Thursday: Chelsea v Tottenham (10.30pm kick off UAE)
A London derby with added spice. Both teams are in need of a victory after recent stumbles, and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino goes up against his former club. The ninth-placed Blues need to win this game in hand to keep in touch with the teams ahead of them in the race for a European spot next season.
Spurs, in fifth, are now seven points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, albeit with two games in hand. They followed up a 4-0 battering at Newcastle United by falling to a 3-2 defeat in the north London derby at home to Arsenal on Sunday.
Prediction: Chelsea 2 Spurs 3
Friday: Luton Town v Everton (11pm)
What looked like a relegation six-pointer a few weeks ago is now just a must-win game for Luton. The Hatters occupy 18th spot – one point ahead of Burnley in 19th and one point behind Nottingham Forest in 17th – having lost 10 out of their previous 13 league games.
Everton guaranteed their survival with three games to spare after beating Brentford 1-0, making it four wins out of five and lifting Sean Dyche's side 11 points clear of the drop zone. The Toffees were last relegated from the top flight in 1951.
Prediction: Luton 2 Everton 2
Saturday: Arsenal v Bournemouth (3.30pm)
Arsenal remain in top spot thanks to their derby win over Spurs, although they are only one point ahead of Manchester City and the reigning champions have a game in hand.
Bournemouth's 3-0 demolition of Brighton meant Andoni Iraola's side have reached 48 points and have already beaten their highest top-flight total of 46 with three games still to play.
Prediction: Arsenal 2 Bournemouth 1
Brentford v Fulham (6pm)
Brentford have avoided the threat of relegation – they are 10 points clear of the bottom three – after a tough campaign.
And while last week's loss at Everton was their first in six games, the Bees have now been beaten 18 times in 35 matches. Fulham's home draw with Crystal Palace means they have won just once in six games and sit 13th in the table, eight points and three places ahead of Brentford.
Prediction: Brentford 2 Fulham 0
Burnley v Newcastle United (6pm)
Burnley's recent form has at least given them a chance of playing Premier League football next season. Last week's draw at Manchester United means the Clarets have lost just once in eight games but they remain second bottom, two points shy of safety.
Newcastle's 5-1 thrashing of bottom club Sheffield United at St James' Park was their fourth win in six games, leaving them in seventh place, one point and one place behind Manchester United – who they play on May 15 at Old Trafford.
Prediction: Burnley 1 Newcastle 3
Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest (6pm)
Sheffield United bowed to the inevitable last week when their defeat at Newcastle guaranteed relegation to the Championship after managing just three wins all season, conceding 97 goals along the way.
Forest are battling to avoid joining the Blades in the second tier having won just two of their last 15 league games and keeping one clean sheet in their last 24, although they at least made title-chasing Manchester City fight for their 2-0 win last week.
Prediction: Sheffield United 1 Nottingham Forest 2
Manchester City v Wolves (8.30pm)
City's win over Forest made it five consecutive victories for Pep Guardiola's men, who know that if they win their remaining four games then they will have secured a historic fourth title in a row.
Wolves managed to end a six-game winless run after overcoming relegation candidates Luton 2-1 at Molineux when manager Gary O'Neil was able to name attacking duo Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha in the same team for the first time since December.
Prediction: Man City 4 Wolves 1
Sunday: Brighton v Aston Villa (5pm)
Brighton slumped to a comprehensive defeat at Bournemouth last time out which means the Seagulls have won just six of their past 28 league matches with the future of manager Roberto De Zerbi very much under a cloud.
Villa have taken a grip of the final Champions League place, despite only drawing with Chelsea last weekend, with Spurs needing to win their two games in hand to remain in touching distance.
Prediction: Brighton 0 Villa 2
Chelsea v West Ham (5pm)
Chelsea are back in action just three days after their London derby against Spurs. When these two teams clashed at the London Stadium back in August, West Ham ran out 3-1 winners despite having Nayef Aguerd sent off with nearly 30 minutes still left on the clock.
The Hammers have taken one point out of a possible nine which has all but ended their hopes of a fourth consecutive season playing European football next term. They are eighth in the table, four points behind Newcastle in seventh, having played a game more.
Prediction: Chelsea 3 West Ham 1
Liverpool v Tottenham (7.30pm)
Liverpool's hopes of ending the Jurgen Klopp era with another league title have pretty much been killed off after the Reds' run of one win in five games, which has left them five points behind leaders Arsenal.
Spurs face their second game in three days up against a side they beat 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the corresponding fixture back in September. Liverpool manager Klopp would go on to say the match should be replayed after errors by VAR led to a Luis Diaz goal being incorrectly disallowed.
Prediction: Liverpool 2 Spurs 1
Monday: Crystal Palace v Manchester United (11pm)
Palace have enjoyed a fine run of form under manager Oliver Glasner who has seen his team take 10 points out of a possible 12, including wins over top eight sides Liverpool, West Ham and Newcastle.
United still have work to do to be sure of European football next season as they lie sixth in the table and face Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Erik ten Hag's side could only draw at home to second-bottom Burnley last week.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1 Man United 0
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Soldier F
“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.
“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.
“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”
Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Friday’s fixture
6.15pm: Al Wahda v Hatta
6.15pm: Al Dhafra v Ajman
9pm: Al Wasl v Baniyas
9pm: Fujairah v Sharjah
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