Matchweek 8 of the Arabian Gulf League, which was held amid patriotic atmosphere for coinciding with the Commemoration Day and the UAE's 49th National Day, saw Al Jazira move into second place in the standings, just above Al Nasr on goal difference, while Sharjah maintained their position at the top.
The Pride of Abu Dhabi raised their tally to 17 points after beating Fujairah 3-0 thanks to three second half goals, with Zayed Al Ameri netting a brace and Abdalla Ramadan scoring a goal. This marked Al Jazira’s third win in a row, helping them move to second place. Meanwhile, Fujairah succumbed to their sixth defeat of the season to sit 12th on four points.
They are tied on points with Al Nasr who dropped to third place after playing out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Ittihad Kalba that wasn’t sealed until the dying minutes of the game. Kalba, who snatched a point thanks to Mansour Al Baloushi late goal, now sit eighth and are tied on 13 points with Shabab Al Ahli and Bani Yas, trailing on goal difference.
Bani Yas ended their four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over Al Ain, after Joao Pedro and Suhail Al Noobi netted a double each. The win put the Sky Blues in seventh place, one point behind Al Ain who sit fourth and are tied on points with Al Wahda, who were held to a 1-1 draw with Al Dhafra.
Leaders Sharjah had to settle for the second draw in a row after sharing the spoils in a 1-1 stalemate with Shabab Al Ahli. The King, however, maintained their position at the top of the standings, while Shabab Al Ahli moved to sixth place.
Al Wasl came from behind to beat Ajman 3-2 and move to ninth place on 12 points, one above 10th-placed Al Dhafra. Meanwhile, Ajman suffered their sixth defeat of the season to remain in 13th place with two points only.
They are only ahead of Hatta, who linger at the bottom of the table with one point, after losing to Khorfakkan 3-2. This marked Khorfakkan’s first win of the season as they raised their tally to five points in fifth place.
Matchweek 8 in numbers
Matchweek 8 saw an average of 4 goals per game, as 28 goals were netted in all seven matches. The goalscoring charts are currently topped by Shabab Al Ahli’s Igor Jesus on nine goals, one more than Sharjah’s Igor Coronado who sit in second place.
Al Nasr conceded three goals in one game for the first time this season, yet they continue to hold the best defensive record in the current season, while Hatta are the worst with 22 goals. On the offensive side, Shabab Al Ahli are the best after netting 19 goals, while Ajman and Hatta are the worst with four goals each.
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