The competition at the top of the ADNOC Pro League table has heated up after the seventh round, with only five points separating leaders 'Al Ain' from fourth-placed 'Al Wasl', indicating an open title race among several teams. In the seventh round, Al Ain defeated Ajman 3-0, Al Wahda beat Al Nasr 3-2, Shabab Al Ahli won over Sharjah 2-0, Al Jazira beat Al Bataeh 1-0, and Al Dhafra defeated Kalba 3-0. Meanwhile, Al Wasl drew with Khor Fakkan 1-1, and Bani Yas drew with Al Dhaira 2-2.
'Emarat Al Youm' highlights the seven most eye-catching moments from the last round as follows:
**Al-Maqbali's Brilliance** Shabab Al Ahli's goalkeeper, Hamad Al-Maqbali, continues his outstanding performances, confirming his status as one of the league's top goalkeepers. He kept a clean sheet in six out of seven matches, making him the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets in the league. The only goal he conceded was from Al Ain, which was also his team's only defeat this season.
**Laba Makes History** Al Ain's star Togolese international, Laba Kodjo, continues to shine and etches his name into the league's history books. He increased his goal tally to 127, equalling the record of former Sharjah player Abdulaziz Mohammed ('Azzuz'). Laba now ranks seventh on the all-time top scorers list and needs just five goals to match the tally of Mohammed Omar (132 goals, sixth place).
**Al Wahda's Unbeaten Streak** Al Wahda's title ambitions this season have been strengthened as the team maintained its positive results and continues to chase Al Ain. Their points tally reached 17, compared to Al Ain's 19. Now, 'The Yellow' are just one win away from equalling their record for the longest unbeaten streak in league history (20 matches from January to December 2014).
**Sharjah Far From Its Best** Sharjah has become a puzzling team this season. The club is still far from its best level and suffered another defeat to Shabab Al Ahli. It has dropped to 11th place with seven points, continuing its performance crisis since the departure of coach Olarion Cosmin and the appointment of Serbian coach Milos Milojevic to take the helm of 'The King'.
**Bani Yas in a Vortex of Doubt** Since their last victory on May 1st against Sharjah, Bani Yas has not tasted victory in the league. 'The Sky Blues' have played 13 matches, losing 10 and drawing three. The team currently sits at the bottom of the table with one point after seven rounds, marking their worst-ever start and plunging them into a circle of doubt.
**Al Dhafra's Historic Start** Under the guidance of Montenegrin coach Zelko Petrovic, Al Dhafra is playing an entertaining attacking style, reflected in the numbers: the team has scored 13 goals in seven matches, which is half of their tally for the 2022-2023 season (26 goals). Al Dhafra has collected 12 points, the best start in its history in the league.
**A Round Without Red Cards** Red cards were completely absent from the seventh round, showcasing a disciplined officiating performance. This contrasts sharply with the previous round, which saw seven red cards in six matches—a rare historical feat that surpassed the tenth round of the 2022-2023 season, which had six red cards.
