Granit Xhaka blunder gifts Burnley a point as Arsenal become their own worst enemies


Richard Jolly
  • English
  • Arabic

Arsenal face Tottenham next Sunday but local rivals are not their own worst enemies. That tag still belongs to Arsenal themselves.

A game where they had exuded class, appeared to have complete control and seemed to signify their recent progress instead ended in Burnley’s fifth consecutive home league draw. A bad point? “Absolutely,” Mikel Arteta said.

Dani Ceballos almost added to Arsenal’s tradition of injury-time winners at Turf Moor, but only after they flirted with defeat and after Granit Xhaka gifted Burnley an equaliser.

If to err is human, Xhaka is the most human of footballers. He has an unwanted distinction: no outfield player has made more errors that led to Premier League goals in the last five seasons. This was his eighth and there is something in Burnley that brings out the worst in Xhaka. He was sent off in Arsenal’s December defeat for grabbing Ashley Westwood around the neck.

The Swiss added to his roll of dishonour with a ludicrous pass across his own box that struck Chris Wood in the midriff and rebounded in. The New Zealander knew little about it, as his shrugging celebration suggested.

“If someone makes a mistake because they want to play I will always support them,” added Arteta, who has an ethos of playing out from the back. “I demand we play the way we do.”

But this was not an isolated incident. “We are talking about it all the time and trying to nullify everything we give to the opponent,” Arteta admitted.

His side possess too many error-prone players and Xhaka is not the sole culprit, though his fine form in recent months can be overshadowed by such pratfalls.

His was the day’s most consequential blunder. Referee Andre Marriner’s was overturned. When one substitute, Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe, volleyed Bukayo Saka’s cross, another, Burnley’s Erik Pieters, did wonderfully well to deflect it on to the bar.

Marriner thought it was handball, red-carded Pieters and awarded a penalty. In a triumph of technology, both decisions were overturned by the VAR, Kevin Friend, who saw the ball struck Pieters’ shoulder. “I’m a fan of VAR,” said Sean Dyche. “That’s where it’s worth its weight in gold.”

Dyche joked: “It was a bit quiet so I thought I would put Erik on.” Pieters had an eventful cameo: Pepe wanted a penalty when he thought the Dutchman handled.

A rare scorer almost conjured a wonderful goal with a dipping volley that tested Bernd Leno, who also made a terrific save from Wood. An action-packed finale featured Pepe miscuing when he had a glorious chance and Ceballos rattling the woodwork.

Yet the defining moment came when Arsenal lost their initiative and advantage, stripping them of their early incision and invention for the next 40 minutes. “You have to come here and win comfortably,” Arteta rued.

Arsenal had begun brilliantly. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had delivered Burnley’s December winner at the Emirates with an own goal. He resumed his usual role as the Clarets’ tormentor; his eighth goal against Burnley was further evidence of Arteta’s wisdom in moving him from the left to lead the line.

It has created a vacancy that Willian has begun to fill. After a wretched season, the Brazilian has belatedly excelled.

His fourth assist in three games came courtesy of a driving run. He found Aubameyang, who skipped inside before shooting. The normally excellent Nick Pope should still have saved it, but it trickled over the line. “At the top level Popey is at, he will question himself,” said Dyche. With England manager Gareth Southgate watching, this felt the game’s first ill-timed error.

Arsenal’s recent improvement was apparent when a stretching Aubameyang almost doubled the lead and Saka should have done following a one-two with his captain. “We should have won by two or three goals,” Arteta said. “From what we produced, you have to win. When you do not, you have to look at yourself.” Not for the first time, they were architects of their own undoing.

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ticket prices

General admission Dh295 (under-three free)

Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free

Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets

The five pillars of Islam

Like a Fading Shadow

Antonio Muñoz Molina

Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez

Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

AGL AWARDS

Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)

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

 

Ammar 808:
Maghreb United

Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat 

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The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books

 

 

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

French Touch

Carla Bruni

(Verve)

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

if you go

The flights 

Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning. 

The trains

Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.

The hotels

Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.

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

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020

Launched: 2008

Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools

Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)

Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13

 

Impact in numbers

335 million people positively impacted by projects

430,000 jobs created

10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water

50 million homes powered by renewable energy

6.5 billion litres of water saved

26 million school children given solar lighting

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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 three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)

Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am

Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am

Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?

Some facts about bees:

The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer

The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days

A queen bee lives for 3-5 years

This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony

About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive

Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.

Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen 

Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids

Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments

Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive,  protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts

Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain

Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities

The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes

Is beekeeping dangerous?

As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.

“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”