Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho has no doubts his side have the composure to capture a second Premier League title in three years when they host West Ham United on Sunday.
Four straight wins, including Wednesday’s 4-0 victory over Aston Villa, mean that City effectively need only a draw against Sam Allardyce’s team on the season’s final day to secure the championship.
While City are two points clear of Liverpool, who host Newcastle United, their goal difference is superior by 13 goals.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side have recovered well after their title hopes were hit by a 3-2 defeat at Liverpool and a 2-2 draw at home to then-bottom club Sunderland.
Their recent run has put them in control of their own fate and Fernandinho has no worries about the team’s attitude going into the West Ham match.
“A lot has been changing at the top of the table over the last few weeks,” said the Brazil midfielder, who has been named in his country’s World Cup squad.
“A lot of results have been good for us, but bad for the other two. This was our first chance to go to the top of the table. The whole squad is calm. Every training session is about doing what we do and keeping calm.
“Maybe there was a few nerves in the first half against Aston Villa, but in the second half we changed slightly the way we play, and scored four goals.
“That’s great for us. In the next couple of days we’ll be just the same: we’ll keep calm and hope that we play a very good game on Sunday.”
A minor leg problem has obliged Fernandinho to start City’s last two matches from the bench, but striker Sergio Aguero has recovered from a groin injury that forced him to miss the victory against Villa.
Pellegrini is also confident that nerves will not be a problem for his side.
The Chilean says that his team, who clocked up 100 league goals for the season against Villa, are only concerned with three points and are not interested in simply trying to get a draw.
“Every team must play every game to win,” said the City manager. “It doesn’t matter in which conditions they are playing. Every team must want to win.
“I think it is very important for the manager to be calm, to try to repeat what we did the whole year. Preparing the game here is one game more. We must prepare the same way.”
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will take charge of the final game of the season against a backdrop of growing uncertainty surrounding his future.
The London club secured their top-flight status with victory over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, but reports have since emerged that the club’s owners are planning changes in response to fan discontent about the team’s playing style.
“I heard rumours,” Allardyce said. “The only thing I can say is I spoke to (co-owner) David Sullivan yesterday (Thursday) about arranging our usual end-of-the-season meeting to go through the pre-season and budgets and what’s going to happen, and had no indication of my position being under threat.
“Speculation is part of the game. Whether it becomes a reality, only time will tell.”
The manager intends to see out the season in style and has made it clear he would like to spoil City’s celebrations.
“At this moment in time, from a neutral’s point of view, I think everybody would like to see Liverpool win it,” he said.
“From a personal point of view, I’d like to see Steven Gerrard win it. It’s the last thing he hasn’t quite achieved for Liverpool and he’s a one-club man. But obviously they’ve let it slip out of their hands.”
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
Company Profile
Company name: Cargoz
Date started: January 2022
Founders: Premlal Pullisserry and Lijo Antony
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 30
Investment stage: Seed
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
RESULTS - ELITE MEN
1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59
Pakistan v New Zealand Test series
Pakistan: Sarfraz (c), Hafeez, Imam, Azhar, Sohail, Shafiq, Azam, Saad, Yasir, Asif, Abbas, Hassan, Afridi, Ashraf, Hamza
New Zealand: Williamson (c), Blundell, Boult, De Grandhomme, Henry, Latham, Nicholls, Ajaz, Raval, Sodhi, Somerville, Southee, Taylor, Wagner
Umpires: Bruce Oxerford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS); Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
Tickets and schedule: Entry is free for all spectators. Gates open at 9am. Play commences at 10am
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to avoid getting scammed
- Never click on links provided via app or SMS, even if they seem to come from authorised senders at first glance
- Always double-check the authenticity of websites
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for all your working and personal services
- Only use official links published by the respective entity
- Double-check the web addresses to reduce exposure to fake sites created with domain names containing spelling errors
Zayed Sustainability Prize
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 2.5/5
ALRAWABI SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
Creator: Tima Shomali
Starring: Tara Abboud, Kira Yaghnam, Tara Atalla
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
RESULTS
Time; race; prize; distance
4pm: Maiden; (D) Dh150,000; 1,200m
Winner: General Line, Xavier Ziani (jockey), Omar Daraj (trainer)
4.35pm: Maiden (T); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Travis County, Adrie de Vries, Ismail Mohammed
5.10pm: Handicap (D); Dh175,000; 1,200m
Winner: Scrutineer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
5.45pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Ejaaby, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
6.55pm: Handicap (D); Dh160,000; 1,600m
Winner: Storyboard, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap (D); Dh150,000; 2,200m
Winner: Grand Dauphin, Gerald Mosse, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8.05pm: Handicap (T); Dh190,000; 1,800m
Winner: Good Trip, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
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.
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
Kill
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5
RESULTS
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Lady Snazz, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Rich And Famous, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Rio Angie, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB) Dh 92,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Kinver Edge, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast