Will Salah return inspire Liverpool?
Relief on Merseyside this week when Mohamed Salah returned to training ahead of Sunday's top-of-the-table clash with Manchester City.
The reigning champions will arrive at Anfield just one point and one place behind Jurgen Klopp's men who will welcome back their Egyptian top scorer who has notched 19 goals in all competitions this season, including 15 in 21 league games.
Salah has barely figured since returning early from his country's Africa Cup of Nations campaign due to a hamstring injury before being sidelined again with muscle fatigue.
Not that his absence seems to have hindered Liverpool who, in the four games he has been missing, have beaten Chelsea in the League Cup final, Southampton in the FA Cup as well as secure Premier League wins against Luton Town and Nottingham Forest.
Salah made his comeback as a substitute during Thursday's Europa League thrashing of Sparta Prague. He almost marked his return with a goal, but a VAR review disallowed his strike for offside.
Is Rodri best midfielder in world?
Manchester City, meanwhile, appearing to be hitting top gear at just the right time once again. Pep Guardiola's side eased into the Champions league quarter-finals on Wednesday after beating FC Copenhagen 6-2 on aggregate.
City are looking to repeat last season's treble – they take on Newcastle in the FA Cup quarter-finals later this month – and also become the first side to win the Premier League four times on the spin.
Midfielder Rodri has now gone 60 games since he tasted defeat for City and the Spaniard is now on the longest unbeaten run in all competitions of any Premier League player.
Guardiola says the 27-year-old is “the best midfield player, currently, in the world by far” adding that “all teammates and staff, they all know how important and decisive he is”.
Luton captain Tom Lockyer said on BBC Radio 5 Live this week: “When you're on a pitch with him you're just thinking 'what can't this guy do?' He's just a Rolls-Royce … It is very rare he gets caught on the ball and he just dictates everything that Manchester City do.”
How low can broken Blades go?
At the other end of the table, beleaguered Sheffield United's season continues to hit new levels of disaster. The Blades were thumped 6-0 at home by Arsenal last week who were 3-0 up inside 13 minutes and five goals to the good at half time.
The defeat meant home fans at Bramall Lane had watched their team concede a staggering 21 goals in their last four games across all competitions – baring in mind none of those batterings were as bad as the 8-0 humbling by Newcastle earlier in the season.
The worrying stat for the Yorkshire club is that their away form is even worse. They have picked up only five points on their travels – as opposed to eight at home – having won the fewest games (one), earned the fewest points, fallen to the most defeats (10), scored the fewest goals (10) and conceded the most (30) of any side.
Chris Wilder's side sit joint bottom of the table alongside the equally hapless Burnley and are 11 shy of safety with just 11 games to go ahead of Saturday's match at Bournemouth.
“I'm struggling personally,” Wilder said last week. “It has been a painful season. There are a lot of broken and damaged players out there. This is what the league can do to you.”
Can Pochettino win over Chelsea fans?
There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel for Maurico Pochettino in what has been a troubled first season as Chelsea manager.
When his team went 2-1 down at local rivals Brentford last weekend, the Chelsea fans made their feelings clear as for the first time in his short reign, they chanted for the Argentine coach to go while also singing the name of former manager Jose Mourinho, putting somewhat of a dampener on Pochettino's 52nd birthday celebrations.
Defender Axel Disasi did manage to grab a late leveler to earn a 2-2 draw but winning a fan base that appears to have turned toxic is going to be a real test for Pochettino, whose side take on Newcastle at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.
The Blues are now 19 points outside the top four and six points off West Ham in seventh. “Of course, we need our fans,” Pochettino told reporters on Thursday. “We hope the fans will be behind us on Monday to help us win the game. That is so important for our players. Maybe if I was a fan, I would behave the same as them because it's Chelsea, we are not matching the expectation.”
Can Dubai trip inspire Arsenal to title glory?
Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal's winter training camp in Dubai was the inspiration behind their recent blistering form that has seen them win seven games on the trot, scoring 31 goals along the way.
The trip came after Arsenal had suffered successive league defeats to West Ham United and Fulham before being knocked out of the FA Cup by title rivals Liverpool. They now sit two points behind leaders Liverpool and can temporarily go top if they beat out-of-form Brentford at home on Saturday.
“We had a tough period before where we played so many games and had some defeats,” said Arteta of their week-long spell in the UAE. “It was really good and it came at the perfect time for us. We built the chemistry around the place. The amount of time we spent together – we enjoyed the time on the field and off the field. It was a really positive trip.”
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Company%20Profile
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Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots
- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing
- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
India squad
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, K.L. Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE%20set%20for%20Scotland%20series
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20will%20host%20Scotland%20for%20a%20three-match%20T20I%20series%20at%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Stadium%20next%20month.%3Cbr%3EThe%20two%20sides%20will%20start%20their%20Cricket%20World%20Cup%20League%202%20campaigns%20with%20a%20tri-series%20also%20involving%20Canada%2C%20starting%20on%20January%2029.%3Cbr%3EThat%20series%20will%20be%20followed%20by%20a%20bilateral%20T20%20series%20on%20March%2011%2C%2013%20and%2014.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
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
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
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
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
Naga
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The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Company%20profile%20
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