Blackburn Rovers 0 // Manchester City 1
BLACKBURN // When their previous match was a memorable defeat of Manchester United, whatever followed would automatically have an element of anti-climax for Manchester City.
Yet the consequences of last night's win at Ewood Park may even outstrip the potential gains of their Wembley Stadium victory.
With a four-point lead over the fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and just five matches remaining, fourth position - and a place in the Champions League - is theirs to lose. Indeed, with Arsenal in reverse gear, third might be there for the taking.
Moreover, it was a triumph that came with a welcome benefit: just when it seemed City were missing Carlos Tevez, their hamstrung captain, Edin Dzeko compensated with his first Premier League goal to determine the outcome.
It amounted to a clinical, professional performance from City. There is a sense that Roberto Mancini's preferred brand of football is professional and controlled, with as few alarms as possible.
This was a match to tick most of the boxes, decided by an intervention from the bench. With a stalemate beckoning, the City manager removed Adam Johnson and introduced Dzeko. Three minutes later, the newcomer made the breakthrough.
In one respect, it was a fortunate goal - the outstanding Phil Jones intercepted David Silva's cross, only for the ball to fall to Dzeko to drive it in - but in another, it was a fitting outcome. Close to his elusive, exhilarating best, Silva was the outstanding player on show.
He had threatened to orchestrate a rout from the first whistle. City were assured in possession and fluent in their movement. In the third minute, it almost brought a breakthrough.
Pablo Zabaleta's cross looped up off Gareth Barry to fall invitingly for Silva. With a sweet swing of his left foot, the Spaniard volleyed against the near post, a motionless Paul Robinson beaten.
A theme was developing. The goalkeeper was defeated again a quarter of an hour later. Saved by the woodwork initially, his second rescue act was a teammate.
Michel Salgado, on sentry duty on the goalline, cleared Barry's header away after the midfielder met Aleksandar Kolarov's corner.
Robinson was belatedly exerted after the interval, stretching to tip over Yaya Toure's header after Silva found the Ivorian with a deftly-weighted cross. The match-winner against Manchester United was in similarly buccaneering form, striding purposefully into Rovers territory on a succession of raids. Wandering infield with deceptive menace, Silva later whipped a shot just past the post. He is more comfortable as supplier than scorer, however, and Dzeko's winner goes down as another goal he has fashioned.
Blackburn, meanwhile, drew a blank for the third time in four matches.
Save for a somewhat optimistic penalty appeal from Jason Roberts and a header that his partner in attack, Benjani, directed some way wide, they barely threatened in the opening exchanges. Then, however, they were roused by the youngest player in the team.
A 50-yard solo run from the teenage defender Jones, a wonderful demonstration of his potential, galvanised the crowd and spurred his colleagues on.
Christopher Samba, his fellow centre-back, came close with a looping header that dropped just past Joe Hart's far post.
But City weathered the predictable aerial attack and Dzeko compounded Blackburn's problems. Without a win in three months, they have fallen from seventh to 16th. City should savour this win, not least because they might not be returning to Ewood Park for quite some time.
sports@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Race card
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; 5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; 6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m
The Little Things
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Four stars
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
South Africa's T20 squad
Duminy (c), Behardien, Dala, De Villiers, Hendricks, Jonker, Klaasen (wkt), Miller, Morris, Paterson, Phangiso, Phehlukwayo, Shamsi, Smuts.
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,200 metres
Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Younis Kalbani (trainer)
5.30pm: UAE Arabian Derby (PA) | Prestige | Dh150,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Octave, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round 3 (PA) | Group 3 Dh300,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Harrab, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Ali
6.30pm: Emirates Championship (PA) | Group 1 | Dh1million | 2,200m
Winner: BF Mughader, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (TB) | Group 3 | Dh380,000 | 2,200m
Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) | Conditions | Dh70,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF La’Asae, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
Company%20Profile
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Scoreline
Liverpool 4
Oxlade-Chamberlain 9', Firmino 59', Mane 61', Salah 68'
Manchester City 3
Sane 40', Bernardo Silva 84', Gundogan 90' 1
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
SUZUME
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Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
AIR
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ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
More coverage from the Future Forum
if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
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Company%20Profile
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Company%20Profile
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Step by step
2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
40kg of vegetables
45 pairs of running shoes
1 yoga matt
1 oxygen chamber
Company%20profile
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SCHEDULE
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm:Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
Amith's predicted winners:
6.30pm: Down On Da Bayou
7.05pm: Etisalat
7.40pm: Mulfit
8.15pm: Pennsylvania Dutch
8.50pm: Mudallel
9.25pm: Midnight Sands
Honeymoonish
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