Al-Arabi beat Al-Fujairah 4-1 in the second round of Division 1's regular season on 29 August. The hosts took control early, with Cheick Timite opening the scoring in the third minute before Rangel doubled the advantage before half-time. Al-Fujairah pulled one back through Yacine bentayeb after the break, but the visitor could only add a second consolation goal in stoppage time.
And here's the thing about the match — Al-Arabi's efficiency told. They registered seven shots on target compared to their opponents' two, even though possession sat at 48 per cent. To be fair, Al-Fujairah created more attacks overall, sixty-five to sixty, but they couldn't convert the chances on offer.
By then the game was effectively over. Wesley Braga made it three from the penalty spot in the sixty-first minute, and bentayeb's second effort in the eighty-first served only to soften the blow. Three yellow cards for the visitors against two for the hosts reflected a match that grew increasingly physical as the result settled.
The statistics paint a familiar picture. Al-Arabi won the battle in front of goal despite having zero corners, while Al-Fujairah managed three. Both sides took goal kicks in similar numbers — six versus seven — suggesting neither team dominated the ball in their own half for long.
Both teams now sit on three points from one game, though the table tells a different story. Al-Fujairah occupy third place after their victory over Al-Jazira Al-Hamra, while Al-Arabi drop to fifth following their opening win against Palm City. The gap between them remains narrow, but the quality of performances so far suggests otherwise.