Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United reign got off to a false start on Saturday as Swansea City won 2-1 in the season’s opening English Premier League game at Old Trafford.
Van Gaal was taking charge of his first competitive game as United manager, but his new side exhibited many of the same failings from last season – when they finished seventh – as they slumped to a surprise defeat.
South Korea midfielder Ki Sung-yueng exploited inattentive marking to give Swansea a 28th-minute lead with a left-foot shot from the edge of the box.
United’s new captain Wayne Rooney equalised early in the second period, but Gylfi Sigurdsson earned Swansea victory in the 72nd minute with a close-range finish.
It gave Swansea back-to-back wins at Old Trafford, following their shock FA Cup success in January, and was a reversal of United’s 4-1 win at the Liberty Stadium on the first day of last season.
Injuries obliged Van Gaal to give competitive debuts to Tyler Blackett, 20, and Jesse Lingard, 21.
Lingard’s day was to last only 24 minutes, however, as he was forced off after appearing to jar his knee in a challenge with visiting captain Ashley Williams.
United bossed possession in the first half, but Swansea struck from their first sight of goal, with Ki stroking home a lay-off from Sigurdsson.
Swansea’s fans burst into a chorus of ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning!’ aimed at Van Gaal, who sat impassively in his seat in the dug-out.
The Dutchman introduced Nani in place of striker Javier Hernandez at half-time, and United responded immediately.
Juan Mata’s right-wing corner was flicked on by Phil Jones and Rooney hooked home a spectacular close-range volley at the back post.
Rooney came close to putting United ahead with a free-kick that hit the outside of the post in the 66th minute.
But it was Swansea who claimed the winning goal when Icelandic midfielder Sigurdsson – back at the club after two years at Tottenham Hotspur – slammed home from Wayne Routledge’s mishit volley.
Mauricio Pochettino’s first Premier League game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur proved more memorable as defender Eric Dier grabbed an injury time winner in an incident-packed London derby at West Ham.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 29th minute when Kyle Naughton was sent off for handling a Kevin Nolan shot in the box, but Mark Noble fired the resulting penalty wide.
West Ham were also reduced to 10 men in the 63rd minute when James Collins was issued his second yellow card, and things got worse for the hosts as Harry Kane sent Dier clear to snatch the winner in added time.
Alan Irvine looked set for a debut win in charge of West Brom before a late strike from Sebastian Larsson salvaged a point for Sunderland in a feisty 2-2 draw.
Lee Cattermole’s thunderous early opener was cancelled out by a Saido Berahino penalty and the Baggies striker put his side in front with a close-range volley in the 74th minute.
But Gus Poyet’s men refused to accept defeat and grabbed a point when the impressive Patrick van Aanholt crossed from the left and set up Larsson to stroke home the equaliser.
Substitute Chris Wood gave Leicester something to celebrate on their return to the top-flight as his 86th minute effort sealed a 2-2 draw with Everton.
Aiden McGeady curled the visitors in front on 20 minutes only for Leonardo Ulloa, the Foxes’ recent capture from Brighton, to equalise almost immediately.
Steven Naismith slammed Everton back in front on the stroke of half-time but Wood was on hand to hit the leveller past Tim Howard after impressive work from Riyad Mahrez.
Hull keeper Allan McGregor saved a late Charlie Austin penalty as the Tigers hung on for a 1-0 win at QPR.
James Chester put the visitors in front with a diving header in the 52nd minute but his 83rd handball gave the home side their spot-kick chance, only for Austin to see his weak kick well saved.
Andreas Weimann hinted at brighter times ahead for Aston Villa as his 50th minute drive sealed a 1-0 win over Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.
Villa were on top for long periods of the game and could have increased their winning margin with chances for Charles N’Zogbia and Leandro Bacuna.
sports@thenational.ae
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Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15
Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered
UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered
Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered
Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered
Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered
Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
HOW TO WATCH
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
World Series
Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)
* if needed
Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday
