Chelsea seek their first trophy of the new season on Wednesday in Belfast. It is almost an expectation that if they beat Villarreal at Windsor Park to lift the European Super Cup, it should not be their last silverware of the campaign, such is the momentum they have built up through 2021 so far.
Chelsea earned their shot at this lesser Uefa prize by seizing the second Champions League of the club’s history in May, overturning pre-match forecasts to defeat Manchester City and deliver for a new manager the most prestigious trophy available.
A reminder of how sharply Chelsea rose under Thomas Tuchel: He had taken over from Frank Lampard only 31 matches earlier with Chelsea ninth in the Premier League, behind any position that would qualify them for European football in 2021-22.
In the end, Tuchel’s revival built up enough steam that Chelsea ended up with two routes into Europe’s elite, as winners of the European Cup and as top-four finishers in England. But both were achieved by thin margins.
On the final day of the last Premier League season, a brittle Chelsea lost to Aston Villa, which meant they were dependent on results elsewhere to finish in the top four. The scoreline in Porto against City was 1-0. So was the result of the FA Cup final, when Leicester City won, putting the brakes on the Tuchel juggernaut.
Tuchel would like fewer nervy moments in the campaign ahead, which is partly why his big push, while he was enjoying the full confidence of his employers, was for a major foray into the transfer market for a pedigree centre-forward.
The rollercoaster weeks at the end of last season featured a few too many moments in which chances went unclaimed by the strikers at the sharp end of Chelsea’s often slick build-up play. Timo Werner, one of several significantly costly recruits of Lampard's last summer of trading, was conspicuous for the number of times he worked his way into promising positions and the low ratio of actual goals for all his hard, intelligent running.
So in comes Romelu Lukaku, as close to guarantor of goals as there is, with momentum of his own from a successful season with Internazionale, familiarity with the Premier League — he has played at Manchester United, Everton and West Bromwich Albion — and with Chelsea, where he was signed as a teenager before undergoing the typical ritual for young Blues of being loaned out elsewhere.
Lukaku’s second move to Chelsea, this one at a fee of well over €100 million ($117.2m), was being finalised on Tuesday, which means he will be not involved in Belfast, denying him and Chelsea a moment of symmetry: In 2013, a 20-year-old Lukaku made his European debut for Chelsea in a Super Cup final, lost on penalties to Bayern Munich. Eight years later, his second ever European match for the club should come next month in the club’s defence of the Champions League.
By then, Tuchel will want the Belgian tuned to the vision of Mason Mount, the pinpoint service of Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Hakim Ziyech, among others, and working on the best ways to combine with Werner and Kai Havertz.
The two Germans are in the squad to face Villarreal, content that their first season in English football ended on a such a high, but aware that more is expected of them: goals, principally, from Werner; consistent impact — of the sort he showed with the winning goal in Porto — from the €80m Havertz.
Havertz, Mount and Christian Pulisic are only 22, James a year younger and Callum Hudson-Odoi still just 20. At any other club, under a relatively young manager making such an impressive start, there would be whispers of a dynasty to be developed over the long-term.
But this being Chelsea, not even a manager who has taken on the job with an apparent Midas touch can feel entirely safe. History warns Tuchel that the last time Chelsea went to a Super Cup final as Champions League holders, in 2012, they lost the game to Spanish opposition — 4-1 to Atletico Madrid — and the European Cup-winning manager, Roberto Matteo, had been sacked by the last week of November.
Villarreal are unlikely to bulldoze Chelsea as Atletico did, especially as Unai Emery’s Europa League holders are without several senior players because of delayed returns to training and Covid-19 protocols. But Emery is a canny operator in these sorts of finals.
For the Spaniards, who defeated Manchester United to clinch the Europa League, taking part in them is still a relative novelty, and, unlike Chelsea, they would not assume they are well set to collect other trophies this season.
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
12,500 - highly active
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
SECRET%20INVASION
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Final round
25 under - Antoine Rozner (FRA)
23 - Francesco Laporta (ITA), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)
21 - Grant Forrest (SCO)
20 - Ross Fisher (ENG)
19 - Steven Brown (ENG), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Niklas Lemke (SWE), Marc Warren (SCO), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
GRAN%20TURISMO
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ
Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700
Engine 3.0L V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
