Manchester City's quest for a fifth consecutive Premier League crown remains on course heading into Matchday 10 of the 2024/25 season.
Pep Guardiola's unbeaten side are top of the pile after nine games, one point ahead of Liverpool and five of Arsenal, who have finished runners-up to City for the last two seasons. Aston Villa occupy the final top-four spot, behind Arsenal only by goal difference.
The Gunners kick off this week's action when they travel north to take on Newcastle United at St James' Park in Saturday's early game that kicks off at 4.30pm (UAE). Man City's clash with Bournemouth on England's south coast is one of five games starting at 7pm, alongside Ipswich Town versus Leicester City at Portman Road, Liverpool against Brighton on Merseyside, Nottingham Forest's clash with West Ham United at the City Ground and Southampton's home match with Everton. Wolves take on Crystal Palace at Molineux in the late game at 9.30pm.
Sunday sees Tottenham Hotspur tackle Aston Villa in North London (6pm) and Manchester United entertaining Chelsea at Old Trafford (8.30pm). On Monday, Fulham play host to London rivals Brentford at Craven Cottage. We pick out the main talking points going into this weekend's fixture list.
Can Arsenal get title bid back on track?
Arsenal's attempt to end Manchester City's four-season grip on the Premier League trophy has hit a couple of bumps in the road over the last two matches.
First, Mikel Arteta's side saw their unbeaten record come to an end at Bournemouth and then last week, the Gunners twice took the lead at home to Liverpool only to end up having to settle for a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta was left “disappointed and frustrated” by what he felt was a lack of courage from his team in not securing all three points, despite being left with a makeshift defence that was already missing the suspended William Saliba, after losing Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber to injuries in the second half.
The Spaniard was much happier with his team midweek as they coasted into the League Cup quarter-finals after brushing aside second-tier Preston 3-0 thanks to goals from Gabriel Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri and substitute Kai Havertz. “We talked about playing with enthusiasm in this game, playing with the right attitude and commitment and they certainly showed that,” he said.
They will need more of that attitude for their tricky run of fixtures that sees them take on Newcastle, Inter Milan and Chelsea in the space of eight days.
Could injury crisis cost Man City?
Manchester City, meanwhile, are facing challenges of their own as they attempt to navigate their way through an injury crisis which manager Guardiola ranks as the worst he has experienced in nine years at the club.
City were already without six first-team players for the League Cup defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday but then lost defender Manuel Akanji in the warm-up, saw centre-half Ruben Dias come off at half time due to injury, while winger Savinho was carried off on a stretcher in the second half.
Key midfielder and Ballon d'Or winner Rodri has already been ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate knee ligament, Oscar Bobb is still recovering from the broken leg he picked up in August while Guardiola said on Tuesday that he is unsure when Kevin de Bruyne will return from his thigh problem.
Guardiola has also been without Kyle Walker, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish for recent games. “If these guys don’t come back as quickly as possible, we’ll struggle, because we cannot sustain with just 14, 15 players for the season,” he said before the League Cup game at Spurs – which saw City lose for the first time this season. “We need the players to come back.”
Worryingly for City, that situation worsened on Wednesday. “We are in real difficulty,” he admitted after the match.
Will Salah overtake Fowler in scoring chart?
Mohamed Salah will reach yet another milestone in his remarkable Liverpool career if he finds the target against Brighton at Anfield this weekend.
Last week, Salah followed up his goal against Chelsea by scoring the late leveller at Arsenal, taking his tally for the season to six. It also moved him up to joint eighth in the all-time Premier League scoring chart, level with former Liverpool hero Robbie Fowler on 163 goals.
Next on the list for Salah, who is in the final year of his Liverpool contract, is Thierry Henry (175) and Frank Lampard (177) with the 32-year-old Egyptian more than capable of eclipsing both before the end of the season.
“Mohamed Salah’s contribution is not limited to scoring,” said Reds manager Arne Slot after the Arsenal game. “He is always available for us. I think that’s one of the qualities of the best players: they always show up in important matches.
“You need players of this quality because without them, it’s difficult to achieve results. These players can make the difference, and today Mo did just that.”
Can Spurs find consistency?
It has been a rollercoaster run of results for Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham of late. The Australian coach has seen his side throw away a two-goal lead during their defeat at Brighton – described by the manager as “as bad as it gets” – then smash four goals past London rivals West Ham.
Last weekend, they managed to lose against a previously winless Crystal Palace but then proceeded to knock Manchester City out of the League Cup three days later.
Finding some sort of consistency will be crucial if Postecoglou wants to challenge for a top-four spot or end Spurs' 17-year wait to win a trophy – the last of which came when they lifted the League Cup under Juande Ramos in 2008.
They face a big test this weekend up against a Villa side currently fourth in the table and enjoying a memorable Uefa Champions League campaign that has seen them win three out of three so far.
“It's an ever-evolving process, this team is growing all the time, but when you have growth you are going to stumble,” said Postecoglou after beating City. “I don't believe in big moments or catastrophic moments – we are the same team that we were three days ago. Hopefully, we have more good days ahead of us.”
What will happen to Van Nistelrooy?
Manchester United started life after Erik ten Hag in positive fashion when they thrashed Leicester City 5-2 in the League Cup on Wednesday.
With interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy a bundle of energy from the sidelines, United suddenly rediscovered the scoring touch that has been desperately missing from their season so far.
Only 17th-placed Crystal Palace and bottom club Southampton have scored less than United's eight in the Premier League, so a brace apiece from Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, plus one from Alejandro Garnacho, were a welcome sight at Old Trafford.
Van Nistelrooy, whose 150 goals for United make him the club's ninth highest all-time scorer, is set to be in the dugout again for Sunday's clash with Chelsea – and potentially two more games after that.
With United close to completing a deal to bring in Sporting coach Ruben Amorim, what happens to the Dutchman after his interim period ends is unclear.
“I am still very motivated to go back to my assistant contract that I have here for this season and next, I'm very motivated to stay here and help the club move forward, that's my absolute goal,” said Van Nistelrooy on Thursday. “When the new manager is signing and conversations take place, we have to see how things develop.”
SPECS
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
The five pillars of Islam
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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The years Ramadan fell in May
The years Ramadan fell in May
The five pillars of Islam
Company%20profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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
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if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight Championship AJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
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if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
