Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City in action against Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Richard Heathcote / Getty Images / September 14, 2016
Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City in action against Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Richard Heathcote / Getty Images / September 14, 2016

Manchester City v Bournemouth: Ilkay Gundogan ready to start to ‘make a difference’



Manchester City v Bournemouth, Saturday, 6pm, BeIn Sports 2 (Arabic) and 11 (English) HD

Manchester City summer signing Ilkay Gundogan is in line for his first taste of Premier League football as his rampant side seek to maintain their perfect start on Saturday at home to Bournemouth.

Under new manager Pep Guardiola City have won all seven of their Premier League and cup games to date in the current campaign, by an overwhelming aggregate score of 21-4.

Bournemouth are next in the firing line, although at least they will not have to face suspended City forward Sergio Aguero, who has scored nine goals in five games this season.

However, Gundogan, who made his City debut in the 4-0 midweek Champions League win over Borussia Monchengladbach after recovering from injury, is poised to start and believes his team can only get better.

See more

• The Big Weekend Preview: Barcelona's Messi dilemma and Chelsea v Liverpool

• Prem predictions: Manchester City should be big winners

"I was always confident I would be back," said Gundogan, 25, who arrived in English football from Borussia Dortmund with a serious knee problem after his transfer for £20 million (Dh97.2m).

“I am used to being injured and five months was nothing for me – with my back I was injured for more than a year,” he said.

“This is football, it happens. Injuries are part of it, it’s the way you handle these situations and I was always confident I would be back. I am back a little earlier than I thought.

“The last games showed that we always play a very good first half – we did it against (Manchester) United and West Ham – and the second half was a bit more difficult for us,” said Gundogan.

“So there is potential we can use in the next few weeks.”

Guardiola has made an immediate impact on his new club and has done so with new signings like Gundogan, Leroy Sane and Claudio Bravo having only just become available for the first team.

With City apparently destined for lengthy cup runs, in addition to their bid for league honours, Gundogan is ready to play a key role.

“He (Guardiola) hasn’t said anything to me and if I feel good I want to play and make a difference, but he will decide,” said Gundogan. “There are a lot of games in the next few weeks and I need to get used to it.

“Coming from Germany, and having no winter break and two cup competitions means everything is changing for me. I think I am ready to play again on Saturday if the manager needs me.”

Guardiola is likely to call up youngster Kelechi Iheanacho for Aguero while Nolito, Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna could also be in line for recalls.

Jack Wilshere took his first steps as a Bournemouth player, appearing as a substitute in the victory over West Bromwich Albion last weekend following his season-long loan move from Arsenal.

The arrival of the England international has thrown a spotlight on Eddie Howe’s side but the manager insists he has no intention of throwing Wilshere into his starting line-up.

“It’s a delicate balance between rushing him into the team and the long term,” said Howe.

“We want him to play a lot of games for us so we’ll put him in when we think it’s right

“I thought he had a big impact when he came on at a time when the game was in the balance,” he said. “We had lost the full control we had in the first half and I thought he wrestled that back for us.”

The win over West Brom helped get Bournemouth’s season up and running, but Howe was under no illusions about the scale of the task confronting his side at the Etihad.

He added: “They’ve got outstanding players and they’ve got a manager who, in my opinion, is right at the very top.”

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INFO

Everton 0

Arsenal 0

Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)

The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

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Company%20Profile
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.

South Africa World Cup squad

South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (w), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.

Roll of honour 2019-2020

Dubai Rugby Sevens

Winners: Dubai Hurricanes

Runners up: Bahrain

 

West Asia Premiership

Winners: Bahrain

Runners up: UAE Premiership

 

UAE Premiership

Winners: Dubai Exiles

Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes

 

UAE Division One

Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens

Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II

 

UAE Division Two

Winners: Barrelhouse

Runners up: RAK Rugby

The%20Specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.6-litre%204-cylinder%20petrol%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E118hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20149Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Six-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh61%2C500%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE

Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega

Director: Tim Burton

Rating: 3/5

Richard Jewell

Director: Clint Eastwood

Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley

Two-and-a-half out of five stars 

Bangladesh tour of Pakistan

January 24 – First T20, Lahore

January 25 – Second T20, Lahore

January 27 – Third T20, Lahore

February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi

April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi

April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

BRAZIL%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EGoalkeepers%3A%20Alisson%2C%20Ederson%2C%20Weverton%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EDefenders%3A%20Dani%20Alves%2C%20Marquinhos%2C%20Thiago%20Silva%2C%20Eder%20Militao%20%2C%20Danilo%2C%20Alex%20Sandro%2C%20Alex%20Telles%2C%20Bremer.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EMidfielders%3A%20Casemiro%2C%20Fred%2C%20Fabinho%2C%20Bruno%20Guimaraes%2C%20Lucas%20Paqueta%2C%20Everton%20Ribeiro.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EForwards%3A%20Neymar%2C%20Vinicius%20Junior%2C%20Richarlison%2C%20Raphinha%2C%20Antony%2C%20Gabriel%20Jesus%2C%20Gabriel%20Martinelli%2C%20Pedro%2C%20Rodrygo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

The line up

Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego  

Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh  

Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

THE SPECS

Touareg Highline

Engine: 3.0-litre, V6

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 340hp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh239,312

Tips on buying property during a pandemic

Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.

While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.

While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar. 

Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.

Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities. 

Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong. 

Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.


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