Manchester City secured their spot in next season's Uefa Champions League after defeating Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
After what has been a season to forget for Pep Guardiola's side, who were dreaming of a historic fifth successive title at the start but ended up without a trophy for the first time since 2017, City at least finished the season on a relative high.
The visitors dominated from the start and took the lead courtesy of a Ilkay Gundogan overhead kick as the German notched his first league goal of the campaign in some style, after Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno pushed Matheus Nunes' cross into his path.
Fulham did not roll over despite that early blow with City needing a full-stretch save from Ederson to keep out Harry Wilson's curling effort with Andreas Pereira sending the follow up into the side netting.
But the clincher came in the 72nd minute when Gundogan was tripped in the box by Jorge Cuenca and Erling Haaland finished from the penalty spot for his 22nd league goal of the season.
Victory means City finish 13 points shy of champions Liverpool and three behind second-placed Arsenal. The game also marked Kevin De Bruyne's final appearance in City colours with reports suggesting the Beligan is in talks about moving to newly-crowned Italian champions Napoli.
“We started really well and after that we had the momentum. It was in our hands and we did our job,” Guardiola said. “It's been a tough year but we never gave up. I'm very proud and pleased for the team. Now we will recover and next season will be better.
“When you continue [a run of poor form] you finish 10th, 11th, 12th or 13th. This is the destiny of all the teams in the Premier League when they are in November, December or January and you cannot fight for the Premier League, like you have done for many years.
“At the end we finished third, not miles away from Arsenal, but the distance to Liverpool is huge. We have to improve and hopefully we can do it.”
At the City Ground, Nottingham Forest could not end their impressive season with a Champions League place after losing 1-0 at home to Chelsea.
A second-half finish from defender Levi Colwill lifted Chelsea up to fourth in the table, giving them a much-needed boost going into Wednesday's Europa League Conference final against Real Betis in Poland.
As for Forest, it will be a feeling of disappointment and pride. A seventh-place finish and the consolation of Europa Conference League football must be considered a bonus for a club that ended last season one place outside the relegation zone.
But after spending large parts of the campaign in the top four, Nuno Espirito Santo's side just ran out of steam when it mattered.
“When I scored, I stayed calm because we still had more minutes to play but I stayed calm and helped the boys,” said match-winner Colwill.
“What I got taught in the academy is you have to fight. We try to get these clean sheets to win and that's what we did today.
“We had to win. We knew we had to win and that it wasn't going to be a hard atmosphere but we did it. This club deserves to be in the Champions League.”
Newcastle United will return to top-tier European football for the second time in two seasons – but only by the skin of their teeth.
The Magpies fell to a surprise 1-0 home defeat by an Everton side whose 13th place in the standings had already been confirmed.
A second-half header from Carlos Alcaraz earned the Toffees all three points after they defeated a nervy and sloppy Newcastle side.
Eddie Howe's steam had dropped out of the top five after going behind with Aston Villa then drawing with Manchester United.
But two United goals at Old Trafford condemned Villa to defeat and meant Newcastle would cap off a campaign which saw them win their first domestic trophy in 70 years – the League Cup – with a top-five place.
They would finish ahead of Villa thanks to a superior goal difference after finishing level on 66 points with Forest a point further back.
Villa, meanwhile, were beaten in controversial fashion by a United side that lost to Spurs in the Europa League final on Wednesday night.
Unai Emery's side – who had goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez sent off at the end of the first half – thought they had taken the lead through Morgan Rogers after the break.
But the goal did not count as Thomas Bramall had blown the whistle for a foul judging that Rogers had kicked the ball out of goalkeeper Altay Bayindir's hands, meaning a VAR review could not take place.
Moments later, United took the lead through an Amad Diallo header before Christian Eriksen sealed the win with a penalty with three minutes to go.
Meanwhile, Liverpool drew 1-1 with FA Cup winners Crystal Palace at Anfield which saw a late Mohamed Salah finish cancel out Ismaila Sarr's early goal for the Eagles.
It meant the Egyptian topped off his Golden Boot award by equalling the Premier League goal involvement record with 29 goals and 18 assists.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
%3Cp%3E1.%20Bhiwadi%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Ghaziabad%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Hotan%2C%20China%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Delhi%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Jaunpur%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E6.%20Faisalabad%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E7.%20Noida%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E8.%20Bahawalpur%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E9.%20Peshawar%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E10.%20Bagpat%2C%20India%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20IQAir%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Croatia v Hungary, Thursday, 10.45pm, UAE
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
General%20Classification
%3Cp%3E1.%20Elisa%20Longo%20Borghini%20(ITA)%20Trek-Segafredo%3Cbr%3E2.%20Gaia%20Realini%20(ITA)%20Trek-Segafredo%207%20secs%3Cbr%3E3.%20Silvia%20Persico%20(ITA)%20UAE%20Team%20ADQ%201%20min%2018%20secs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Non-oil%20trade
%3Cp%3ENon-oil%20trade%20between%20the%20UAE%20and%20Japan%20grew%20by%2034%20per%20cent%20over%20the%20past%20two%20years%2C%20according%20to%20data%20from%20the%20Federal%20Competitiveness%20and%20Statistics%20Centre.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%2010%20years%2C%20it%20has%20reached%20a%20total%20of%20Dh524.4%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECars%20topped%20the%20list%20of%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20re-exported%20to%20Japan%20in%202022%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh1.3%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJewellery%20and%20ornaments%20amounted%20to%20Dh150%20million%20while%20precious%20metal%20scraps%20amounted%20to%20Dh105%20million.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERaw%20aluminium%20was%20ranked%20first%20among%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20exported%20to%20Japan.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETop%20of%20the%20list%20of%20commodities%20imported%20from%20Japan%20in%202022%20was%20cars%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh20.08%20billion.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
More on animal trafficking
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
Sweet%20Tooth
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJim%20Mickle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristian%20Convery%2C%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20Znap%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarted%3A%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Uday%20Rathod%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%241m%2B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EInvestors%3A%20Family%2C%20friends%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
