Sequels tend to be commissioned by popular demand and in anticipation of public approval. The fifth instalment of Liverpool and Chelsea in Europe, in contrast, is something neither wanted.
This is an ongoing saga where both parties harbour a desire for revenge, where barely disguised enmity and mutual sense of caution mean thoughts of a footballing fiesta are swiftly discarded and where attrition dwarfs ambition. Such games produce a scarcity of goals - 10 in their eight Champions League encounters - but a surfeit of controversy.
Liverpool and Chelsea renew acquaintances at Anfield tonight in the knowledge that they possess an unrivalled capacity to inflict pain upon one another and that they have a recent record of each winning the trophy the other covets most. Enmity and envy are merged in a clash of philosophies. The nouveau riche concept of buying success is scorned at Anfield, perhaps a reason why Jamie Carragher, the embodiment of Liverpool, tends to produce his most defiant displays against Chelsea. History is less of an issue to a club who reinvented themselves in 2003, but long to be crowned kings of Europe to validate Roman Abramovich's regime.
Despite a consistent record of achievement, the Champions League represents a graveyard for Chelsea managers; three left, in part, for a failure to win it and a fourth - Luiz Felipe Scolari - amid fears they would not qualify for next season's. Guus Hiddink, a winner in 1988 with PSV Eindhoven, may insist he will return to Russia next season but victory over the two legs would test that resolve.
His chances will be boosted should Didier Drogba recover from the calf injury that meant he missed Saturday's victory at Newcastle. Ricardo Carvalho and Jose Bosingwa, unused at St James' Park, are also available. Given Liverpool's tally of 14 goals in their last four matches, recalls for the Portuguese pair are anticipated.
Yet free-flowing football is rarely evident in such games. Liverpool may shed a reputation for negativity if Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres can continue in such scintillating vein. Indeed, the captain's remarkable form has led his striker partner to insist: "I think he is the best in the world." In a tie notable for the personal duels, however, Chelsea's Florent Malouda was as quick to suggest Frank Lampard is a superior player to Gerrard.
Defensive totems, rather than attack-minded midfielders, tend to dominate. The lack of goals in previous meetings is indicative of the two teams' tactics.
Chelsea often defend too deep to be caught out by Rafa Benitez's beloved counter-attacks. Liverpool's formidable defensive organisation means they are the side most likely to thwart Chelsea. Their most dependable central defender believes domestic form, rather than Champions League pedigree, may be crucial. "The fact we did the double against them might give us that extra confidence," said Carragher, aware Liverpool ended Chelsea's 86-match unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge.
Sir Alex Ferguson believes the eventual winner will be Manchester United's major rival for the Premier League title. History suggests they will prove his principal challenger for the Champions League crown as well.
@Email:rjolly@thenational.ae
Liverpool v Chelsea, ART Sport 4, KO 10.45pm
GRAN%20TURISMO
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2 (Heaton (og) 42', Lindelof 64')
Aston Villa 2 (Grealish 11', Mings 66')
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