Aston Villa continued their fine form in the Premier League after securing a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
The visitors struggled to create much during a first half which the Blues dictated, but after holding out until close to half-time, Reece James delivered an incisive swerving corner that was turned in by a Joao Pedro touch.
Villa’s struggles continued up until a minute before the hour mark when manager Unai Emery introduced Ollie Watkins as part of a triple substitution. Watkins made an instant impact and levelled the score within four minutes of coming on before heading in the winner from a Youri Tielemans corner in the 84th minute.
Watkins said: “An amazing win. To come on and score two goals, it’s a great feeling, but to keep up this run and beat Chelsea. It’s amazing. As a striker, you want to be scoring every game. I feel like I’ve had some good performances this year but maybe not at the standards I set for myself. I can use this as a marker and push on from here.”
Chelsea have now won just two games of their last eight across all competitions. “It’s always disappointing to lose at home. We dominated 60-65 minutes of the game. They get one and the dynamic of the game changes. We have to look at ourselves. We’re super disappointed,” said Chelsea captain James. “It’s two slight errors from us and we got punished.”
The Blues have now dropped more points (11) from winning positions than anyone in the Premier League.
Chelsea ratings
Robert Sanchez – 6: Distributed the ball well and made a number of saves. Unlucky on the first goal from Watkins after making initial contact. Bizarrely gave away a free kick for carrying the ball and slipping outside the box.
Marc Cucurella – 5: Not as influential as usual. Had a chance on the break to play in a forward but went for the safe option.
Trevoh Chalobah – 6: Pressed up to win the ball back high, challenged aggressively for Aston Villa's long balls.
Benoit Badiashile – 5: Made a key tackle on Morgan Rogers in the first half to prevent a big chance, but gave away possession for the first goal and struggled against sub Watkins.
Reece James – 7: Almost scored directly from a corner that turned into an assist for Joao Pedro. Tested the goalkeeper again with a mis-hit that troubled Villa's Martinez.
Enzo Fernandez – 6: Tidy in possession and a threat going forward, but should have done better with his chance in the first half.
Moises Caicedo – 5: Aggressive when tackling but sometimes untidy before being booked. Not as dominant in midfield as usual.
Alejandro Garnacho – 6: One of Chelsea’s brightest early on, and always looking to beat his marker. Created a chance in the 17th minute with a ball towards the backpost. Quiet after the break before being replaced.
Cole Palmer – 5: Involved in Chelsea’s brightest spells with positivity on the ball to attack defenders directly. Produced an impressive nutmeg on Emiliano Buendia. Unhappy when substituted.
Pedro Neto – 5: Struggled to make an impact against Ian Maatsen. Kept trying, but was crowded out by Aston Villa’s defensive numbers.
Joao Pedro – 7: Impressed with his movement and after almost opening the scoring with a flick that was saved by Martinez, he got the final touch to James’ corner to give Chelsea the lead.
Chelsea subs:
Malo Gusto (for Cucurella, 69’) – 4: Did very little to challenge Watkins despite spotting his run for the second goal.
Liam Delap (for Pedro, 69’) – 5: Booked within minutes for late challenge. Ineffective when introduced.
Jamie Gittens (for Garnacho, 69’) – 6: Tried to make things happen on the left flank when looking to weave between players, but was often crowded out.
Estevao (for Palmer, 72’) – 5: Couldn’t find space to make an impact when coming on for Palmer. Drifted inside to try and make things happen.
Aston Villa ratings
Emiliano Martinez – 6: Not convincing enough when conceding the opener, but made enough saves to keep Aston Villa in the game.
Ian Maatsen – 7: Tracked Neto well and was resolute down the left. Came close to scoring with a good effort that stung the hands of keeper Sanchez.
Ezri Konsa – 6: Plugged gaps and positioned himself astutely when Chelsea had the ball out wide to provide cover for his full-back.
Victor Lindelof – 6: Made a crucial challenge on Pedro to deny a big chance in the first half. Organised Aston Villa’s defence well.
Matty Cash – 6: Fared reasonably well across the match, but a poor challenge on Garnacho saw him pick up a yellow which means he misses the next game versus Arsenal.
Youri Tielemans – 7: Tielemans could have been more decisive during transition at times, but he stepped up his performance after Watkins was introduced, and picked up the assist for the winner.
Boubacar Kamara – 6: Prevented play from building up in central areas. Battled hard and picked up a yellow card. Missed a chance in the 60th minute when connecting with Watkins’ pass.
Emiliano Buendia – 5: Sometimes tried to be too clever, giving away the ball cheaply in the 42nd minute with skill when he had players in front. Replaced by Watkins before the hour mark.
John McGinn – 6: Despite not making much impact in attacking areas, his challenge to divert Palmer’s cross out for a corner stopped an almost certain goal that would have put Chelsea 2-0 up in the second half.
Morgan Rogers – 7: Struggled to get going during a first half in which he made a mess of a good opportunity in the fifth minute, but he was buoyed by Aston Villa’s triple substitution, and played in Watkins who eventually scored the equaliser.
Donyell Malen – 4: Ineffective while leading the line and struggled to get a touch of the ball. Withdrawn for Sancho in the 59th minute.
Aston Villa subs:
Ollie Watkins (for Buendia, 58’) – 9: Immediately made a chance for Kamara, scored the equaliser and then expertly picked up space to head in the winner. A superb substitute and match-winning performance.
Jadon Sancho (for Malen, 59’) – 6: Took impressive care of the ball when easing his way past challenges. Forced a save from Sanchez in the 88th minute.
Amadou Onana (for McGinn, 59’) – 6: Played a part in the equaliser after setting the press from deep before helping win possession. Assured on the ball and only gave it away once.
Lucas Digne (for Maatsen, 83’) – N/A: Introduced in the 83rd minute for Maatsen. Tested Sanchez with a direct free kick that required a save.
Lamare Bogarde (for Kamara, 83’) – N/A: On for Kamara, who had picked up a booking. Could have been more accurate with his passing.
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
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.”
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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More on Quran memorisation:
The five pillars of Islam
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Key findings
Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Squads
Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam (vc), Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara
Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
Friday’s fixture
6.15pm: Al Wahda v Hatta
6.15pm: Al Dhafra v Ajman
9pm: Al Wasl v Baniyas
9pm: Fujairah v Sharjah
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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.
MORE FROM COMMENT
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
While you're here
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions