After the opening round of European fixtures in midweek, we are straight back into the Premier League programme starting with a hectic Saturday schedule.
The day's action starts with a London derby between West Ham United and Chelsea which kicks off at 3.30pm UAE time.
That is followed by six matches at 6pm with Aston Villa playing host to Wolves, Fulham taking on Newcastle United at Craven Cottage, Leicester City tackling Everton at the King Power Stadium, Liverpool entertaining Bournemouth on Merseyside, Southampton facing Ipswich Town on the south coast and Tottenham Hotspur's clash with Brentford in North London.
Crystal Palace are up against Manchester United at Selhurst Park in the late game (8.30pm).
There are two games on Sunday – Brighton versus Nottingham Forest at the Amex (5pm) followed by the top-of-the-table match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium (7.30pm). We pick out the main talking points as we head into Matchday 5.
How will Villa cope after midweek Euro fixtures?
Aston Villa's return to European football's top table for the first time in 41 years could not have gone better as they coasted to a 3-0 Champions League win over Young Boys in Switzerland on Tuesday.
Goals from Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana earned Villa three points. But it is how Unai Emery's squad react to the quick turnaround of European to domestic matches that will define their season, with the added burden of a Champions League that has increased in size. “Every game's going to be really tough. This new format makes it even tougher,” admitted Tielemans, who became the first Villa player to score in the competition since Peter Withe in 1983.
When Newcastle returned to Champions League action for the first time in 20 years, the team suffered a nightmare run of injuries that would decimate their 2023/24 campaign and ultimately leave them without European football this season.
And the only down side to the midweek win was the sight of striker Ollie Watkins with an ice pack round his ankle after being substituted in the second half with what is sure to be a blood and thunder derby against Wolves next up.
Can Sancho find a home at Chelsea?
Jadon Sancho made an instant impact after coming on at half time for Chelsea against Bournemouth last week in what was his first Premier League game in more than a year.
The winger – on a season-long loan from Manchester United – immediately looked lively, provided the through-ball for Christopher Nkunku's late winner and was named man of the match for his 45-minute cameo.
Sancho spent last season on loan at former club Borussia Dortmund and helped the German club reach the Champions League final, where they would eventually lose to Real Madrid.
If he can sprinkle some of that stardust at Stamford Bridge then Chelsea will be delighted to sign the 24-year-old England international permanently next summer and Sancho can put his nightmare spell at United firmly behind him.
“Very happy, very happy for him. He was very good,” said Blues manager Enzo Maresca after the Bournemouth win. “I have a feeling that Jadon is a guy that needs love.”
How long will Southampton and Everton remain pointless?
The two teams without a Premier League point this season clashed at Goodison Park in the League Cup on Tuesday when Southampton came out on top in a penalty shoot-out against Everton after the match finished 1-1 in normal time.
“I am really proud of the players,” said Southampton manager Russell Martin. “I understand what we are asking them to do is so tough but they do it with so much courage, conviction and intensity.”
It was a much-needed boost for the promoted Saints who have managed just one goal in the league – a consolation from Yukinari Sugawara in the 3-1 loss at Brentford.
While Southampton have scored the fewest, Everton have conceded the most with Sean Dyche's side leaking 13 goals, having fallen to successive 3-2 defeats where they have been two up on both occasions.
“I didn't walk here blind, I knew it was going to be a big challenge, it has been a bigger challenge than what I thought,” said Dyche after last week's loss to Aston Villa.
Can Newcastle go top of the league?
There could be a new team top of the Premier League on Saturday night, for at least 24 hours anyway. If Newcastle triumph at Fulham, they will leapfrog the current top two in Arsenal and Manchester City who face-off on Sunday.
It will be an unlikely turn of events after a summer of turmoil off the pitch and performances on it which have not justified the current unbeaten record and third place they occupy.
But the ability to grind out wins has worked for Eddie Howe's side so far and last week's comeback victory at Wolves – courtesy of a sublime Harvey Barnes strike – means Newcastle have made their best start to a season in 29 years with three wins and a draw.
The big test will come next weekend when they face a rampant Erling Haaland and Manchester City at St James' Park but first the Magpies will be hoping to wake up on Sunday morning as the division's top dogs.
“It fell in line with other games this season,” said Howe after beating Wolves. “We’ve played really well in passages but not all the way through. What shines through is the ability to find a way through. We can get better but on the whole it was an improvement.”
Will Manchester City or Arsenal land early blow in title battle?
All eyes will be on the Etihad Stadium when title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal go head-to-head for the first time since March when the two teams played out a tense goalless draw at the same venue.
Reigning champions City enjoy the only 100 per cent record in the division with Haaland's brace earning them a 2-1 win over Brentford last weekend.
It was Haaland's eighth and ninth goals already this season which means the Norwegian has scored more goals than every other team as a whole in the top-flight. “I don't expect him to score three, two goals every game,” admitted manager Pep Guardiola on Tuesday.
As for the unbeaten Gunners, who sit two points behind City, they showed a gritty side to their nature in their 1-0 North London derby win at Spurs, achieved without key midfielders Declan Rice and captain Martin Odegaard.
“The players have thick skin,” manager Mikel Arteta said of his team. “Sometimes to win you have to do the ugly things and they love to do that … day after day the players are hungrier and hungrier.”
Results
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Ziyadd, Richard Mullen (jockey), Jean de Roualle (trainer).
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
Winner: Secret Advisor, Tadhg O’Shea, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Plata O Plomo, Carlos Lopez, Susanne Berneklint.
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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
The UAE's journey to space
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)
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.
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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