Harry Kane will look to maintain his scoring form for Tottenham Hotspur at Southampton on Sunday. Eddie Keogh / Reuters
Harry Kane will look to maintain his scoring form for Tottenham Hotspur at Southampton on Sunday. Eddie Keogh / Reuters
Harry Kane will look to maintain his scoring form for Tottenham Hotspur at Southampton on Sunday. Eddie Keogh / Reuters
Harry Kane will look to maintain his scoring form for Tottenham Hotspur at Southampton on Sunday. Eddie Keogh / Reuters

Big wins for Liverpool and Tottenham as Man City bounce back and Chelsea triumph: Premier League predictions


  • English
  • Arabic

This is the last round of games in the Premier League for a week and a half, with the FA Cup fourth round next week. Here are the games and how we predict they will pan out.

Chelsea will look to Eden Hazard for inspiration at Brighton and Hove Albion. Peter Cziborra / Action Images via Reuters
Chelsea will look to Eden Hazard for inspiration at Brighton and Hove Albion. Peter Cziborra / Action Images via Reuters

Brighton and Hove Albion 1 Chelsea 2

Saturday, 4.30pm

Why? This will be a tough for tired Chelsea who had to play 120 minutes against Norwich City, and finished the game with nine men, in the FA Cup on Wednesday. Brighton have been solid at home, but Chelsea, despite Alvaro Morata being suspended, should have too much for them with Eden Hazard showing signs of returning to form.

Wilfried Zaha will be Crystal Palace's danger man against Arsenal. David Klein / Reuters
Wilfried Zaha will be Crystal Palace's danger man against Arsenal. David Klein / Reuters

Arsenal 1 Crystal Palace 1

Saturday, 7pm

Why? Arsenal are struggling and the defeat at Bournemouth was a sign of just how low in confidence they are. Roy Hodgson has done a great job with Palace in moving them up to mid-table after their awful start to the season and with Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke both a threat to Arsenal's shaky backline they are worth a point here.

Manchester United's Anthony Martial, left, was in fine form against Stoke City. Carl Recine / Action Images via Reuters
Manchester United's Anthony Martial, left, was in fine form against Stoke City. Carl Recine / Action Images via Reuters

Burnley 0 Manchester United 2

Saturday, 7pm

Why? United are looking to build some momentum and with Anthony Martial impressing in Monday's triumph over Stoke City they should get another three points here. Sean Dyche's Burnley have cooled off a little after an excellent first half to the season and have not won since December 12. That does not change here.

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Theo Walcott could make his debut for Everton against Stoke City. Alastair Grant / AP Photo
Theo Walcott could make his debut for Everton against Stoke City. Alastair Grant / AP Photo

Everton 3 West Bromwich Albion 0

Saturday, 7pm

Why? West Brom picked up their first win since August last weekend but that will be a false dawn here. Everton should have too much quality for them, with new forwards Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun both looking to make an immediate impact.

Jamie Vardy, centre, will fancy his chances of scoring against Watford on Saturday. Julian Finney / Getty Images
Jamie Vardy, centre, will fancy his chances of scoring against Watford on Saturday. Julian Finney / Getty Images

Leicester City 3 Watford 0

Saturday, 7pm

Why? Watford are on a poor run of form since their bright start to the campaign, and have lost seven of their past 10 games. They beat Leicester last month but Claude Puel's men should get revenge here with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez likely to be licking their lips about facing Watford's poor defence.

Paul Lambert is Stoke City's new manager. Nathan Stirk / Getty Images
Paul Lambert is Stoke City's new manager. Nathan Stirk / Getty Images

Stoke City 1 Huddersfield Town 1

Saturday, 7pm

Why? Paul Lambert's first game in charge of Stoke and this is a big game for both sides. Huddersfield were hammered by West Ham United last week and will want to bounce back. A point for two sides low in confidence will be acceptable to both camps.

West Ham United's Marko Arnautovic was in great form at Huddersfield Town last weekend. John Sibley / Action Images via Reuters
West Ham United's Marko Arnautovic was in great form at Huddersfield Town last weekend. John Sibley / Action Images via Reuters

West Ham United 3 Bournemouth 1

Saturday, 7pm

Why? West Ham were terrific at Huddersfield and will look for more of the same from Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini. Bournemouth were impressive in beating Arsenal, but their defence always looks as if it will concede goals and they may have trouble against confident opponents.

Sergio Aguero and Manchester City will look to get back to winning ways against Newcastle United. Peter Powell / EPA
Sergio Aguero and Manchester City will look to get back to winning ways against Newcastle United. Peter Powell / EPA

Manchester City 3 Newcastle United 0

Saturday, 9.30pm

Why? City were finally proven to be beatable after all as they lost to Liverpool, but they should bounce back quickly. Sergio Aguero and City's forward line will be confident of causing Newcastle too many problems for Rafa Benitez's side to be able to cope.

Tottenham were big winners over Everton and will look for more of the same at Southampton. Justin Setterfield / Getty Images
Tottenham were big winners over Everton and will look for more of the same at Southampton. Justin Setterfield / Getty Images

Southampton 0 Tottenham Hotspur 4

Sunday, 8pm

Why? Tottenham are clearly beginning to find their best form again and the way they pulled apart Everton was impressive. With Harry Kane back fit and among the goals they will be too good for struggling Southampton.

Roberto Firmino is in great form for Liverpool. Phil Noble / Reuters
Roberto Firmino is in great form for Liverpool. Phil Noble / Reuters

Swansea City 0 Liverpool 4

Tuesday, 12am

Why? Scoring has never been Liverpool's problems, and they appear to be tightening up at the back. They put five past Swansea last month and with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino playing so well more goals should come here.

Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier

Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August

 

Group A

Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar

 

Group B

UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

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

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

Super Rugby play-offs

Quarter-finals

  • Hurricanes 35, ACT 16
  • Crusaders 17, Highlanders 0
  • Lions 23, Sharks 21
  • Chiefs 17, Stormers 11

Semi-finals

Saturday, July 29

  • Crusaders v Chiefs, 12.35pm (UAE)
  • Lions v Hurricanes, 4.30pm
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs

Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors

Transmission: two-speed

Power: 671hp

Torque: 1050Nm

Range: 450km

Price: Dh601,800

On sale: now

hall of shame

SUNDERLAND 2002-03

No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.

SUNDERLAND 2005-06

Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.

HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19

Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.

ASTON VILLA 2015-16

Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.

FULHAM 2018-19

Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.

LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.

BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Marathon results

Men:

 1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13 

2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50 

3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25 

4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46 

5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48  

Women:

1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30 

2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01 

3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30 

4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43 

5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01  

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%20specs
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES

All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated

Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile

Name: Thndr

Started: October 2020

Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: FinTech

Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000

Funding stage: series A; $20 million

Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC,  Rabacap and MSA Capital

Silent Hill f

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

Oppenheimer
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000

Engine 3.5L V6

Transmission 10-speed automatic

Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km

The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder

Transmission: CVT auto

Power: 181bhp

Torque: 244Nm

Price: Dh122,900 

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Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Zodi%20%26%20Tehu%3A%20Princes%20Of%20The%20Desert
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