Arsenal defender William Saliba has missed the past four games due to injury. Getty
Arsenal defender William Saliba has missed the past four games due to injury. Getty
Arsenal defender William Saliba has missed the past four games due to injury. Getty
Arsenal defender William Saliba has missed the past four games due to injury. Getty

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Football

Blow for Arsenal as William Saliba suffers delay in comeback from injury

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta reveals French defender will miss Southampton game and 'is not progressing as quickly as we hoped' from back problem

The National

April 20, 2023

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted that he is unsure when defender William Saliba will return from the back injury that has seen him miss the last four matches.

The Gunners have seen their lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table cut to four points, with Pep Guardiola's side having a game in hand on their title rivals.

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And Arsenal have shown some defensive frailties of late, having thrown away two-goal leads against both Liverpool and West Ham. But hopes that Saliba – who had started every Premier League game this season before being forced off during the Europa League defeat to Sporting Lisbon last month – will soon be returning have been dashed.

The France international has been ruled out of Friday's game with bottom club Southampton and is now a major doubt for the crucial clash against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium next week.

“The picture hasn't changed from last week. Regarding William, we still have to wait a little bit more,” Arteta said on the eve of the Southampton game at the Emirates.

“He is not progressing as quickly as we hoped. It's a bit delicate and we want to be very certain when we push him that he is ready to absorb the load and the risk that we will take and at the moment that's not possible to do.

“Probably next week we will have a little bit more certainty. He is not ready yet to throw him on the pitch and compete with the intensity demanded in this league.”

Also missing for the game against the Saints at the Emirates will be left-back Oleksandr Zincheckno, who was absent for last week's game at West Ham.

West Ham 2 Arsenal 2: Player ratings

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

“We are not certain,” said Arteta, when asked about when the Ukrainian would be back in action. “It is a muscular injury and he needs some time to heal. We are not there yet.”

Arsenal cannot afford any slip-ups with the Manchester City game looming as they take on a Southampton propping up the table four points from safety and who are without a win since beating Leicester City on March 4.

The North London club were beating Liverpool and West Ham 2-0 after flying out of the blocks at the start of both games before having to settle for a 2-2 draw.

Bukayo Saka missed a penalty that would have put the visitors 3-1 up at the London Stadium, his first failure from the spot since his effort was saved in the Euro 2020 final shoot-out.

But the 21-year-old is still enjoying a stellar season – having scored 13 Premier League goals and provided 10 assists – and Arteta believes Saka can take positives from the penalty miss.

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka after missing a penalty against West Ham. EPA
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka after missing a penalty against West Ham. EPA

“Experiences help, obviously, and what he went through was tough but in a different way it was something beautiful and a great experience for him,” said the Spaniard.

“I think that helped him, not only him but the people around him as well to understand what the reaction has to be, the support and protection that he needs and he will go again.

“He loves responsibility but he puts a lot on his shoulders as well. Again, if he had any doubt about how much people love him, respect him and admire him at the club I think he had a very overwhelming reaction from everyone in the building and the club.

“In the end I think it can be something very positive that can give him a big lift because everyone acted in an unbelievable way towards him because he deserves it because of the way he is.”

Asked whether Saka would remain Arsenal's penalty taker, Arteta added: “Yes. If not, I will go on the pitch and throw him the ball to make sure he takes the next one!”

BELGIUM%20SQUAD
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WE%20NO%20LONGER%20PREFER%20MOUNTAINS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Inas%20Halabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENijmeh%20Hamdan%2C%20Kamal%20Kayouf%2C%20Sheikh%20Najib%20Alou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Brazil 2 Croatia 0
Brazil: Neymar (69'), Firmino (90' 3)    

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  • Flexible work arrangements
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THE SPECS

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch

Power: 710bhp

Torque: 770Nm

Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds

Top Speed: 340km/h

Price: Dh1,000,885

On sale: now

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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

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Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

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Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

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Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68

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The specs: 2018 Maxus T60

Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000

Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder

Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm

Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km

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Stamp duty timeline

December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%

April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.

July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.

March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.

April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.

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PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA

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Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore

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Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
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Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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RESULTS

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5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Noof KB, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
Winner: Taamol, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Group One (PA) Dh2,500,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Listed (PA) Dh230,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Mekhbat, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel

Updated: April 20, 2023, 12:55 PM`
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