As the new English football season opens this weekend, it is hard not to feel it is breathlessly tailgating the old one. Arsenal played Liverpool in July. They will do so on the last Saturday in August. The clubs will meet again in September. If either club’s deficiencies are made plain by all this repeated exposure to one another, they will still have a chance to make amends in a transfer window that only closes in October.
The disjointed calendar will take some adjusting to. Physical weariness will be felt hard at stages of 2020/21.
Crowds, it is hoped, will at some point be back to motivate tiring players, although Saturday's curtain-raiser, the Community Shield must, under continuing coronavirus protocols, be played without supporters at Wembley. Arsenal, contesting the Community Shield as winners of the FA Cup, have shown they can master those conditions, having come from behind in their 2-1 cup final victory over Chelsea without the helpful roar of fans.
An empty stadium, television viewers have learnt, has some upsides. One of benefits of elite football played in relative silence, is that you can hear more clearly the instructions, and the general input, that comes from the coaches on the touchline. They lose some of their mystique.
When Mikel Arteta took over as Arsenal manager last December, there was plenty of mystery around him as a manager: He was, after all, embarking on his first job as a senior head coach. After the March to June shutdown, when Premier League football was halted - initially because Arteta’s positive test for coronavirus alerted the sport to the seriousness of the contagion - he revealed more of himself. Arteta, with his set, slightly stern features, can seem unexpressive. It is a false impression. He is animated, genial, and authoritative in his technical area.
Those qualities are already appreciated at a club that had stumbled through a period of unsettled managerial change for which Arsenal were singularly unprepared. The same man, Arsene Wenger had overseen several layers of club business for 22 years. Then three different coaches held the job within a season. One, Unai Emery, struggled to be as expressive as he would have liked in his flawed spoken English; the next, Freddie Ljungberg, was a caretaker, a difficult role from which to impose authority or develop long-term plans.
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Arsenal 2019/20 player ratings
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Arteta arrived with a clarity of purpose, knowing the terrain from his days as an Arsenal midfielder, under Wenger, and knowing the Premier League intimately from his work as assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. His Arsenal were not suddenly made tougher or more consistent, but aspects of their end-of-season run felt encouraging.
“Those were the moments where the team clicked a little bit,” Arteta reflected. In the last five games, he said, there had been “more belief.” Liverpool, by then confirmed as Premier League champions, were beaten 2-1, Manchester City 2-0 in the FA Cup semi-final, and Chelsea 2-1 in the final. A home defeat to Aston Villa seemed to have set back their chance of qualifying for Europe, but the FA Cup success means Arsenal will enter the Europa League at the group phase.
That will make Arsenal's midweeks busy, testing the depth of the squad. Significant strengthening is under way. Willian, who could make his official debut on Saturday, has joined from Chelsea, and may be designated a midfield role, pending the further midfield addition Arteta wants before the transfer window closes. The centre of defence has been bolstered, with the 22-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes on the verge of signing from Lille and William Saliba, recruited last summer but then loaned back to the selling club, Saint Etienne, now available.
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Liverpool 2019/20 player ratings
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That pair, and David Luiz, can expect some detailed training work with another newcomer, Andreas Georgson, who is a specialist set-piece coach poached from Brentford. Arteta inherited some systemic problems when he joined Arsenal, and defending dead balls was one. Last season they had the second-poorest record in the Premier League for goals conceded from set-pieces (22). They need not look too far to see the standards to aspire to: Liverpool’s stroll to the title owed much to the 22 goals they scored from dead-ball situations.
Arteta seems upbeat ahead of Saturday, his mood brightened by what he described as "some really good talks" with captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal's leading scorer for the past two seasons, over a new contract. The striker's current deal expires next summer, he has cachet across Europe, but, his manager believes, he is ready to commit to Arsenal.
“I am confident we are going to find an agreement soon,” said Arteta, “and I think he should be very happy to stay at the club a long time.”
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
THE%20SPECS
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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
HEY%20MERCEDES%2C%20WHAT%20CAN%20YOU%20DO%20FOR%20ME%3F
%3Cp%3EMercedes-Benz's%20MBUX%20digital%20voice%20assistant%2C%20Hey%20Mercedes%2C%20allows%20users%20to%20set%20up%20commands%20for%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Navigation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Calls%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20In-car%20climate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Ambient%20lighting%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Media%20controls%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Driver%20assistance%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20General%20inquiries%20such%20as%20motor%20data%2C%20fuel%20consumption%20and%20next%20service%20schedule%2C%20and%20even%20funny%20questions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EThere's%20also%20a%20hidden%20feature%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20pressing%20and%20holding%20the%20voice%20command%20button%20on%20the%20steering%20wheel%20activates%20the%20voice%20assistant%20on%20a%20connected%20smartphone%20%E2%80%93%20Siri%20on%20Apple's%20iOS%20or%20Google%20Assistant%20on%20Android%20%E2%80%93%20enabling%20a%20user%20to%20command%20the%20car%20even%20without%20Apple%20CarPlay%20or%20Android%20Auto%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company%20profile
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The%20specs
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Company%20profile
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPEC%20SHEET
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