Manchester City cruised to a 4-0 victory against Fulham on Saturday to overtake Arsenal at the Premier League summit and take a giant stride towards retaining their title.
Pep Guardiola's side, seeking a record fourth consecutive crown, won thanks to a double from Josko Gvardiol and goals from Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez.
At the other end of the table, Burnley were relegated after they lost 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur, while a 3-1 defeat at West Ham means that Luton Town look set to join them in the Championship next season.
At Craven Cottage, City's victory took the defending champions to 85 points, two clear of the Gunners, with just two games left in the title race. The scoreline in West London also means City now trail Arsenal by just two Arsenal in terms of goal difference.
Mikael Arteta's side face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday hoping a win can maintain the pressure on City.
City next face Tottenham Hotspur in London on Tuesday before playing West Ham at the Etihad Stadium on the final day of the season on Sunday.
After their clash with United at Old Trafford, Arsenal take on Everton at the Emirates Stadium in their last match on Sunday.
City took the lead on 13 minutes after a free-flowing move involving 19 passes before Kevin De Bruyne fed Gvardiol on the edge of the box.
The Croatian took two touches as he skipped through the Fulham defence before sending a low finish past Bernd Leno.
City doubled their lead in the 59th minute as Bernardo Silva burst into the area, his progress halted by Joao Palhinha's tackle, only for the alert Foden to pounce with a perfectly-placed strike into the far corner.
Guardiola's team struck again in the 71st minute as Gvardiol stretched to turn in Silva's cross with an agile close-range finish for his fifth goal in his last seven appearances.
Alvarez, who came on for Erling Haaland in the 82nd minute, sealed a clinical performance, converting a stoppage-time penalty after Issa Diop chopped him down. The French defender was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.
After the game, Guardiola told BBC Match of the Day: "The great players enjoy playing with great pressure. These players in the last few years have been able to do it and we are again in the latter stages. Our dream is as we said a few weeks ago when they [Arsenal] lost against Aston Villa was to arrive in the last games with it in our hands, to play West Ham at home with the destiny belonging to us.
"We played really well and now we recover, go back to Manchester, then come back to London to play the final [against Spurs], the big final we have to try and retain our title."
Goalscorer Gvardiol said to TNT Sports: "Another great performance, not just from me but the team as well. It was a very good goal, but today we showed who we are and what we are ready for."
Fulham boss Marco Silva told TNT Sports: "It was really difficult, the way we planned the game, the first goal made a huge impact. City control the ball, control the game and take a lot of energy from you. Take a lot of emotion energy too."
Fulham are currently 13th in the table and face Luton away in their last match on Sunday. On the season overall, Silva said: "It was a successful season with the context of what happened in the summer, a difficult summer after a good last season."
At the bottom of the table, Burnley were relegated after they were beaten 2-1 by Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Vincent Kompany's side took the lead after 25 minutes thanks to Jacob Bruun Larsen but, seven minutes later, Spurs were level after Pedro Porro scored. Micky van de Ven then sealed the win for Ange Postecoglou's side in the 82nd minute.
The defeat means the Clarets cannot catch fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest. Tottenham's win means they still have a slim chance of catching Aston Villa in fourth place to secure Champions League football next season.
Kompany, told BBC Sport: "It's way too early to answer if I'd have done things differently.
"I'm constantly thinking about what we could do better right now and before. But if you treat it as something which improves you, us as a club and a group of players, there is a lot of value in what we have experienced this season."
Luton Town were also dealt a huge blow in their fight for survival as they lost 3-1 to West Ham at the London Stadium.
The Hatters took an early lead through Albert Sambu Lokonga's sixth-minute opener before James Ward-Prowse equalised in the 54th minute. Tomas Soucek fired the Hammers in front before 19-year-old George Earthy sealed the win for departing boss David Moyes.
Luton are now 26 points, three behind Forest, who have a vastly superior goal difference despite losing 3-2 in the late kick-off at home to Chelsea.
Chelsea drew first blood when Mykhailo Mudryk swept home a delightful pass from Cole Palmer after eight minutes.
Willy Boly then headed Forest level after 16 minutes before former Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi gave the home side the lead on 74 minutes.
But substitute Raheem Sterling made it 2-2 on 80 minutes before Nicolas Jackson grabbed an 82nd-minute winner for the visitors.
Elsewhere, Newcastle slipped up in their pursuit of fifth-placed Spurs as they drew 1-1 at home to Brighton. Joel Veltman put the Seagulls in front after 18 minutes before Sean Longstaff got the equaliser in first-half stoppage time at St James' Park.
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.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.
Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.
Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
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 five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
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
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
Race card
1.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
3pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1.950m
3.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
BABYLON
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
