Mikel Arteta has hinted that he is ready to hand Gabriel Jesus his first start in nearly a year in Arsenal's League Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace Tuesday.The Premier League leaders host Oliver Glasner's side at the Emirates, desperate to end the club's six-year trophy drought. Jesus scored a hat-trick in Arsenal's last-eight win against Palace last season before they fell to Newcastle in the semi-finals.The Brazil international then spent 11 months on the sidelines after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. But, following three substitute appearances, Jesus could be unleashed from the start against Palace, with Arteta set to rotate a side that faces six matches in 20 days. Chelsea await the winners.Arteta said former Manchester City forward Jesus, 28, was ready to start. "You can see now, not only in games but every day in training how much he wants it so he's going to deserve a chance soon," he said."It has been a real intense journey. When he joined us he lifted the belief, the spirit and the energy of the team and he gave something very different to what we already had and was very impressive. Then he had some very bad injuries and that hasn't allowed him to have the consistency we need from a very important player. He is back and his fighting spirit, his desire to always prepare in the best way is unbelievable. The team is together now and we need to use it."Jesus could take the place of Viktor Gyokeres, who, despite scoring from the penalty spot in Arsenal's 1-0 win at Everton on Saturday, has not found the back of the net from open play in his past six appearances.Man City players face Christmas weigh-in as Guardiola issues 'fatty' warningManchester City's players face a Christmas Day weigh-in to check they have not over-indulged over the festive period – with Pep Guardiola warning they will be dropped if they have piled on the pounds.City enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win over Premier League strugglers West Ham on Saturday to keep the pressure on leaders Arsenal. But Guardiola, who has won six league titles during his spell at the Etihad, is famously demanding, revealing his men had been weighed before their short break."Every player makes a weight," said the City boss. "They come back on the 25th and I will be there controlling how many kilos come up, (to see if) they come fatty. The moment they arrive after three days I want to see how they come back. They can eat but I want to control them."The Spaniard said players who returned to the club overweight would not play against Forest on December 27. "Imagine one player and now he's perfect but he will arrive with three kilos more. He will (stay) in Manchester," he said. "He will not travel to Nottingham Forest."Guardiola said it was important his men relaxed during a packed calendar as he heads to Barcelona for a brief rest. "The schedule is so tight and the players have to forget," he said. "The more they arrive in the right moment (the better). The moment of the game they will be fresh in the legs. The players have to go with the families and forget football. It's good. For them to see the manager every day – that's so tough."The famously exacting City boss refused his players a day off after their win on Saturday, unhappy with the level of performance despite a fifth straight league victory."The players asked me to take a day off. I said, 'No because you didn't play good enough,' he said. "So Sunday recovery, train the guys that didn't play, and after three days off they have two days to prepare for Nottingham Forest."

Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM) and Isha Ambani of India’s Mumbai-based Reliance Industries have signed a five-year strategic partnership between the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center (NMACC) and QM. The collaboration will establish a series of Museum-in-Residence educational programmes in both India and Qatar, designed to introduce playful, museum-based learning experiences for children and provide educators with new tools to inspire creativity nationwide. The ceremony took place at the National Museum of Qatar in Doha. Connected by a shared belief in the power of education to spark creativity and the importance of cross-cultural exchange, QM and NMACC are jointly developing programmes to enrich early childhood learning. While centred on the needs of young learners, these initiatives also equip teachers and volunteers with new tools, materials, and playful methodologies that empower them to innovate in the classroom. Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said: “Qatar Museums and the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre share the belief that creativity and cultural exchange are key to shaping a new generation of confident, empathetic young learners. Through this collaboration, led by Isha Ambani, a legacy of our Year of Culture with India, Qatar Museums will contribute its skills and experiences to the outstanding educational programmes of the centre’s already robust history and ever-expanding roster providing educational tools and insights, helping them extend their reach in classrooms throughout India.” In India, NMACC will partner with Reliance Foundation (RF) to implement the programming across multiple regions, guided by QM specialists — including experts from the Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar — who will deliver masterclasses and hands-on mentoring. In keeping with NMACC’s mission to bring the best of the world to India and share the best of India with the world, each programme will be adapted to diverse learning contexts, strengthening the Centre’s broader commitment to education and the arts.Isha Ambani, Director Reliance Industries noted: “We are pleased to partner with Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Qatar Museums on this meaningful collaboration focused on children and education. At the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, we are committed to bringing global ideas to India while sharing India’s rich cultural heritage with the world and creating world-class educational experiences for young people. Both Qatar Museums and the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre believe that culture is where imagination begins, and education is where potential becomes real. Through this partnership, we aim to spark new forms of learning that empower every child to dream boldly and to learn confidently.” QM and NMACC will also work together to develop additional initiatives that encourage creativity, empathy, and discovery. These programmes will be implemented in schools, anganwadis, and community centres across India, including in rural and underserved regions. Maha al-Hajri, Acting Director of Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, said, “We are proud to launch this collaboration as part of Dadu’s Museum-in-Residence programme, bringing the Light Atelier to new audiences in India. The Light Atelier, developed for children aged three to seven, creates immersive, hands-on learning environments that reflect Dadu’s commitment to learning through play. As part of our learning-through-play philosophy, this Museum-in-Residence programme allows us to share Dadu’s approach beyond our walls while creating meaningful cultural exchanges with partners like the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre.” This partnership marks a milestone in Qatar Museums’ ongoing commitment to advancing education and cultural exchange globally, reflecting the mission of Qatar National Vision 2030 to invest in human and cultural development.

The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has announced the schedule for the preliminary round of the Amir Cup, with the matches taking place on January 10 across four venues.The preliminary stage will be played in a knockout format, with four teams advancing to the Round of 16. Al Sailiya will face Al Muaither at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Al Markhiya will take on Muaither at Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Al Kharaitiyat will meet Al Bidda at Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium, while Al Waab will play Lusail at the same venue.All matches will be decided on a knockout basis. In the event of a draw at the end of regulation time, teams will contest 30 minutes of extra time, split into two 15-minute halves. If the tie remains unresolved, the winner will be determined by a penalty shootout.Amir Cup is one of the oldest and most prestigious tournaments in Qatar football, which continues to attract strong interest from the sporting community and fans ahead of the latter stages of the competition.The match-ups are based on the final standings of the Second Division at the conclusion of the 2024–2025 season, with the first-placed team facing the eighth, the second playing the seventh, the third meeting the sixth, and the fourth taking on the fifth. The format was confirmed following the completion of the 14th and final round of the Second Division league.Al Sailiya finished top of the standings with 28 points, followed by Al Markhiya (25), Al Kharaitiyat (23), Al Waab (19), Lusail (18), Al Bidda (15), Muaither (12) and Al Muaither, who placed eighth with 11 points.