A Steven Gerrard mistake last season helped Chelsea to the Premier League title, but Carlo Ancelotti has no doubts that Liverpool's captain is one of the best players in the world.
The midfield general demonstrated his importance to his side on Thursday night by scoring three goals in 15 minutes after coming on as a substitute, leading Liverpool to a 3-1 Europa League victory over the Italian side Napoli.
His display impressed Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, who is no stranger to Gerrard's heroics. The Italian was in charge of the AC Milan side that a Gerrard-inspired Liverpool came back against from three goals down to beat and win the Champions League in 2005.
Said Ancelotti: "Yes, obviously, he's one of the best players in the world and I'd like to manage him one time in the future."
Liverpool entertain league-leaders Chelsea tomorrow at Anfield, and it will be a chance for Gerrard to avenge the mistake that helped the London side lift their third Premier League title.
His under-hit back pass was intercepted by Didier Drogba, who rounded Pepe Reina to score, and Chelsea went on to win 2-0.
Ancelotti said that result was vital to winning the title last season, and he believes the form of Gerrard means his side will have to be at their best to triumph tomorrow.
"To win there we have to do our best," he said. "It's not enough to play at 90 per cent. We have to play 100 per cent to win there because now Gerrard is in fantastic condition.
"The victory against Napoli was important in improving their confidence, so we have to be ready to fight and stay focused for the whole game.
"Our game against Liverpool at Anfield was the most important game of last season. It was the key to winning the title. But we have to play against a different team [tomorrow].
"They've changed the manager and have had some problems since the beginning of the season. But they've moved on and won the last three games.
"We have to think they're one of the best teams in England. There will be a fantastic atmosphere and they will have the support of their fans.
"I think Liverpool's bad start is over. But it's good for us to think they've moved on from the bad moment."
Ancelotti remains without the services of the England midfielder Frank Lampard for the trip to Merseyside, and the Ghana international Michael Essien is doubtful with a toe problem.
However, the French winger Florent Malouda has recovered from his twisted ankle and is fit.
Lampard last played in the 2-0 victory over Stoke at the end of August. He underwent hernia surgery but has been plagued by a hamstring problem since then.
"Lampard is not available for this game," said Ancelotti. "We have to take our time again.
"We tried to do everything to get him in the best condition without more injury and now we can say he doesn't need any more surgery."
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
EXPATS
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
