The National's 2021/22 Premier League predictions



The 2021/22 Premier League season kicks off on Friday with promoted Brentford hosting Arsenal.

The Bees will be making their Premier League bow and are the 50th club to play in the top tier now in its 30th season.

Manchester City begin their title defence away to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday while European champions Chelsea take on London rivals Crystal Palace.

Manchester United welcome Leeds United to Old Trafford, Community Shield winners Leicester City face Wolves, Aston Villa are away to new boys Watford and Southampton travel to Everton.

Burnley v Brighton and Newcastle United v West Ham United complete Matchday 1.

Our writers have compiled their predictions for what's in store this campaign.

Andy Mitten - European Football Correspondent

Champions: Manchester City

Top four: Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool

Relegated: Watford, Crystal Palace, Norwich City

Top scorer: Edinson Cavani

Surprise package: Brentford

Player of the season: Kevin de Bruyne

Steve Luckings - Deputy Sports Editor

Champions: Manchester City

Top four: Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool

Relegated: Brentford, Norwich City, Watford

Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku

Surprise package: Bryan Gil

Player of the season: Jack Grealish

Richard Jolly - Premier League Correspondent

Champions: Manchester City

Top four: Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United

Relegated: Brentford, Southampton, Norwich

Top scorer: Mohamed Salah

Surprise package: A Grealish-free Aston Villa

Player of the season: Kevin de Bruyne

Dominic Hart - Sports Editor

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool

Relegated: Crystal Palace, Brentford, Newcastle United

Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku

Surprise package: Watford

Player of the season: Romelu Lukaku

Ian Hawkey - European Football Correspondent

Champions: Manchester City

Top four: Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool

Relegated: Brentford, Newcastle United, Norwich City

Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku

Surprise package: Bryan Gil

Player of the season: Bruno Fernandes

Gareth Cox - Assistant Sports Editor

Champions: Manchester United

Top four: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool

Relegated: Burnley, Brentford and Norwich

Top scorer: Mohamed Salah

Surprise package: Ivan Toney

Player of the season: Jadon Sancho

Paul Radley - Sports Reporter

Champions: Manchester City

Top four: Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool

Relegated: Burnley, Norwich City, Brentford

Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku

Surprise package: Dane Scarlett

Player of the season: Kevin de Bruyne

Jon Turner - Assistant Sports Editor

Champions: Manchester City

Top four: Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool

Relegated: Norwich, Watford, Crystal Palace

Top scorer: Mohamed Salah

Surprise package: Newcastle United

Player of the season: Kevin de Bruyne

John McAuley - Sports Reporter

Champions: Manchester City

Top four: Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United

Relegated: Norwich, Watford, Brentford

Top scorer: Harry Kane

Surprise package: Michael Olise

Player of the season: Harry Kane


Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.

The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.

The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.

The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.

TICKETS

Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.

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The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus

To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.

The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.

SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land  once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.

But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.

How does ToTok work?

The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store

To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.

The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.

Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.

 

Updated: August 12, 2021, 3:23 AM