It rarely fails to irk the traditionalists that 1992 is seen as English football's Year Zero. The formation of the Premier League brought the same game a different name but rebranding can be contagious. One of the innovations was Super Sunday, as it is called, borrowed shamelessly from American football. Often it is a description that does not stand up to any kind of analysis.
Yet August 28 was a superb Sunday, perhaps the most surreal in the Premier League's history. Manchester City provided the appetiser, thrashing Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at White Hart Lane, Manchester United the main course with an 8-2 demolition of Arsenal.
Almost five months later, the twin halves of north London have their chance for revenge as, with wonderful symmetry, the reverse fixtures comprise the Sunday drama again.
August brought almost unrivalled entertainment, but January offers greater meaning. It is entirely plausible that any one of three sides will emerge as the title favourites, that Arsenal will end today rejuvenated or written off in their challenge for fourth place. It is a day that might be decisive.
It is one that may answer questions, but first poses them. Over the past two decades, the meetings of Arsenal and United have been England's equivalent of el clasico, bad-tempered, high-quality clashes of the superpowers. It is a fixture that retains its status as a classic, yet it may have only second billing today.
City against Tottenham is the duel between league leaders and the team a mischief-making Sir Alex Ferguson says play the best football in the country. It pits the season's dominant force against the side with the best record since their last encounter.
Because, when City departed White Hart Lane triumphant in summer, Tottenham propped up the Premier League, a club seemingly in disarray. Fast forward to the current day and Spurs have executed a U-turn of stunning brilliance, propelling them to new heights.
The subsequent 19 games have contained a solitary defeat and yielded 46 points. It is title-winning form, but Tottenham's unexpected ascent means they have most to prove. Can they perform under pressure in the way United have for years and City for much of this season?
Tottenham were last champions in 1961, City in 1968, yet the context is different. Spurs are examined on a macro level, City on a micro scale.
Their task is to prove that, after successive defeats to United and Liverpool, that the Etihad Stadium remains the most intimidating ground to visit; that they can overcome absences, injuries and ill-fortune.
There is a symbolism in the scheduling, new forces following old. United have added to the storied nature of their side by recalling Paul Scholes from retirement.
However, it was one thing for the midfielder to stroll around against Bolton Wanderers last week, another altogether for a 37 year old to run the game against a side of Arsenal's accomplishment.
United make a virtue of prospering with patched-up sides, but may be depending on a second-string goalkeeper, as Anders Lindegaard was until recently, and a reserve-team coach, as Scholes started the season, for their January reinforcements. It is an extraordinary turn of events, yet their winning habit could give them a share of the lead in the division, if only for a couple of hours.
Their excellent record means that, as ever, the burden of proof is on Arsenal. They must show the psychological scars sustained at Old Trafford have healed.
It hardly helps that Arsenal approach the rematch in adversity again, with no fit full-backs, with Mikel Arteta out and both Thomas Vermaelen and Thierry Henry doubts. But if, after conceding eight goals in a game for the first time in 115 years when they last met United, this can only represent an improvement, their ultimate aim may require vengeance.
Like Tottenham, their task is to go from vanquished to victors. In the quest for supremacy, another 16 goals cannot be guaranteed, but it is certainly a seismic Sunday.
sports@thenational.ae
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
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No Shame
Lily Allen
(Parlophone)
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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
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The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
The specs: 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 60kWh battery
Transmission: Single-speed Electronic Precision Shift
Power: 204hp
Torque: 360Nm
Range: 520km (claimed)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
