12 teams are fixed in their positions… and 9 clubs are in a downward spiral

The 21st round of the Professional Football League recorded two rare cases, represented by the stability of the positions of 12 teams without any change in the ranking table, and the expansion of the circle of the struggle for survival to include nine clubs at once, in a rare precedent.

Between this stability and combustion, the competition for the title was limited, mathematically and realistically, between Al-Ain and Shabab Al-Ahly only, so that the tournament entered its decisive stage with a bilateral struggle at the top, and competitive chaos at the bottom.. “Emirates Today” monitors the most prominent scenes of the 21st round as follows:

Stability of positions

The ranking map maintained its almost complete stability in a rare scene as the league entered its decisive stages, as 12 places remained unchanged, while the only exception came through Khor Fakkan, which turned the equation around the bottom by defeating Baniyas 2-1, advancing from 11th to ninth place, pushing its competitor to his place, and “Al-Samawi” became closer to danger than him.

Closed conflict

The title race was mathematically and realistically confined between Al Ain and Shabab Al Ahly only, after the widening of the gap with the rest of the competitors. After Al Ain raised its score to 53 points in the lead by defeating Ajman, Al Wahda remained in third place at 37 points, which means that its final ceiling (52 points) is no longer enough to catch the lead even in the best scenarios, so that the competition turns into a postponed direct confrontation between two poles, to be decided with small details in the last five rounds.

Bear mixes accounts

Dibba reshuffled the cards for survival by defeating Al Dhafra and reaching 17 points, expanding the circle of conflict in an unprecedented way, as relegation is no longer a matter for the last-placed teams only, but its influence theoretically extended up to sixth place, where Al-Nasr stands with 28 points, in a scene that puts nine clubs at once under the pressure of complex calculations, in a historical precedent that will be reflected in the ferocity of competition in the coming rounds.

The return of Kamara

Othman Kamara regained his brilliance with Sharjah at a very important time, after scoring four goals in the last three matches, which is the same score in the previous 18 matches. The player’s brilliance contributes to the team regaining its offensive effectiveness and gives Portuguese coach Jose Moraes a decisive card in the final meters of the season.

Solid defense with strong attack

Not only did Shabab Al-Ahly have the strongest defense line of the season (only eight goals against), but its defenders turned this superiority into a direct offensive element by scoring eight goals, an indication of the integrity of the system, as this balance between solidity at the back and scoring performance contributes to the team’s chances in the title race, and gives it a clear tactical advantage.

Unit errors

Al-Wahda paid the price for a double defect in managing critical moments, between shaky beginnings and compressed endings, to waste a victory that was within its reach against Al-Nasr (2-2). Despite the early lead after 127 seconds, the team did not succeed in closing the match, conceding a fatal goal in the 90th + 8th minute, and failing to achieve victory for the fourth match in a row for the first time since April 2025, which reflects a decline in the ability to decide.

Kalba crisis

Kalba’s problem goes beyond wasting progress to a deeper flaw in managing the format of matches. For the second match in a row, the team advances and then loses control, emerging tied 2-2 with Al Bataeh after a similar scenario against Sharjah. Despite his advantage in the two matches, the lack of focus and inability to calm the pace or close the spaces turned the advantage into a loss of points, actually costing him four points at a very sensitive time.

---