Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal always felt Arsenal would eventually prove vulnerable at the back after his side completed a smash-and-grab raid at the Emirates Stadium.
United recorded their first away victory under the Dutch boss, winning 2-1 after weathering an early onslaught from the Gunners, when goalkeeper David Da Gea saved one-on-one from Jack Wilshere.
Read more: Wasteful Arsenal pay the price as Rooney takes Manchester United into top four
At the start of the second half, a bizarre own goal from defender Kieran Gibbs, who had clattered into goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, which forced him off with a hip problem, helped turned the momentum for United, with captain Wayne Rooney clipping home a late second on the break as Arsenal were exposed on the counter.
Although Olivier Giroud, back from three months out with a broken foot, reduced the deficit with a 20-yard drive in stoppage-time, there was to be no grandstand finale to prevent Arsenal slipping to a second straight Premier League defeat.
While the Gunners are down in eighth, United moved up to fourth place.
Chris Smalling helped steer inexperienced defenders Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett through the match, and van Gaal believes United’s tactics were proved to be spot-on.
“That is why I play this formation because now I have to play with two young defenders, yes, it was a risk, but I was sure that Arsenal wants to attack and to press us, then, you know that Arsenal is giving a lot of space away,” said Van Gaal.
“And then (Per) Mertesacker and our friend (Nacho) Monreal has to defend. That is why I put (Angel) di Maria against Mertesacker and (Robin) van Persie against Monreal, that is why I changed for (James) Wilson, more pace.
“That is what you are thinking in advance of a match and when it is ending like this, you can be happy.”
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, though, had complete opposite emotions after watching his side again fail to turn a largely promising performance into an end product.
He said: “Our results are not there at the moment because we lack a bit of maturity defensively and we pay for it.
“Because we were 1-0 down and we wanted to desperately come back, and we forgot our principles a little bit.
“I have to see it (Rooney breakaway goal) again because I was surprised there wasn’t anyone there any more.
“We were caught when we had a corner for us because sometimes the players forget the cautiousness because the emotional side of the game takes over.”
Wenger added: “I wasn’t angry with the players - I have a lot of respect for the energy they put in the game and the spirit they show.
“I am just angry because the players do not get rewarded and our fans do not get rewarded for the result that was just there for the taking.”
There where signs of a growing discontent in some sections of the Emirates Stadium crowd.
Manchester United substitute Darren Fletcher was involved in a heated exchange with fans behind the opposition bench following the opening goal, when it is understood a paper cup of coffee was thrown at the visitors as they celebrated the opening goal.
A few Arsenal fans, meanwhile, held up A4-sized placards calling for Wenger’s dismissal, which were quickly confiscated by club stewards.
Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta revealed the players were in shock as to just how they did not manage to get something out of the match.
“We played our best game of the season, but it is about being ruthless for sure because when you are inside the box, and you cannot manage to score in that many situations, you cannot expect to win a football game,” he said.
Arteta, though, insists Arsenal must not allow any hangovers from such a disappointing result as they prepare for Tuesday night’s Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund.
“When you lose, there is something which is not going well, but we cannot forget (what we have done well) as that creates a lack of belief and confidence if you just take a lot of negatives at the end when you have lost the game.
“We have been too inconsistent at home and dropped too many points already, but we have been saying that for weeks now and we need to turn that around.”
Goalkeeper Szczesny was able to walk unaided out of the stadium, while Wilshere had an X-ray on his ankle, which was clear, but will be assessed once the swelling has gone down.
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The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Scoreline
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17
Jebel Ali Dragons 20
Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson
Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2
THREE
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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
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
The biog
Hobby: "It is not really a hobby but I am very curious person. I love reading and spend hours on research."
Favourite author: Malcom Gladwell
Favourite travel destination: "Antigua in the Caribbean because I have emotional attachment to it. It is where I got married."
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Company%C2%A0profile
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The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
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)
