Manchester United restored some much-needed momentum with a convincing 4-1 win over Wolves at Old Trafford, a result that injects fresh belief into Ruben Amorim’s side as the Premier League moves into its busy winter period.
Bruno Fernandes led the charge with a brace as United ran away in the second half, responding to Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s early reply for Wolves to secure a statement victory that lifts United into sixth place and hands the basement side a fresh body blow.
Aston Villa produced the weekend’s headline upset by halting Arsenal’s title charge with a 2-1 victory at Villa Park. It was Arsenal’s second league defeat of the season, an outcome that has reopened the title race and tightened the top of the table. Unai Emery’s side showed resilience and tactical nous against Mikel Arteta’s previously imperious leaders.
Manchester City did their part to remain in the hunt, cruising to a 3-0 win over Sunderland to keep the pressure on the summit. City’s composed display underlined Pep Guardiola’s depth and quality, and them moving within striking distance of the leaders Arsenal will ensure the title race remains competitive.
Crystal Palace continued their impressive surge, moving into the Uefa Champions League places after a last-gasp 2-1 win at Fulham. Marc Guehi’s late header secured three points that take Palace into the top four and highlight Oliver Glasner’s side as one of the season’s surprise packages.
Tottenham got back to winning ways with victory at home over Brentford, while West Ham remain in the bottom three after conceding a last-gasp equaliser to Brighton.
Here is our Premier League team of the week (3-5-2 formation).
Goalkeeper
Djordje Petrovic (Bournemouth): Made a string of fine saves to keep Chelsea at bay.
Defenders
Matty Cash (Aston Villa): Scored a wonderful goal to set Aston Villa on their way to a 2-1 win over Arsenal that took Villa to within three points of the Premier League leaders. Was excellent defensively, too.
Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace): Earned his team another win with a goal at Fulham that lifted the Eagles into fourth place. Was a target for Liverpool last summer. It remains to be seen whether the Reds will revive their interest in the England defender in January.
Djed Spence (Tottenham): Didn't allow Brentford a sniff of the ball and unlucky not to score on one of his many forays forward.
Midfielders
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle): An automatic selection on account of scoring direct from a corner. The Brazilian is the heartbeat of Newcastle. Excellent passing range, protects his defence and calculates when to join the attack. Was excellent against Burnley.
Bruno Fernandes (Man United): Took control of proceedings in the second half as United turned the screw on hapless Wolves. Scored twice and set up his teammates with cute passes.
Anton Stach (Leeds United): Breezed into Liverpool's area to score a deserved equaliser. Always wants the ball and never shirks a tackle.
Xavi Simons (Tottenham): Has failed to justify his hefty price tag since joining from RB Leipzig but was excellent in the win at Brentford. Laid on the assist for Richarlison and then lost and won the ball back before striding half the pitch to score Spurs' second.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Everton): Has helped transform Everton from relegation survivors to genuine top-half contenders. Was terrific against Nottingham Forest and rounded off the scoring with a well-taken goal.
Strikers
Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool): Took a knock early on after being clattered by the goalkeeper but dusted himself off to score twice in the 3-3 draw at Leeds. Liverpool lost their shape when he was replaced midway through the second half.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds): Put himself about and was more than up for the physical challenge of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate. The power on his penalty gave Alisson no chance despite going the right way.
Manager
Daniel Farke (Leeds): Eased the pressure on his own position by masterminding four points against first Chelsea then Liverpool.
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
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
ASSASSIN'S%20CREED%20MIRAGE
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Copa del Rey
Barcelona v Real Madrid
Semi-final, first leg
Wednesday (midnight UAE)
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
