with/despite

[AlexAD]

Hello.

Here is the excerpt from the interview with a footballer:

Being on the shoulder of the pace-setter is a position that Scholes is happy with at this stage of the race, with each Manchester club still having 16 league games left to play.

Does the with has the meaning of despite in this context so that it could have been written as
'... despite each Manchester club still having 16 league games left to play'. ?

Thanks, Alex.

[emsr2d2]

Hello.

Here is the excerpt from the interview with a footballer:

Being on the shoulder of the pace-setter is a position that Scholes is happy with at this stage of the race, with each Manchester club still having 16 league games left to play.

Does the with has the meaning of despite in this context so that it could have been written as
'... despite each Manchester club still having 16 league games left to play'. ?

Thanks, Alex.

No, there's no reason for it to mean "despite". It simply means "At the same time that Scholes is happy with his position, the two Manchester teams still both have 16 games left".

[AlexAD]

The OALD's entry for this word has an item 'used when considering one fact in relation to another' with the examples:

1. She won't be able to help us with all the family commitments she has.
2. It's much easier compared with last time.

Does the with have that meaning?

Thanks, Alex.