Sport360°'s Matt Monaghan reflects on the latest round of Arabian Gulf League matches and offers his picks of the week from round three.
Player of the week
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. With star trio Omar Abdulrahman, Asamoah Gyan and Jires Kembo- Ekoko ruled out through injury, Diaky rose to the challenge of seeing the Boss past Emirates Club with a match-winning brace.
The 32-year-old prospered in an unfamiliar lone striking role, his second a beautiful combination of chest control and snapped volley.
Goal of the week
Luis Jimenez (Al Ahli)
Everything about Jimenez’s equaliser against Al Dhafra was remarkable – the timing, the technique and the execution.
The champions looked on course for a shock defeat, when in the 97th-minute the Chilean controlled a difficult bouncing ball with his chest to tee up an unstoppable volley that curved away from the helpless goalkeeper and flew in off the inside of the post.
Incredible.
Relieve it here from 40 seconds in…
Coach of the week
Fathi Al Jabal (Ajman)
Purely looking at the table, Ajman do not seem to be having a great season. But look deeper, and the fixture list shows their battle into mid-table has included matches against all the league’s big guns.
The Orange Brigade buzzed against leaders Al Wahda, coming so close to a famous win.
Coach Al Jabal has to be given immense credit for what he has achieved thus far, under the radar.
Talking points
Ahli’s title defence up in the air
Al Ahli’s stroll to the title last season featured a club in complete control – lethal in attack and rock solid at the back.
The Red Knights’ attack remains in fine fettle, but the defence has disintegrated. Analysing the 10 goals conceded does not make a pretty picture.
A weakness in the air has seen six goals go in, contributing to seven dropped points. The latest was Al Dhafra’s opener in Thursday’s 2-2 draw, Ali Al Hammadi rising highest.
All future opponents would be well advised to launch as many crosses as possible and make the most of set-pieces.
Back for when it truly Matars
There was disappointment for leaders Al Wahda after seeing a secondsuccessive draw, but UAE coach Mahdi Ali can feel enlivened that Ismail Matar seems poised for a first start of the season against Fujairah on Monday.
The veteran forward, who has more than 100 caps for the Whites, looked sharper still on his second appearance from the bench after summer knee surgery.
With the Gulf Cup title defence beginning in less than a month, this run to full fitness could not have been better timed for Ali. He will now be hoping Omar Abdulrahman can, similarly, overcome his knee problems.
