We are just under a third of the way through a barmy Premier League season which has already given us plenty of surprises. Who would have predicted Chelsea in the bottom five and Leicester City in the Uefa Champions League spots?
But a few things are going as expected and one of those is the presence of Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United in the top four.
It seems clear that this is going to be a three-way title race, although Tottenham Hotspur also look very strong.
It is a title race with a favourite (City) a strong challenger (Arsenal) and an outsider (United). Realistically, United would not have considered themselves title contenders at the start of the season but, despite ups and downs in form, they are only two points off the top. It is game on.
City have looked unstoppable at times, but they also have a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot. They have been hurt by injuries and a lack of depth up front.
Arsenal have also put in some superb performances, most notably the 3-0 demolition of United. But this is Arsenal. Can anyone who has watched this side over the past 10 years honestly say they are not expecting a calamity game at any moment? Arsenal look very strong, but they will surely slip up at some point. It is just hard to predict when. It is just as likely to be against Sunderland at home as it is Liverpool away.
So what of United? On paper, they have a squad capable of winning the title, but it does not always come together on the pitch. They are not particularly exciting to watch, either.
But their upcoming run of fixtures is such that they could easily be top come Christmas Day. Here is why:
[Predictions: Manchester City too good for Liverpool, Chelsea earn a much-needed win]
The current standings
Man City — 26 points
Arsenal — 26 points
Man United – 24 points
Matchday 13 predictions — November 21
Watford v Manchester United WIN
West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal WIN
Manchester City v Liverpool WIN
We are at a stage of the season where it is easier to read the form books, and we have a clearer idea of what to expect from each team. Watford and West Bromwich Albion should result in victories, while City have home advantage over Liverpool, fewer injuries to key players, and a better team.
Standings after Matchday 13
Man City — 29 points
Arsenal — 29 points
Man United 27 — points
['See it as an honour': Beckham's advice to Depay over Man United's No 7 shirt]
Matchday 14 — November 28
Leicester City v Manchester United WIN
Manchester City v Southampton WIN
Norwich v Arsenal WIN
Standings after Matchday 14
Man City — 32 points
Arsenal — 32 points
Man United – 30 points
[Sturridge 'fit and ready to go' for Liverpool ahead of trip to Manchester City]
Matchday 15 — December 5
Arsenal v Sunderland WIN
Stoke City v Manchester City DRAW
Manchester United v West Ham United WIN
At some point City are going to put in a performance like recent the 0-0 draw at Aston Villa, where nothing goes right for them in front of goal. They could easily be stifled in the home game against Southampton, but it is more likely they will struggle at Stoke City, where no side comes away with easy points (except for City when they won 4-1 there last season!). Arsenal and United both should have simple home wins.
Standings after Matchday 15
Arsenal — 35 points
Man City — 33 points
Man United — 33 points
Matchday 16 — December 12
Bournemouth v Manchester United WIN
Manchester City v Swansea City WIN
Aston Villa v Arsenal DRAW
So here it is. Do I honestly think Villa can hold Arsenal? Probably four times out of five Arsenal would win this game, maybe nine times out of 10. But Arsenal are going to slip up at some point. There is no logical reasoning behind this statement, it is just what Arsenal do. If they cut out the lapses we have seen time and again in recent season then they must be title favourites, but we have to see it first. They will drop points at some stage before Christmas. Bournemouth, meanwhile, are heading towards the drop. United should grab three points there, as should City against a stumbling Swansea City side.
Standings after Matchday 16
Man City — 36 points
Arsenal — 36 points
Man United — 36 points
* City will have better goal difference
Matchday 17 — December 19
Manchester United v Norwich City WIN
Arsenal v Manchester City DRAW
Again, pencil in a United win here. If you take the five games they have before December 25 and look at each game in a vacuum, then you can predict five wins, with Leicester being the trickiest tie. Of course, injuries, form, bad luck can all come into play, but there is a strong chance United get maximum points from five games. Arsenal v City, meanwhile, is a toss up and City manager Manuel Pellegrini, like he did at Old Trafford, might well decide to play cautiously and look to take a point away from the Emirates Stadium, leaving United top of the tree at Christmas. Of course, United then have to travel to Stoke on December 26 and it could all go wrong from there, with Chelsea going to Old Trafford two days later.
Standings after Matchday 17
United 39 — points
City — 37 points
Arsenal — 37 points
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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.
CREW
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The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world
New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.
The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.
“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.
"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."
Company%C2%A0profile
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
