Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted his team must regain their sharpness ahead of next week’s Uefa Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain after a frustrating 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday effectively ended their faint Premier League title hopes.
Second-placed Arsenal are now 12 points behind leaders Liverpool with only four matches remaining, and Arne Slot’s side can secure the title on Sunday if they avoid defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur.
While the Gunners’ domestic challenge has been waning for weeks, Arteta had hoped for a convincing display to build momentum ahead of Arsenal’s first Champions League semi-final appearance in 15 years. Instead, his side delivered an error-strewn performance that saw them twice surrender a lead to a spirited Palace outfit.
“We are disappointed with the result and performance,” Arteta said. “We didn’t find enough consistency in actions to dominate the game. In many aspects we should have done better. Palace were very organised and deserved credit but we dropped our standards.”
Jakub Kiwior opened the scoring for Arsenal with a close-range header in the third minute, but Eberechi Eze equalised for Palace with a crisp volley just before the half-hour mark. Leandro Trossard restored Arsenal’s lead shortly before the break, only for substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta to lob an out-of-position David Raya in the 83rd minute to earn Palace a point.
Arteta was critical of his team’s inability to maintain control of the match, citing a lack of urgency and precision.
“We gave the ball away in simple ways and we were late in everything we did,” he said. “We have to do much better.”
The performance raised concerns ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with PSG, who have already knocked out Liverpool and Aston Villa in their run to the last four. Arsenal are aiming to win the competition for the first time in club history, with Arteta describing the semi-final as the “most important game of the season”.
Adding to Arsenal’s worries is an injury to Mikel Merino, who missed the Palace game and remains a doubt for the PSG fixture. The Spanish midfielder has recently played in an advanced role due to injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.
“We will have to wait and see as they were not able to be in the squad here,” Arteta said when asked about the availability of Merino and defender Ben White.
The draw was Arsenal’s ninth in a match they were leading this season – the most by a Premier League side since Tottenham in 2007/08 – and their 13th overall. That pattern of relinquishing control has been costly, allowing Liverpool to edge closer to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.
Despite the setback, Arteta insisted the squad’s focus remains intact and believes the six-day break before hosting PSG will prove valuable.
“We have spoken about avoiding our focus being elsewhere. We have enough time to prepare for PSG, but today we didn’t deliver enough to win the game,” he said. “It is nice to have a long gap. We need it and we need players back to full strength. We have so many players out and not available, and therefore you drop certain standards.”
Crystal Palace, who face Aston Villa in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final, opted to rest several key players but produced a spirited display in north London.
“It was not our goal to decide the title, it was our goal to win the game,” said manager Oliver Glasner. “A draw is a very good result. More important is the performance. We are back on the track.”
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
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.
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
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
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Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Alan Rushbridger, Canongate
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
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South Africa squad
: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
