MW14 In Focus: history for Sakala, Neves back with bang, Gerrard suffers setback | OneFootball

Well, with 33 goals, a couple of first-minute strikes and plenty of late, late drama, the 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League kicked back into gear with all the excitement we've come to expect this season.

Here, we assess the main talking points from Matchweek 14. Enjoy.

Mosquera shines, Sakala hits record to derail Al Ittihad

Al Ittihad came into Matchweek 14’s concluding fixture top of the RSL courtesy of a nine-match winning run. On Saturday night, they made the trip to Al Fayha, the club rooted second from bottom. Yet Al Fayha frustrated their lofty opponents and were denied a late victory only by Fawaz Al Suqour’s 93rd-minute leveller.

However, the 1-1 draw was set apart not only by the somewhat surprising scoreline, but by two superb displays in Al Fayha orange, each at opposite ends of the pitch.

First up, goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera who, rather incredibly, saved two penalties with the score at 0-0: one from the in-form Karim Benzema, just before the hour, the other from Algerian international Houssem Aouar, two minutes from time.

In turn, that paved the way for Fashion Sakala to put Al Fayha ahead in the 91st minute with a sublime solo goal – and create his own slice of history. The goal marked the Zambian’s 24th for Al Fayha, lifting him out on his own as the club’s highest scorer in RSL history.

With the result, meanwhile, Al Ittihad surrendered top spot and are now behind champions Al Hilal on goal difference.

Terim given wild welcome to RSL at Al Ahli

Undoubtedly, the arrival of Turkish managerial royalty Fatih Terim represented one of the principal storylines during the winter break. The former Galatasaray, Fiorentina, AC Milan and Turkiye national-team manager is hugely decorated, but his appointment at Al Shabab constitutes his first position in Gulf football.

Thus, Friday’s away encounter at a flying Al Ahli was always going to offer a testing debut and so it proved: within three minutes of the second half starting in Jeddah, the visitors were 3-0 down.

However, displaying some of the resilience that encapsulates Terim, Al Shabab did not give up. The Riyadh side pulled a goal back on 72 minutes, then made for a frantic finish to a lengthy period of injury-time by grabbing another in the 95th minute. But, in the end, they could not quite muster the ultimate comeback, losing 3-2.

Still, there was enough to show Terim that he has a team, who remain sixth - even with a fifth successive win, Al Ahli stay fifth - more than capable of mounting a serious charge for the top four.

Returning Ruben Neves pivotal to Al Hilal title bid

So, it required only a first RSL appearance since October (Matchweek 7) to showcase how important Ruben Neves is to Al Hilal. To their credit, the title-holders have hardly floundered in their midfield metronome’s absence, winning four of their six league games since to go into Matchweek 13 second in the standings behind Al Ittihad.

However, on Saturday against Al Orobah, Neves returned to the starting line-up, opened the scoring on 16 minutes from the penalty spot and generally looked like he had never been away as Al Hilal strode to a 5-0 win. In doing so, they moved back on top of the table for the first time since Matchweek 11.

At the same time, the result underlined that, even without 2024-25 RSL top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic and captain Salem Al Dawsari – both injured – Jorge Jesus has the firepower to maintain the title charge. Here, former Benfica winger Marcos Leonardo grabbed two to continue his fine debut season.

Yet it’s Neves’ comeback that signalled Al Hilal’s strength. He dictates the team’s tempo, serving as the crucial cog at the heart of their bid to retain the top-flight crown.

Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq fail to build on much-needed win

Having shaken off a terrible sequence of league results right before the RSL pause, Steven Gerrard would have no doubt been targeting a similarly triumphant restart – and with it, the continuation of a major move up the table.

That, though, did not come to pass at EGO Stadium on Friday when Al Kholood visited. To be fair, Al Ettifaq rebounded twice from going behind and, when Moussa Dembele kept cool from the penalty spot deep into injury-time, the hosts looked like getting away with a 2-2 draw.

However, Al Kholood still managed to nick it right at the death, Myziane Maolida finishing with aplomb for the second of the contest and, ultimately, the winner. Remarkably, the clock read 100 minutes as Noureddine Ben Zekri’s side recorded only their third victory of the season to jump into 13th.

That is a mere two spots and two points below Al Ettifaq who, having halted a run of nine RSL matches without a win last time out, could not build upon it. The loss of Al Nassr loanee Seko Fofana leaves a significant hole in midfield, while Gerrard will hope Alvaro Medran can return from injury as soon as possible.

Never underestimate Al Taawoun, who stun Al Qadsiah

Al Qadsiah entered the winter break third in the standings. Michel’s men had more than delivered on their off-season investment, with the promoted club riding a six-match winning streak and doing all that they could to keep Al Hilal and Al Ittihad within sight above them.

Al Qadsiah were cruising in the King’s Cup, too, when on Tuesday they saw off Al Taawoun 3-0 away to book their spot in the semi-finals.

As fate would have it, Al Qadsiah welcomed Al Taawoun to the Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium on Saturday for their RSL resumption. The result? Well, another 3-0 shutout. Only, this time, it went in Al Taawoun’s favour.

Musa Barrow was again the Buraidah side’s main man, the Gambian hotshot opening the scoring within 24 seconds and then adding his second 15 minutes from time – this one a typically beautiful long-range finish.

In between, Waleed Al Ahmad got another for Al Taawoun while, once more highlighting their propensity for an upset, they had to play the final 40-plus minutes with 10 men following midfielder’s Mohammed Mahzari’s red card on RSL debut.

That said, Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s team delivered one of the performances of Matchweek 14, snapping Al Qadsiah’s super run and moving back to within seven points of the top four. They couldn't repeat last season's heroics, could they?