Will Man United start Ratcliffe era with win?
And so begins the Sir Jim Ratcliffe revolution at Manchester United with the club's new billionaire part-owner already talking about knocking local rivals Manchester City and Liverpool “off their perch” within three years.
“We have a lot to learn from our noisy neighbour and the other neighbour, I am very respectful of them but they are still the enemy,” insisted the 71-year-old Ineos founder and chairman.
On the pitch, United take on Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday looking to secure their fifth win on the trot, having defeated Wolves, West Ham, Aston Villa and Luton Town.
Young trio Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund have been at the heart of that run ahead of a weekend that could see the Red Devils move to within two points of the top four if results go their way.
“At the end of the day we are in the entertainment business. So that’s why you don’t want to watch bland football or characterless football,” added Ratcliffe. “And to be honest, since Christmas, with the young lads, they have played some fantastic football.”
It will now be up to manager Erik ten Hag to maintain the success and “glamour” Ratcliffe is striving for following his $1.6 billion purchase of a 25 per cent stake in the club.
Can Gunners maintain goals rush?
Sitting 11 points ahead of United in the table are third-place Arsenal with the Gunners enjoying an even more impressive run since the turn of the year.
Mikel Arteta's side might have suffered midweek Champions League disappointment FC Porto, but on the domestic front, they are enjoying a superb goal streak.
Since January 20, Arsenal have won five on the trot – Crystal Palace (h) 5-0, Nottingham Forest (a) 2-1, Liverpool (h) 3-1, West Ham (a) 6-0 and Burnley (a) 5-0 – in what is the club's best scoring sequence since 1934/35.
It's worth noting that Gabriel Jesus – their only out-and-out central striker – has played only two games in that run due to injury, scoring once. Bukayo Saka (four) Leandro Trossard and defender Gabriel (both three) have contributed the most.
The goals are being shared around and the team looks in a good place going into Saturday's game at the Emirates Stadium against a Newcastle United side leaking goals at an alarming rate.
“We are generating competition within the squad,” said Arteta after the Burnley win. “They are a joy to work with, the way they train every day and apply themselves, and … they want more – that's the good thing.”
When will Calvert-Lewin score?
While the Gunners are scoring goals for fun, Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is finding life a struggle in front of goal.
The 26-year-old has endured a nightmare run of injuries since scoring 21 times across competitions in the 2020/21 season and has managed just three Premier League goals this season going into Saturday's match at Brighton.
He is currently on an 19-game goalless run, having last found the back of the net against West Ham on October 21. It is a drought Everton can ill afford. In fairness to Calvert-Lewin, he has found the back of the net twice in that time, one extremely harshly ruled out by the VAR away at Tottenham and one awarded to teammate Jack Harrison for the slightest of flicks on its way in.
The Merseysiders sit outside the relegation zone on goal difference with only Sheffield United (22) and Burnley (25) having scored fewer than the Toffees' 27.
With the club nervously awaiting a verdict on their appeal against a 10-point deduction for breaking financial rules, Everton need the man who has notched four goals in 11 England caps to rediscover his scoring touch.
“He's working hard at his game, he's getting stronger by the week in key areas,” said manager Sean Dyche after last week's draw with Crystal Palace. “That's all I want to do is see him in key areas because the hardest thing to do is put it in the net.”
Can Glasner lift wounded Eagles?
It has been a tough week for Crystal Palace that has seen Roy Hodgson step down as manager after being taken ill during training amid reports that he was about to be sacked.
Former Eintracht Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner has taken over at Selhurst Park tasked with lifting a side that have lost 10 of their last 17 league games, leaving them 15th in the table, five points above the drop zone.
Glasner, who won the Europa League with Frankfurt in 2022, has promised attack will be the best form of defence for a team with the fourth worst scoring record in the division. His first game sees them take on Burnley at home on Saturday.
“My philosophy is very easy: it's scoring goals because that's why, as I tell the players very often, we all started playing football,” the 59-year-told the club's website. “Nobody went on the pitch when he was a young kid to defend.”
Will nightmare go on for Sheffield United and Burnley?
It really has been a nightmare return to the top-flight for Sheffield United and Burnley, who both have just 13 points as well as having the two worst goals for and against records in the division.
The Blades had given fans hope the week before by securing a 3-1 win at relegation rivals Luton Town only to slump to a second successive 5-0 home thrashing, this time against Brighton.
It was the fifth time they have lost a league game by five or more goals this season. “It looks like a hell of a beating but I thought the attitude of the players were great,” insisted manager Chris Wilder, whose team travel to Wolves on Monday.
Burnley, meanwhile, could not have faced a rampant Arsenal at a worse time as they also fell to a five-goal battering.
“We've had defeats and come back and said it was a good performance but there were details in the key moments – but today was not good enough,” admitted manager Vincent Kompany. “We will take it on the chin and focus on the next game.”
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
%3Cp%3E%0DElena%20Rybakina%20(Kazakhstan)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EOns%20Jabeur%20(Tunisia)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EMaria%20Sakkari%20(Greece)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EBarbora%20Krej%C4%8D%C3%ADkov%C3%A1%20(Czech%20Republic)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EBeatriz%20Haddad%20Maia%20(Brazil)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EJe%C4%BCena%20Ostapenko%20(Latvia)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3ELiudmila%20Samsonova%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EDaria%20Kasatkina%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EVeronika%20Kudermetova%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3ECaroline%20Garcia%20(France)%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EMagda%20Linette%20(Poland)%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3ESorana%20C%C3%AErstea%20(Romania)%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EAnastasia%20Potapova%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EAnhelina%20Kalinina%20(Ukraine)%E2%80%AF%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EJasmine%20Paolini%20(Italy)%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Navarro%20(USA)%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3ELesia%20Tsurenko%20(Ukraine)%3Cbr%3ENaomi%20Osaka%20(Japan)%20-%20wildcard%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Raducanu%20(Great%20Britain)%20-%20wildcard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
more from Janine di Giovanni
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
MANDOOB
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Ali%20Kalthami%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Mohammed%20Dokhei%2C%20Sarah%20Taibah%2C%20Hajar%20Alshammari%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
