Mikel Arteta said Arsenal's 2-0 win at Newcastle United on Sunday was a "big statement" of the club's progress, 12 months on from a defeat at St James' Park which dealt a major setback to their Champions League ambitions.
A goal in the first half from captain Martin Odegaard - the Norwegian's 15th of the Premier League season - and an own goal by Fabian Schar in the 71st minute earned Arsenal an impressive victory at third-placed Newcastle to kept their title challenge on track.
The Gunners are one point behind leaders Manchester City, who have played one game fewer.
The result marks a huge improvement from one year ago when Arsenal, then fifth in the table, lost 2-0 to Newcastle. It proved fatal to their top-four hopes as Tottenham pipped their rivals to a place in the Champions League.
“It meant a lot. It was a real test, they hurt our pride last year and in sport, when you have another opportunity you have to make sure you learn from it," Arsenal manager Arteta said.
“We had to remember how we felt a year ago when we were here. Today had to be different. We had to play the game with a different level of implication, intelligence and maturity, and we showed a real fight today and a desire to win.
“They are creating something important here, that atmosphere was rocking. They have a great team, great organisation, great individuals, and we won here. That, in my opinion, is a big statement as well with how far we’ve come.”
Already assured of Champions League football next season, Arsenal came through a potentially tricky week with wins over Chelsea and Newcastle to keep the pressure on City. With three matches left - home games against Brighton and Wolves either side of an away trip to Nottingham Forest - Arteta urged his players to keep going and embrace the final phase of the season.
Newcastle v Arsenal player ratings
“It’s been critical because it’s the most important part of the season, the nicest part of the season," he said. "Today we are second, but to play for the championship with three games to go against this team, and win, it doesn’t get better than that.
“If you want to be involved in elite sport, you have to embrace those moments. There’s no giving up. I saw a lot of people after the City game almost turning back. I hate that, I’m not going to accept that from anybody, from the team, any members of staff.
“We have to keep going because you never know. We have to keep digging - we’ve done it for 10 months, now is the moment to do it even harder than before.”
Despite the defeat, Newcastle remain well placed to join Arsenal in the Champions League next season. Eddie Howe's third-placed side hold a three-point lead over Liverpool in fifth with a game in hand.
"Fine margins for us today and we just came out on the wrong side of them," said Newcastle manager Howe. "If Jacob's chance goes in, it's a totally different game. We have four games remaining and need three results."
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
The five pillars of Islam
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
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Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.
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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
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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
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What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
