Al Ittihad are building momentum at the right time. Back-to-back wins over Al Nassr and Al-Fayha have lifted them to third in the Saudi Pro League with 14 points from six games, just one point behind leaders Al Hilal and Al Qadsiah. The 2-1 victory over Al-Fayha on Tuesday, secured through goals from George Ilenikhena and Youssef En-Nesyri, kept the pressure on the teams above them and confirmed a sharp upturn in form after a difficult start to the season that included defeats to Al Qadsiah and Al Hazm.

Off the pitch, the club's summer window ended with mixed results. The high-profile pursuit of Algerian winger Anis Hadj Moussa collapsed in its final hours after Feyenoord demanded a bank guarantee that Ittihad declined to provide. Reports from Dutch media placed the blame firmly on Feyenoord's internal politics rather than any financial shortcoming on Ittihad's part. As a replacement, the club signed Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum on a free transfer from Al Ittifaq, adding experience to the squad. Midfielder Mokhtar Ali is confirmed out injured and will miss upcoming fixtures.

The next test comes Thursday away at Al-Faisaly, a game Ittihad will approach as favourites. With the title race tightly packed at the top, dropping points now would be costly. The early-season inconsistency appears to be fading, and the squad has the quality to sustain a genuine title challenge if this form holds.