Arsene Wenger and Arsenal are fourth in the Premier League. Eddie Keogh / Reuters
Arsene Wenger and Arsenal are fourth in the Premier League. Eddie Keogh / Reuters

‘Every game becomes vital’ says Wenger as Arsenal look to keep Champions League on track



Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal will have only themselves to blame if they fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Wenger’s side face Everton on Sunday in a crucial clash in the race to book a place in Europe’s elite club competition.

Arsenal currently hold the fourth and final Champions League spot and sit four points ahead of fifth placed Everton.

But a defeat against Roberto Martinez’s men at Goodison Park would leave the north Londoners in severe danger of squandering their advantage as Everton also have a game in hand.

Arsenal have already crumbled under the pressure of competing for the title after they surrendered top spot despite leading the way for a long spell.

And now the tension of the top-four battle also seems to be affecting them after a run of three games without a win, including a 6-0 hammering at Chelsea.

In the circumstances, Wenger knows Arsenal can’t afford another slip on Merseyside this weekend and the manager said: “For us it is an opportunity to go up forward and as well an opportunity to make a distance with Everton of course. It is both.

“The target is to finish as high as possible. Where that will be at the moment will depend only on our results,” said Wenger.

On the plus side for Wenger, Arsenal have been boosted by the return of Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who scored 13 goals in 27 games before suffering a thigh injury in the 3-1 victory at West Ham on December 26.

“Having someone like Ramsey, who can help the team be successful, is very important,” Wenger said.

“He has worked very hard in training but what he lacks is competition.”

Arsenal are seven points adrift of leaders Liverpool with six games remaining, yet Wenger has not given up hope of overhauling the leaders.

“We were a bit flat after the Swansea and Chelsea games, and what was vital for us was not to lose against City but at least to come out with a strong performance,” he said.

“Every game becomes vital. We have a small percentage chance of winning the title, but we have to give everything to make it possible.”

Meanwhile, Everton manager Martinez insists Sunday’s showdown is not make-or-break in the race for Champions League qualification.

“In the history of the Premier League if you had 60 points or more after 31 games you were always guaranteed to finish in the top four,” said the Spaniard, whose side boast exactly that tally.

“Now you have five teams who have done that, so one is going to be out of the top four. We have achieved the opportunity to fight mathematically for a top-four finish and that’s a remarkable achievement.

“But we are very focused on the next seven games and trying to get as many points as we can. Arsenal on Sunday is a great opportunity and a great occasion, but winning that game doesn’t guarantee you in the top four.

“In the same manner, if you lose the game you are not out of that race. There are 21 points to play for and it’s how many you can get out of those, it’s as simple as that.”

Everton have won their last five Premier League games but were knocked out of the FA Cup defeat at Arsenal in early March.

“The game we played in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup left us with a bit of a sour taste,” Martinez said.

“We are fighting with a direct rival, who we admire and respect. They have been in this situation every single season and have found a way to perform in these big games and get into one of those top four positions.”

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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Company%20Profile
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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

What is double taxation?
  • Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
  • Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
  • The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
  • Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
UAE squad to face Ireland

Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind

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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Ticket prices
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