Tottenham Hotspur will never have a better chance of ending their 11-year wait for a victory against Manchester United than Sunday at White Hart Lane, according to manager Harry Redknapp.
Redknapp's men welcome United to north London knowing victory will reduce the gap between them and the champions to just five points with 11 games of the season remaining.
The omens do not look good for Redknapp's team, however.
Tottenham collapsed to a 5-2 defeat at Arsenal last weekend and the last time they beat United was in 2001.
Redknapp, thought, is confident going into the game, saying: "It is the best equipped team to win since 2001.
"It will be difficult. Manchester United are still a great team, so you know what you are in for.
"We will have to be at our very best if we are going to get a result from the game but we have a good chance."
Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs were on the pitch the last time United lost to Spurs, who were then managed by Glenn Hoddle.
"It's fantastic to see them playing," Redknapp said.
"They are just amazing players and they are a great credit to their profession."
Redknapp's team are now facing two weeks that could either make or break their season.
Having cruised past the majority of their opponents while Chelsea and Arsenal have been struggling, Spurs now find themselves just four points in front of their London rivals ahead of Sunday's game, which is followed by away trips to Everton and Chelsea.
They have been boosted by the gradual return to fitness of Rafael van der Vaart, who looks set to start, while Ledley King and Kyle Walker should also be fit.
One man they will be without is influential midfielder Scott Parker after his sending off against Arsenal last weekend.
Either Brazil international Sandro or rising star Jake Livermore, will replace him.
Despite their fine record against Spurs, Michael Carrick, the United midfielder, knows today will be a significant test.
"Over the years there have been some classic games between the two teams," said the former Tottenham player, 30.
"We have a decent record down there, although it won't count for much this weekend.
"Losing at Arsenal was a big blow to them, but they will be looking to get back on track."
With rivals Manchester City setting the pace at the top of the table, Carrick is inclined to agree with midfield partner Scholes, who said United may have to win every game to be certain of coming out on top.
"We might have to win them all," admitted Carrick.
"But we feel confident because we have not lost many games all season.
"At this point you need to try to win every game anyway because this is where it starts getting serious. Wins and draws can make a huge difference.
"When Ryan Giggs scored at Norwich last week you saw how we responded and what it meant to everyone."
OTHER GAMES
Newcastle United v Sunderland
Yohan Cabaye may be in his first season in England, but the importance of the Tyne-Wear derby was made clear to him on the day he signed for Newcastle.
The France international, 26, said: “When I signed [from Lille], someone told me straight away about Sunderland, and said, ‘There are only two games in the season you can’t lose: Sunderland away and Sunderland at home’.”
Sunderland lost 4-0 at West Bromwich Albion in their last league game but previously they were on a run of 15 games which yielded just three defeats.
Fulham v Wolves
Karl Henry revealed a meeting between the Wolves players only hours after Mick McCarthy's dismissal has united the squad for the battle for Premier League survival.
Wolves began interim manager Terry Connor’s reign with a 2-2 draw at Newcastle United last weekend.
Former captain Henry said: “The players have been here a long time and appreciate everything Mick has done but we have got a job to do. We are professionals and the day Mick was sacked we got together and said, whoever comes in, we have got to embrace the way he does things and his philosophy.”
* Barclays has launched the official 2012 Barclays Global Fans Survey that aims to reveal the views of Barclays Premier League fans across the world and will offer a lucky entrant and friend a VIP trip to see a Barclays Premier League team of their choice play in the competition next season.
The survey will look to find out how social media has allowed supporters to get closer than ever to their favourite clubs. It will also question fans on a range of topics including viewing habits and traditions, their favourite Barclays Premier League managers and players, and predictions for the league over the next five years.
Fans who take part in the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win an all expenses paid VIP trip to watch their favourite Barclays Premier League club play live, including flights to the UK if they live overseas, accommodation and spending money.
To complete the survey, fans should visit: www.barclaysfootball.com.
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
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
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
Stan%20Lee
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
MATCH INFO
Al Jazira 3 (O Abdulrahman 43', Kenno 82', Mabkhout 90 4')
Al Ain 1 (Laba 39')
Red cards: Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain)
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
