Arsene Wenger was frustrated to see his side surrender a two-goal lead in Germany - but insists their Champions League performance at Schalke shows they are beginning to get back to their best.
Arsenal have struggled for form in recent weeks and suffered a surprise 2-0 loss to the Bundesliga side when the teams met two weeks ago.
Arsenal looked set to exact some revenge when, against the run of play, they went two goals ahead thanks to Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud.
However, Klaas Jan Huntelaar reduced the deficit in first-half stoppage time and the Gunners saw victory snatched from their grasp when Jefferson Farfan's strike deflected in off Thomas Vermaelen.
"For us it was important first of all not to lose and if possible to win," Wenger said afterwards.
"We managed the first part, not the second one.
"I felt that overall we played reasonably well, but we dropped physically in the second half and the regret we have is that overall we conceded the goal just before half-time and we missed a chance at the end of the game.
"I think the two, of course, have a big impact on the result overall. Schalke never gave up and worked hard.
"I believe we have shown a good response to Saturday's game and you feel the team is getting better.
"I think in one month, if we continue to develop, we will be there."
Schalke remain top of Group B after last night's result, staying a point ahead of Arsenal and two ahead of third-place Olympiacos.
Arsenal next face group strugglers Montpellier at home in their next game, where they could secure qualification.
"The group is open," Wenger said. "I believe we are of course in a position where you want to win our home game.
"If we win, we have a 50% chance to be through because Schalke plays Olympiacos here. They are in a position where they have absolutely to win that game as well.
"It will of course depend on our result first against Montpellier and then we will see what happens here.
"It could go to last game; we could, with luck, do it in the next game. Anyway, we are in a position where we must win against Montpellier."
Huub Stevens' side could also secure qualification in matchday five after a game in which Schalke responded well to going behind.
"I think we started really good," the German side's manager said.
"The first 17 minutes were probably the best that we played this season.
"Then we had a dreadful 24 minutes, which of course was a very big disappointment for us.
"We had to catch up the game and luckily we made it 2-1 before half-time, which was really good. It gave us confidence.
"Then we managed to equalise to make it 2-2 and overall I think this is a just result."
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
