Aston Villa's incredible home form could provide a platform for a run at the Champions League spots in the Premier League this season.
A 4-1 hammering of West Ham on Sunday made it four straight wins – and 17 goals in the process – for Unai Emery's team in its four matches at Villa Park so far.
Villa moved a point off the top four after nine games and have a couple of players in great scoring form.
Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz scored twice and England striker Ollie Watkins added another, with both moving on to five for the campaign. Substitute Leon Bailey also netted for Villa.
Luiz drove home the 30th-minute opener from the edge of the area after a lay-off from Watkins before converting a penalty in the 51st following Nayef Aguerd’s trip on Ezri Konsa.
Jarrod Bowen pulled a goal back for West Ham in the 56th when his long-range shot deflected off Pau Torres and span into the far corner.
Watkins, who netted a winner for England against Australia in the recent international break, restored Villa’s two-goal lead with the pick of the goals.
He ran on to John McGinn’s long ball forward, performed a step-over to create space, then lashed a left-foot finish into the roof of the net.
Bailey struck a finish into the top corner to crown another impressive home performance from Villa.
There was a period of applause before kickoff in a tribute to England and Manchester United great Bobby Charlton, who died on Saturday at the age of 86.
Nicolo Zaniolo started and played 76 minutes despite the Italy international being involved in a betting investigation in his home country.
Villa said ahead of the game that Zaniolo “is assisting the Italian Football Federation and the relevant authorities’ investigation into alleged illegal betting activity”.
Zaniolo and Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali were sent back to their clubs from Italy's training camp this month after being notified by police of involvement in the probe.
Villa's Man of the Match, Douglas Luiz, said: "I'm really happy. The fans push us and it's incredible.
"I like fishing so much. When I go to Brazil, every time we go fishing, this celebration is for my friends and my family, who I go with.
"In the last season we spoke a lot about who takes the penalties. I took responsibility of it. I'm so happy to continue to score."
Fellow goalscorer Bailey said: "The atmosphere here today was brilliant. It's not just for us, it's for our fans. They can enjoy coming to the stadium and seeing a victory.
"It gives us a lot of confidence. It can be special. Hopefully we can continue to work this way. We are getting results for the work.
"The teams is great. Even the players who come off from the bench understand their roles. It's about showing your ability. I think I did that with my goal today so I'm very grateful for that.
"The sky is the limit for us. We have to stay focus. We need to move onto the next game. We have an important game on Thursday so we need to look at what's next."
West Ham manager David Moyes said: "We weren't as resolute as we have been and we need to be harder to play against but we were up against a really good Aston Villa side.
"We didn't do well in the final third. There were opportunities to pick people out. We had a few chances in the first half but didn't pick people out.
"We were narrowly down at half-time and we came out hoping to get ourselves back in it then gave away a stupid penalty."
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Honeymoonish
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MEYDAN%20RACECARD
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Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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
CREW
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Wonka
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
Afcon 2019
SEMI-FINALS
Senegal v Tunisia, 8pm
Algeria v Nigeria, 11pm
Matches are live on BeIN Sports
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
4.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m; Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.10pm: Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Canvassed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
57%20Seconds
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LIGUE 1 FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)
Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)
Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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