The fourth round of the Asian Elite Football League saw a significant decline in the results and performance of Emirati clubs, marking their worst round since the start of the competition. Al Sharjah suffered its third defeat in its Asian campaign, losing 2-0 to Saudi Ittihad. The match highlighted the team's struggles with offensive inefficiency and recurring defensive errors, leaving Al Sharjah far from the qualifying spots for the second round. Ittihad's match revealed the depth of the technical crisis Al Sharjah is facing, as the team failed to maintain squad stability. This forced Serbian coach Milos Miloevic to use 31 players in matches since the beginning of the season, which weakened the harmony among the three lines and caused the team to perform at inconsistent levels that do not reflect the individual potential of its players. Meanwhile, Al Ahli Dubai was no better off, suffering a heavy and unexpected 1-4 defeat to Qatari Al-Duhail, one of their weakest matches in terms of defense and organization. This defeat raised questions about the team's fluctuating level after it had delivered an outstanding performance in previous rounds and achieved encouraging results that boosted its hopes of competing for the top spot. Al Ahli Dubai suffered from a lack of balance between defense and attack against Al-Duhail, in addition to weak pressure on the ball carrier, while the team continued to waste easy chances in front of goal. The only bright spot in the round was from Al Wahda, which continued its strong run in the tournament by securing a valuable away victory over Uzbekistan's Nasaf with a 2-1 score. Al Wahda's performance over the last four rounds has been characterized by tactical discipline and defensive solidity, along with its ability to capitalize on opportunities and convert them into decisive goals thanks to the cohesion of its lines and the unity of both local and foreign players. The technical staff also deserves credit for maintaining stability in the starting lineup, which has had a positive impact on the level of harmony and confidence within the team. The fourth round marked the lowest points tally for Emirati clubs since the start of the competition, with the three teams collecting only three points, compared to seven in the first round, which remains the best so far. In that round, Al Wahda defeated Ittihad 2-1, Al Sharjah beat Al-Duhail 4-3, and Al Ahli Dubai drew 0-0 with Iran's Tractor. The second round also kept the Emirati clubs' record clean of defeats, with Al Ahli Dubai beating Ittihad 1-0, Al Sharjah drawing 1-1 with Qatari Al-Sadd, and Al Wahda drawing 0-0 with Tractor. The third round, however, saw a relative increase in the average points (six points), thanks to Al Wahda's 3-1 win over Al-Duhail and Al Ahli Dubai's 4-1 victory over Nasaf, despite Sharjah's heavy 0-5 defeat to Tractor. Emirati Teams Standings. After the fourth round, Al Wahda maintained its third place in the West Asia zone standings with 10 points, level with Saudi Al Ahli (the title holders), strengthening its position among the top three in the overall West Asia zone standings and taking a significant step towards securing a spot in the second round. Meanwhile, Saudi Al-Hilal tightened its grip on the top spot with a perfect record after four consecutive wins. Al Ahli Dubai dropped to fifth place with seven points, while Al Sharjah found itself in a difficult position, slipping to eighth with only four points, making it need exceptional results in the upcoming difficult rounds if it wants to keep its hopes of qualification alive.
