An hour into last Sunday's game at Leicester City, you would have said that Louis van Gaal was turning things round. His Manchester United side were 3-1 up, their attacking might clearly in evidence. Then Jamie Vardy wasn't penalised for bundling over Rafael and United collapsed.
Their implosion was remarkable and it is hard to believe the scars of conceding four goals in such quick succession won’t leave scars. It was the first time they had squandered a two-goal lead in the league for 30 years and suddenly United are feeling the fear they used to inspire in others.
Van Gaal has described this as his “greatest challenge”, which, given the career he has had, says something for the mess United are in. Such is the injury crisis, particularly among defenders, that one of Tom Thorpe and Paddy McNair could make their debuts at centre-back against West Ham at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Which makes this a spectacularly bad time to face a West Ham side that last week outplayed Liverpool, winning 3-1 with a performance Sam Allardyce described as the best since he had arrived at the club.
Stewart Downing revelled in a central role at the tip of the diamond, making the most of the space created for him by the movement of Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho. In this form, they would be a test for even the most secure of back fours, and United are far from that.
sports@thenational.ae
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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RESULTS
Manchester United 2
Anthony Martial 30'
Scott McTominay 90 6'
Manchester City 0
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'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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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: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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.
