Season synopsis
Premier League final position: First
Uefa Champions League: Last 16
FA Cup: Fourth round
League Cup: Final, beaten 1-0 by Newcastle United
Of all the outcomes predicted for the first year of Arne Slot’s reign at Anfield, winning the Premier League was well down the list.
Succeeding Jurgen Klopp was viewed as challenge enough and, allowing for the transition, a top-four finish was deemed eminently acceptable.
Fast forward to the end of April and Liverpool had the Premier League title wrapped up with four games to go after a 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham.
The foundations of Slot's quiet Anfield revolution has been grounded in intelligence, humility and devotion to a clarity of purpose. Mohamed Salah's sublime form went some way, too.
Liverpool were the model of consistency under the level-headed Slot. They barely missed a beat in losing just one league game, at home to Nottingham Forest, before April with their early season parsimonious defence marshalled by a back-to-his best Virgil van Dijk.
Others made more than noteworthy contributions, and the reinvention of Ryan Gravenberch may prove to be Slot's lasting legacy.
The awful scenes that marred Liverpool's title celebrations, when a driver rammed his car into a packed crowd, injuring 27, will hopefully not take too much gloss of what was an excellent season.
Best performance of the season
Arsenal 2 Liverpool 2: Liverpool were well into their stride by the time they travelled to North London in late October, but Arsenal had designs of their own on the Premier League title.
The Gunners twice led through Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino but equalisers from Van Dijk and then Salah ensured a valuable point and preserved a vital lead at the summit. It was the type of gritty result upon which titles are won.
Worst performance of the season
Newcastle 2 Liverpool 1: Slot hardly put a foot wrong in his debut season in England, but his decision to persist with zonal marking in March's League Cup final was painful to watch.
Alexis Mac Allister – all 1.76 metres of him – was given the unenviable task of man-marking Dan Burn, Newcastle's giant 2.01m-tall centre-back, at set pieces and, to put it bluntly, just didn't measure up.
Time and again Newcastle targeted their giant captain. Time and again Burn won the aerial duels uncontested. The only surprise was that it took until the 45th minute for Burn to score.
Thriller of the season
Tottenham 3 Liverpool 6: Liverpool handed out a merciless thrashing to Tottenham Hotspur in front of their own fans in late December.
Liverpool had already had several opportunities before Luis Diaz headed in after 23 minutes, Mac Allister doubling their lead with another header 13 minutes later.
James Maddison gave Spurs hope of an unlikely comeback when he curled home before half time, but that was snuffed out in first-half stoppage time when Salah set up Dominik Szoboszlai for a simple finish.
Salah drew level with Billy Liddell's record of 228 Liverpool goals when he extended Liverpool's advantage from close range after 54 minutes, then went into fourth place in the club's all-time list of scorers on his own when Szoboszlai repaid the first-half compliment to play the Egyptian in for his second.
Dejan Kulusevski scored for the fifth successive game with 18 minutes left, while another from Dominic Solanke threatened to give the scoreline an unrealistic appearance until Diaz swooped for his second and Liverpool's sixth.
Player of the season
Mohamed Salah: For a significant chunk of 2024/25, Salah was quite simply the best player on the planet. His numbers are always worth highlighting: 29 Premier League goals, 18 assists (34 and 23 in 52 appearances across competitions).
It wasn't that Salah was imperial; he was unplayable. Few left-backs will have had a good night's sleep before or after facing the Egyptian, and if he doesn't go on to win the Ballon d'Or this year, then he never will.
No doubt there was some gamesmanship on his part during protracted contract negotiations, but Liverpool blinked first and Salah got what he wanted. After this season, it's hard to argue against it.
Goal of the season
You can take your pick from a plethora of Salah strikes, with the Egyptian's trademark cut in from the right and curl into the top corner with his left a feature throughout the campaign.
But for sheer brute force and strength of will, it has to be Mac Allister's long-range strike in a losing effort to Fulham. The Argentine picked up the ball 10 yards inside Fulham's half, held off one challenge before unleashing an unstoppable drive that sailed straight into the top corner.
Ratings
All marks out of 10.
Manager
Arne Slot – 9.5
An incredible first season ended with a Premier League title, securing Salah’s future, and ensuring Klopp’s name is consigned to the Anfield annals of history.
Goalkeepers
Alisson Becker – 8
Hailed as the best goalkeeper in the world by his manager. Liverpool's last line of defence is Mr Reliable, although the Brazilian missed several games through injury.
Caoimhin Kelleher – 8
Is there a better back-up goalkeeper in England? The Irishman would walk into most teams, but appears content to bide his time behind Alisson.
Defenders
Joe Gomez – 6
Some assured displays before injury curtailed his season.
Virgil van Dijk – 9
The most dominant defender in the division. The Dutchman was back to his bulldozing best and was rewarded with a new two-year contract.
Ibrahima Konate – 7.5
There are few better than Van Dijk to do your apprenticeship under. The Frenchman is physically imposing but lacks his partner's ability to read the game. Still young and will improve.
Jarell Quansah – 5
Was brought off at half time in Slot’s first game of the season at Ipswich which seemed to knock his confidence. Failed to convince when called upon.
Andy Robertson – 7
Some fans believe the Scotland international is past his best. While he may not be the marauder of old, Robertson exemplifies the controlled intensity that was a feature of Slot’s Liverpool this term.
Kostas Tsimikas – 6
Another season in which he was forced to play understudy to Robertson at left-back. The Greek was steady if unspectacular.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 8
Signed off his career at Liverpool with a second Premier League title. It’s easy to forget just how good he was in the early part of the season. His passing range is nonpareil and the jeers from the Anfield faithful over his impending departure smacked of bitterness at losing such an incredible player.
Conor Bradley – 7.5
A different player to Alexander-Arnold but adds more defensive stability at right-back and doesn’t lack for adventure on forays forward.
Midfielders
Wataru Endo – 7
The most used substitute in the squad but usually only introduced to wind down the clock. The Japanese has one of the highest pass completion rates per minutes in the Premier League. Underrated.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 8
Six league goals doesn’t really tell the story of the Hungarian’s contribution to the Reds’ title-winning campaign. Instrumental to Liverpool’s attacking play and his versatility is a real asset.
Alexis Mac Allister – 8.5
Save for a horror show in the League Cup final, the Argentina international established himself as the team’s midfield metronome.
Curtis Jones – 7
His best season since breaking into the first team. The England international still hasn’t nailed down a regular position but shone when asked to play in a No 10 role.
Harvey Elliott – 6
Working his way back from injury but never more than a back-up player. Did score in the draw against PSG in the Uefa Champions League last-16 first leg.
Ryan Gravenberch – 9
The most improved player in the Premier League by some distance. Underused by Klopp, the Dutchman became the lynchpin of Slot’s team. A superb athlete who has made the holding position his own.
Forwards
Luis Diaz – 7
Offers attacking impetus down Liverpool’s left channel. The Colombian had his best goal return (17 across competitions) since joining from Porto in 2022.
Mohamed Salah – 9
Where do you start? Ended the season as the league’s top scorer, assist maker and best player. And all against the backdrop of his contract saga. Tailed off by season’s end, but the Egyptian’s form up till April was simply sensational.
Darwin Nunez – 6
Loved and appreciated for his tireless work ethic but the brutal fact remains that the Uruguayan is not the elite centre-forward the club covets.
Federico Chiesa – 5
Signed from Juventus last summer, the Italian’s adjustment to life on Merseyside has been hampered by injuries and the blistering form of Salah and Diaz.
Cody Gakpo – 8
Found his feet playing under Slot. Has a more settled position at the tip of Liverpool’s attack and repaid that faith with 18 goals across competitions.
Diogo Jota – 7
Found it hard to dislodge Gakpo after returning from injury midway through the season. Still has plenty to offer.
The National's Premier League team of the season
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The specs: 2018 Jaguar E-Pace First Edition
Price, base / as tested: Dh186,480 / Dh252,735
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 246hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 365Nm @ 1,200rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Well Of Wisdom
7.05pm Summrghand
7.40pm Laser Show
8.15pm Angel Alexander
8.50pm Benbatl
9.25pm Art Du Val
10pm: Beyond Reason
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
Griselda
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MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
