WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. The run could not go on and, in the end, it did not. Liverpool had won 17 consecutive league games against opponents outside the big six. Now they have dropped points in two in a row. First Leicester City and then West Ham United frustrated them.
It can seem the equivalent of luck evening itself out over a season, a necessary correctional to results. Or it could feel inevitable. Jurgen Klopp’s annual January slump always extends into the first few days of February. The German’s Liverpool record in the first 37 days of calendar years is W10 D11 L12. He has a 60 per cent win rate in the rest of his time at Anfield.
If the statistics suggest the last week has been an anomaly, the cause for concern should lie in the manner of the setbacks. Liverpool could lose the Premier League lead to Manchester City on Wednesday. More than a position in the table, they could do with recapturing the elements that allowed them to assemble such a formidable record.
A side who, at one stage, were on course to set defensive records, have a solitary clean sheet since Boxing Day. A team who were ruthless have lost leads four times in that time, even though they went on to win two of those games. It has hardly helped that a watertight defence has been broken up. Klopp said James Milner and Virgil van Dijk had been ill in the days before the West Ham game, but injuries have taken a greater toll.
The importance of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez, like that of midfielder Gini Wijnaldum, has been illustrated in their absence. Liverpool's right-backs in their last three games have been Milner, (briefly) striker Roberto Firmino, (briefly) rookie Rafa Camacho, Jordan Henderson and Milner again. Allowing the specialist Nathaniel Clyne to join Bournemouth on loan was understandable at the time. It now looks an error.
Read More
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• Man City's Sergio Aguero a pure goalscorer in age of all-rounders
• Premier League team of the week: Argentina firepower and South Korean swagger
• Andy Mitten: Manchester United's unsung hero Matic the driving force in Leicester win
The ongoing struggles of Naby Keita, the £52 million (Dh249m) addition, remain a theme. While Fabinho has improved after a slow start, arguably Keita's finest display was his first: West Ham were beaten 4-0 in August. He was rather worse in the rematch. The altogether less heralded Wijnaldum missed the 4-3 win over Crystal Palace and the draws with Leicester and West Ham and Liverpool missed his work rate, tactical awareness and capacity to knit a team together. Henderson, too, would have helped in midfield, even if the one benefit of injuries was that Adam Lallana was afforded a rare start and showed his capacity to keep the ball in close quarters to help fashion Sadio Mane's opener.
The Senegalese has scored in his last three games, but he is a rarity, one of Liverpool’s star performers excelling now. For all the focus on underperforming squad players, part of the issue is that five of Klopp’s six bankers have looked less reliable of late. Alisson’s passing was far too risky against Leicester. The usually flawless Van Dijk played Harry Maguire onside to score after Andrew Robertson, outstanding this season, needlessly conceded a free kick.
Further forward, Firmino’s decidedly mixed campaign continued with a poor display at the London Stadium. Mohamed Salah was quieter than usual. Meanwhile, some of the off-field focus has been on the fans. Anfield was anxious last Wednesday. The prospect of ending a 29-year wait for the elusive 19th league title threatens to make this a more fraught run-in, at least off the pitch.
And the tendency to swing between emotional extremes should be resisted. Liverpool host Bournemouth, who have lost their last eight away games, on Saturday. On paper, at least, they – and minus the ineligible Clyne – are ideal opponents. Henderson, Wijnaldum and Alexander-Arnold may be back. The following league game, against Manchester United at Old Trafford, may loom large, but their run-in is reasonably favourable. Leicester and West Ham represented two of the most dangerous of the mid-table pack. Liverpool do not have to play them again.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Company%20Profile
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Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Baniyas Group 2 (PA) Dh 97,500 (Dirt) 1,400m.
7.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,400m
8.50pm Rated Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh 85,000 (D) 2,000m
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
Uefa Champions League play-off
First leg: Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Ajax v Dynamo Kiev
Second leg: Tuesday, August 28, 11pm (UAE)
Dynamo Kiev v Ajax
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Match info:
Wolves 1
Boly (57')
Manchester City 1
Laporte (69')
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
if you go
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
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.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Tim Paine (captain), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
LAST 16 DRAW
Borussia Dortmund v PSG
Real Madrid v Manchester City
Atalanta v Valencia
Atletico Madrid v Liverpool
Chelsea v Bayern Munich
Lyon v Juventus
Tottenham v Leipzig
Napoli v Barcelona
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When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
