Alexis Sanchez scored both goals in the win over West Brom as Arsenal moved up to third in the Premier League table. Sean Dempsey / EPA
Alexis Sanchez scored both goals in the win over West Brom as Arsenal moved up to third in the Premier League table. Sean Dempsey / EPA
Alexis Sanchez scored both goals in the win over West Brom as Arsenal moved up to third in the Premier League table. Sean Dempsey / EPA
Alexis Sanchez scored both goals in the win over West Brom as Arsenal moved up to third in the Premier League table. Sean Dempsey / EPA

Arsene Wenger admits ‘regrets’ from title challenge as Arsenal move into third with West Brom win


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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been feeling the pressure in the race for a Uefa Champions League place, but a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Thursday got his team back up to third spot.

Having blown leads in back-to-back Premier League games to put a top-four finish at risk, Wenger said it had been important to score early on the way to a comfortable victory.

Chilean winger Alexis Sanchez put Arsenal ahead after six minutes with a low drive from the edge of the area after a sharp turn, and doubled the lead with a free-kick before halftime.

The win took them to 63 points, two above Manchester City, and into the final automatic Champions League qualifying spot.

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“We’re under permanent pressure for every single game, so it is important to have the lead early and focus on the way we want to play football,” Wenger said.

“You want always to score early goals but in the Premier League it is difficult for everybody. There are top, top teams who are behind us.”

Wenger was relieved to the win after draws against West Ham United and Crystal Palace in the last two games saw Arsenal drop out of title contention and imperil a top-four finish.

“The regret we have is being in the lead against West Ham and being in the lead against Crystal Palace, and not to make the (three) points,” he said.

There were a smattering of empty seats at the Emirates Stadium but Wenger said the unusual timing of the match might have played a role in that since there was still a lot to play for.

He said that it was important to finish third rather than fourth, thus avoiding Champions League qualifiers in a calendar already filled with an expanded European Championship.

“Top four is not Champions League. Top three, yes, that is why it is important. When you have to play qualifiers, the European Championship is still going on,” he said.

Even third spot will not be enough for his critics, especially with unheralded Leicester City and Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur battling for the title.

Wenger said if Arsenal, who were once title favourites, kept winning then anything was possible and he rejected the idea Leicester’s success had increased the pressure on him.

“We want to finish as high as possible. You never know what happens in front of you. There still can be twists and turns. But we want to win our games,” he said.

“Because Leicester is in front, everybody thinks we should have done it (won the title). Yes, OK, but you can say that for any other team, because Leicester was at the bottom of the table last year, so you could say that all 19 teams could say that.”

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MATCH INFO

Real Madrid 2

Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')

Barcelona 0

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

The Comeback: Elvis And The Story Of The 68 Special
Simon Goddard
Omnibus  Press

The language of diplomacy in 1853

Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)


We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.

Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia

When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start

Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1

Tickets: Admission is free

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
War and the virus
The%20specs
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  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
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UAE SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani

Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh

Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani

Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri

FINAL RESULT

Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)

Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2

Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sav%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Purvi%20Munot%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%20as%20of%20March%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)

Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)

Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)

MATCH INFO

Liverpool 0

Stoke City 0

Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)