Manager Arsene Wenger wants his team to show Arsenal fans they can have genuine hope of a sustained Premier League title challenge next season by finishing this one "on a high".
Wenger’s side are all but secure of third place, heading into Sunday’s final match of the league campaign against West Bromwich Albion three points clear of Manchester United and with a superior goal difference.
It is, of course, not the ending Wenger would have set out for back in August, a slow start ultimately dooming any hopes of a late title charge to reel in Chelsea despite a formidable run since the turn of the year.
The Frenchman, though, feels the squad is on the cusp of something special, with the opportunity to retain the FA Cup at Wembley also on the horizon.
“We have used our hiccups now at home and we want to go on the final day finishing on a high and send the fans back home in peace ready for next season,” said Wenger, whose side laboured through a goalless draw with Sunderland on Wednesday night, their third match at home without scoring.
“It is also important in the Premiership that they go home full of hope.”
Wenger added: “The confidence level will come from recent results, and the important result will, of course, be from the game against West Brom, so it is vital.”
Much of Arsenal’s upturn in fortunes since the start of 2015 has been down to the consistent performances of Francis Coquelin, who has excelled in a defensive midfield role since returning from a loan spell at Charlton Athletic.
Wenger has been impressed with the 24-year-old Frenchman’s determination after at one stage looking to have missed his first-team chance.
“When I took him, what I liked is the fact that he wins duels and a strength in the challenge, and a strength to read the opponent’s game,” Wenger said.
“He lost his way a bit and wanted to be more of a playmaker and I think he lost some time there, then came back to what his real identity is.
“Francis is an intelligent boy with big passion for the game and has shown some absolutely remarkable mental strength because he accepted going to Charlton for a month to show he can play. He came back and played.”
Wenger added: “His qualities are a good reader of the game, good intelligence, strength in the challenge.
“What is very interesting is that the ball comes out of his feet quickly – he is not slow to make the decision.
“It is not easy today to find players who have that quality, to win the ball and after that get it out of their feet quickly.”
Wenger likened the impact of Coquelin to that of having brought in a £40 million (Dh227.6m) signing during the January transfer window.
“The fact that it is not a spectacular buy means it goes a bit under the radar and nobody notices too much, but he has had a great contribution,” Wenger said.
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INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
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Passenger capacity: 5,686
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Length: 315.3 metres
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$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
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US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
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