Manchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, right, shakes the hand of Luke Shaw as he leaves the pitch during the match against Southampton on Monday. AP
Manchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, right, shakes the hand of Luke Shaw as he leaves the pitch during the match against Southampton on Monday. AP
Manchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, right, shakes the hand of Luke Shaw as he leaves the pitch during the match against Southampton on Monday. AP
Manchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, right, shakes the hand of Luke Shaw as he leaves the pitch during the match against Southampton on Monday. AP

Manchester United desperate to keep their Champions League hopes on course at a happy hunting ground


Andy Mitten
  • English
  • Arabic

Manchester United return to Selhurst Park on Thursday for a key Premier League game at a venue where they have performed well, winning five and drawing once since Crystal Palace were promoted in 2013.

It is also one of the loudest away ends, with 3,000 fans standing on the shallow rake under the low roof of the Arthur Wait Stand.

From Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba goals in 2016, to Nemanja Matic's winner in 2018 in a 2-3 result, and two from Romelu Lukaku to make it 1-3 last season, those fans have been treated to late triumphs in games played at night under lights.

United also beat Palace in the 2016 FA Cup final while at Old Trafford, United could boast five straight wins until a hapless 0-0 draw with the Eagles in November 2018 which was another nail in Jose Mourinho’s United future – he was sacked within a month. The result, if not the performance, was even worse this season as United lost 2-1 in a game they dominated.

"If you're positive thinking, little things go for you. If you're negative, they go against you," manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told United We Stand recently.

“Palace at home. You could play that game 100 times and we’d win 99. That was the most freak result of the season, plus we lost Luke [Shaw] and Anthony [Martial]. So after three games there was a lot of negativity about. Everything gets magnified at Man United.”

There is now a lot of positivity around United but the team must win in South London to maintain their chance of finishing in the top four and getting a Champions League spot.

The 96th minute equaliser by Southampton on Monday was a blow and dropped United from third to fifth with three games remaining but, asked by The National about his defence, Solskjaer said: "I think we've had a couple of things against teams that show we're improving all the time.

"We can defend well at times [and] when you say defence I look at the whole XI because we start pressing from the front.

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Manchester United v Southampton ratings

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“There are not many teams that create chances against us because we press high with Marcus [Rashford], Anthony, Mason [Greenwood] and Bruno (Fernandes). And, at the back end of the Southampton game David [de Gea] made a fantastic save.

“Of course we were disappointed to concede a goal in the last seconds but Brandon [Williams] was off, we were playing with 10 men, Southampton had players on who were 7ft tall, and it was a great delivery by [James] Ward-Prowse. I’m very pleased with the development.”

On his two left backs who had to leave the field, Solskjaer said: “Luke Shaw has a swollen ankle. Brandon’s eye was cut. I’m going to give them as much time as possible to get the swelling away to play against Palace.”

Solskjaer is adamant his players are fitter than they have been for years and one, Martial, is fizzing and was the best player on the field in both of the games played at Old Trafford since the restart.

The Parisien, 24, has scored a career best 21 goals – the same as Rashford – so far this term and is deployed as the main central forward in Solskjaer’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.

“He’s definitely developing, improving and enjoying his football,” Solskjaer said.

"He’s stepped it up as an individual and more as a team player, and physically. I remember there were talks about our forwards being the least active [in the league] and there were stats flying around but Anthony is now working really hard for the team and is a quality finisher.”

United’s season still hangs in the balance. Finish in the top four or win the Europa League or FA Cup or achieve all three and it would be considered a substantial improvement.

But drop points to Crystal Palace on Thursday and fingers will start to be pointed. At least United travel in form and a good record there, if not their raucous away fans.

ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY

Starting at 10am:

Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang

Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)

Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)

Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera 

Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas

The Details

Kabir Singh

Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa

Rating: 2.5/5 

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg

How to vote

Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.

They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi

Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday) 

SECRET%20INVASION
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MATCH INFO

Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')

Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')

Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)

If you go…

Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.

Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days. 

How to donate

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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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

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Studying addiction

This month, Dubai Medical College launched the Middle East’s first master's programme in addiction science.

Together with the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation, the college offers a two-year master’s course as well as a one-year diploma in the same subject.

The move was announced earlier this year and is part of a new drive to combat drug abuse and increase the region’s capacity for treating drug addiction.

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