Ahead of the latest round of Premier League fixtures, Thomas Woods attempts to predict the outcome of each match.
Watford 3 Crystal Palace 2
Why? Watford were unlucky not to take something from their visit to Sunderland last week and will see this home game against a struggling Palace, who have just sacked Alan Pardew after a miserable 2016. There could be plenty of goals because, well, it's Boxing Day which is often a goal-fest.
Arsenal 1 West Bromwich Albion 0
Why? Arsenal's annual December mini-crisis has arrived but they can end it with a win over West Brom. It will be scrappy, but they should take a leaf out of Manchester United's book, by playing their fastest players on the flanks and attack West Brom there.
Burnley 1 Middlesbrough 0
Why? What a chance for Burnley to put some breathing space between themselves and the bottom three over the next two games. Middlesbrough and Sunderland at home should be six points. In fact they must result in six points, given Burnley's away form.
Chelsea 1 Bournemouth 0
Why? It's hard to see Chelsea's winning run coming to an end. Bournemouth will hope that the absence of Diego Costa and N'Golo Kante gives them more of a chance, but Cesc Fabregas and Michy Batshuayi are more than capable of filling the void.
Leicester City 2 Everton 0
Why? Will Leicester's spectacular comeback from 2-0 down with 10 men at Stoke inspire them to another result like the 4-2 thrashing of Manchester City? Everton are there for the taking and Islam Slimani's aerial threat will be a problem for the visitors.
Manchester United 3 Sunderland 0
Why? United are in fine form and should expect two wins over Christmas, from this match and the visit of Middlesbrough. It's hard to see the Sunderland defence coping with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's presence and the pace around him.
Swansea City 3 West Ham United 3
Why? Goal glut alert! Swansea concede three goals a game on a regular basis but they need to produce a decent display to ease some pressure on manager Bob Bradley. West Ham have kept two clean sheets in a row, but they were lucky not to concede against Hull City last week.
Hull City 0 Manchester City 3
Why? This should really be no contest and City could even keep a clean sheet! Pep Guardiola's side will be able to control possession with ease and, in the last game of Sergio Aguero's ban, will grab a comfortable victory.
Liverpool 1 Stoke City 0
Why? Stoke have the ability to keep it tight at Liverpool, but Jurgen Klopp's side should be able to find a breakthrough. In the absence of Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana is emerging as an important creative player for Liverpool. His touch and vision around the edge of the box will be important.
Southampton 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Why? Southampton are putting a bit of a run together and can be confident of a positive result against Tottenham. The visitors aren't as effective away from home as they were last season. Expect Virgil van Dijk to keep Harry Kane relatively quiet.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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
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Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The biog
Age: 35
Inspiration: Wife and kids
Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia
Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track
