When a goal drought spans 28 Premier League matches and more than 10 months, its conclusion is always likely to be memorable. For Dirk Kuyt, purchased as a prolific striker but reinvented as an industrious winger, his winner at Manchester City had a significance that went far beyond ending his personal frustration.
The Dutchman's strike in added time did not just complete a wonderful comeback, it heralded Liverpool's emergence as genuine contenders to win the Premier League.
It was not merely the manner of the 3-2 victory. The context was as important: trailing by two goals to a team with ambitions of a top-four finish themselves, at a point of the season when previous title challenges have gone awry and while leaders Chelsea were winning.
This was a display of conviction and resolve. "We try to make a statement every week," said Kuyt. Liverpool did at the City of Manchester Stadium.
Deservedly behind to goals from Stephen Ireland and Javier Garrido, Liverpool mounted a superb recovery as Fernando Torres scored twice before Kuyt got his stoppage time winner,
Kuyt elaborated on another game of two halves: "It was the worst 45 minutes of our season this season and the second half was just really good. We fought like a team to get back in the game."
While an irregular scorer delivered the points, there was a sense that this was a popular goal with the players who often benefit from Kuyt's unselfishness. "He deserves to score," said Benitez. "His work rate is amazing, so everyone is really pleased for him."
While the Spaniard made no mention of own contribution, two of his decisions proved pivotal. Fabio Aurelio, who was comprehensively failing the thorough examination presented by Shaun Wright-Phillips, was replaced by the more reliable Andrea Dossena. Then, when Martin Skrtel was carried off on a stretcher, Benitez gestured to Jamie Carragher to play as a lone central defender while Liverpool pressed for a winner.
A defence that, until Sunday, had been the most frugal in the Premier League may require changes, depending upon the severity of Skrtel's knee problem, with the Slovakian sidelined by a cruciate ligament injury. Manchester City, too, were left pondering alterations, albeit when the transfer window reopens.
"We're still a team who have obvious frailties and we'll work to address them in January," said manager Mark Hughes.
The midfield is probably the area that will require most examination. While City were in the ascendant, their creativity and flair was evident. When Liverpool responded, the lack of balance was an issue.
Four attack-minded players - and in Robinho's case, effectively a forward - and one anchorman, Vincent Kompany, who has been regarded as a defender for much of his career, did not prove an effective formula.
His side are a work in progress, waiting for two of their recruits - Jo and Zabaleta - to display their best form. They are an attractive proposition on the ball, but require greater resilience.
"We're playing some really good stuff," Hughes added. "What we need to add is that consistent level of performance and resoluteness to see games out."
sports@thenational.ae
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
