop, as it will have the latest innovations. An outdated OS can erode away all investments made in securing your device or system.

2. After installing the latest OS version, keep it patched; this means repairing system vulnerabilities which are discovered after the infrastructure components are released in the market. The vast majority of attacks are based on out of date components – there are missing patches.

3. Multi-factor authentication is required. Move away from passwords as fast as possible, particularly for anything financial. Cybercriminals are targeting money through compromising the users’ identity – his username and password. So, get on the next level of security using fingertips or facial recognition.

4. Move your personal as well as professional data to the cloud, which has advanced threat detection mechanisms and analytics to spot any attempt. Even if you are hit by some ransomware, the chances of restoring the stolen data are higher because everything is backed up.

5. Make the right hardware selection and always refresh it. We are in a time where a number of security improvement processes are reliant on new processors and chip sets that come with embedded security features. Buy a new personal computer with a trusted computing module that has fingerprint or biometric cameras as additional measures of protection.

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Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures

Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)

Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy

Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy

Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy

Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia

Mobile phone packages comparison
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
While you're here
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 

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Updated: April 18, 2023, 8:51 AM`
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