Liverpool's Roberto Firmino evades a challenge the match against Leicester City at Anfield. GETTY IMAGES
Liverpool's Roberto Firmino evades a challenge the match against Leicester City at Anfield. GETTY IMAGES

Premier League leaders Liverpool fail to press advantage in Leicester draw



Liverpool failed to make the most of title rivals Manchester City’s defeat 24 hours earlier in a 1-1 draw with Leicester at Anfield on Wednesday.

Premier League leaders Liverpool would have gone seven points clear at the top of the table with a win over the Foxes.

They had to be content instead with just a five-point advantage over second-placed City, the reigning champions.

The match started in perfect fashion for Jurgen Klopp’s side as Sadio Mane scored Liverpool’s fastest league goal in nearly three years, with just two minutes on the clock.

But a Harry Maguire equaliser in first-half injury-time summed up the nervous state of affairs at the top of the table as Liverpool seek their first league title in 29 years.

The England defender was left unmarked, six yards out, and swept the ball home with all the know-how of a veteran striker after Wilfred Ndidi’s shot, following a James Maddison free-kick, had been blocked and Ben Chilwell guided the ball back into the area with a clever header.

Maguire’s goal stunned Anfield and was the culmination of a half which had started perfectly but which had seen the tension grow around the stadium as Liverpool looked for a vital second goal.

The first one, with 124 seconds on the clock, had certainly been impressive enough coming, as it did, at the end of a flowing, 30-pass move that left most of their opponents as interested by-standers, so efficient was Liverpool’s passing and movement.

Eventually, Andrew Robertson’s pass was touched on by Roberto Firmino and Mane had the space to curl a magnificent 12-yard finish into the bottom right-hand corner.

It was the start of a strong opening spell from Liverpool, with Firmino showing amazing skill to control a Mohamed Salah cross and drawing a diving save from Kasper Schmeichel before Mane headed wide from the resulting corner.

But Klopp would doubtless have been all too aware that Manchester City had, similarly, taken an early lead at Newcastle only to fall, eventually, to a shock defeat.

And the home supporters certainly seemed to share that concern as the half wore on without a second goal and Leicester capitalised on some uncertainty in the home defence, from Joel Matip above all others.

Not that Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson helped when his lazy kick was charged down by Jamie Vardy, Marc Albrighton crossed from the rebound and Maddison headed wide, unmarked at the far post, from all of two yards after 24 minutes.

Maguire was shown a yellow card, for fouling Mane on the counter-attack, much to the anger of the home crowd who wanted him to see red.

He then compounded his ‘crime’ in the eyes of the Liverpool supporters, by scoring the equaliser six minutes later.

His goal breathed belief into a Leicester side whose manager Claude Puel has come under increasing pressure following a recent dip in results.

Chilwell set up another chance for Maddison who failed to test the keeper and then Firmino was forced into a goal-line clearance from a powerful Maguire set-piece header, with Alisson then forced to save the ricochet off his team-mate.

Liverpool finally began to show some of their old attacking resolve and Naby Keita should have had a penalty when challenged from behind by Ricardo Pereira as he bore down on goal.

In an open and entertaining end to the game, a spirited Leicester break could have ended with far more than a poor Demarai Gray shot directly at Alisson, while Jordan Henderson’s cross picked out Firmino, whose ferocious drive was well parried by the diving Schmeichel.

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

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

Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

Ways to control drones

Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.

"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.

New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.

It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.

The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.

The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

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The BIO:

He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal

He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side

By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam

Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border

He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push

His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E299hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E420Nm%20at%202%2C750rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E12.4L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh157%2C395%20(XLS)%3B%20Dh199%2C395%20(Limited)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
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Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now

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

Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind

'Skin'

Dir: Guy Nattiv

Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially