• Right-back: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea). A typical Ivanovic performance. The Serb surged forward to set up Chelsea’s fifth goal at Swansea and was a major influence throughout. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
    Right-back: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea). A typical Ivanovic performance. The Serb surged forward to set up Chelsea’s fifth goal at Swansea and was a major influence throughout. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
  • Centre-back: Per Mertesacker (Arsenal). After a difficult campaign, the German returned to form with an assured performance in the victory at Manchester City. Alex Livesey/Getty Images
    Centre-back: Per Mertesacker (Arsenal). After a difficult campaign, the German returned to form with an assured performance in the victory at Manchester City. Alex Livesey/Getty Images
  • Centre-back: Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham). There are few better footballing centre-backs. Vertonghen, right, scored one goal against Sunderland and had another ludicrously disallowed. Paul Gilham/Getty Images
    Centre-back: Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham). There are few better footballing centre-backs. Vertonghen, right, scored one goal against Sunderland and had another ludicrously disallowed. Paul Gilham/Getty Images
  • Left-back: Aaron Cresswell (West Ham). The former Ipswich man continued his terrific form this season with a fine display as West Ham beat Hull 3-0 on Sunday. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
    Left-back: Aaron Cresswell (West Ham). The former Ipswich man continued his terrific form this season with a fine display as West Ham beat Hull 3-0 on Sunday. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
  • Right midfield: Jason Puncheon (Crystal Palace). Played a huge part in Palace’s unlikely comeback at Burnley when he scored the equaliser and set up Dwight Gayle’s winner. Rebecca Naden/Reuters
    Right midfield: Jason Puncheon (Crystal Palace). Played a huge part in Palace’s unlikely comeback at Burnley when he scored the equaliser and set up Dwight Gayle’s winner. Rebecca Naden/Reuters
  • Centre midfield: Francis Coquelin (Arsenal). Produced the best performance by an Arsenal defensive midfielder for quite some time to frustrate Manchester City. Alex Livesey/Getty Images
    Centre midfield: Francis Coquelin (Arsenal). Produced the best performance by an Arsenal defensive midfielder for quite some time to frustrate Manchester City. Alex Livesey/Getty Images
  • Centre midfield: Santi Cazorla (Arsenal). The classiest player on show at the Etihad Stadium, the Spaniard scored one goal, set up another and starred in midfield. Alex Livesey/Getty Images
    Centre midfield: Santi Cazorla (Arsenal). The classiest player on show at the Etihad Stadium, the Spaniard scored one goal, set up another and starred in midfield. Alex Livesey/Getty Images
  • Left midfield: Eljero Elia (Southampton). The on-loan Dutchman marked just his second appearance for Southampton with two goals at Newcastle. Jan Kruger/Getty Images
    Left midfield: Eljero Elia (Southampton). The on-loan Dutchman marked just his second appearance for Southampton with two goals at Newcastle. Jan Kruger/Getty Images
  • Attacking midfield: Oscar (Chelsea). Struck twice at Swansea, including the first-minute opener, as Chelsea ran riot. The Brazilian is becoming more productive this season. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
    Attacking midfield: Oscar (Chelsea). Struck twice at Swansea, including the first-minute opener, as Chelsea ran riot. The Brazilian is becoming more productive this season. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
  • Centre forward: Diego Costa (Chelsea). His two goals gave him five against Swansea this season. He also set up Oscar for a goal and delivered a dominant display in a 5-0 win. Geoff Caddick/AFP
    Centre forward: Diego Costa (Chelsea). His two goals gave him five against Swansea this season. He also set up Oscar for a goal and delivered a dominant display in a 5-0 win. Geoff Caddick/AFP

Diego Costa, Jan Vertonghen and Santi Cazorla all star - EPL team of the week Richard Jolly’s Premier League team of the week


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  • Arabic

Premier League football expert Richard Jolly selects his team of the week. Click through the photo gallery to find out who makes his XI.

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The schedule

December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club

December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq

December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm

December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition

December 13: Falcon beauty competition

December 14 and 20: Saluki races

December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm

December 16 - 19: Falconry competition

December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am

December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am

December 22: The best herd of 30 camels

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Europa League group stage draw

Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar

Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

Prop idols

Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.

Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)

An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.

----

Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)

Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.

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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)

Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.

How to donate

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Specs

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Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

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Tonight's Chat on The National

Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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