Two fiercely intense local rivalries with even more spice than usual take centre stage in the Premier League this weekend when Manchester United and Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur play Arsenal.
The teams occupy four of the top six positions in the table and none can afford to lose tomorrow in their pursuit of either the title or a top-four finish and Uefa Champions League football next season.
The other two places in the top six are filled by leaders Chelsea, who travel to Aston Villa, and Manchester City, who are at FA Cup semi-finalists Hull City.
A win for Chelsea today would lift them to 69 points and put them 10 clear of Liverpool and Arsenal who are not in action until tomorrow.
Manchester City, who were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona on Wednesday, are nine points behind Chelsea with three matches in hand. Chelsea will have eight games left after this weekend, City 11.
Tottenham start the weekend in fifth place on 53 points with United sixth on 48 and with a game in hand on Spurs.
Judging by their entwined histories, more than a century of loathing between the fans, dramas and controversies – even before this season’s earlier meetings are taken into account – events at White Hart Lane and Old Trafford are likely to overshadow all else.
Both Spurs and Arsenal have plenty to prove in their third meeting of the season following Arsenal’s 1-0 league win in September and their 2-0 victory in the FA Cup third round at the Emirates in January.
Arsenal, knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday by Bayern Munich, go to White Hart Lane without their record signing Mesut Ozil.
The German injured a hamstring in Munich and, according to manager Arsene Wenger, will be out for several weeks, although he expects Aaron Ramsey to return for the first time since Boxing Day.
Arsenal reached the FA Cup semi-finals with a 4-1 victory over Everton last weekend and retain an outside chance of winning the title, but their league form has dipped lately with just one win from their past four matches.
Spurs, who are also chasing silverware in the Europa League, are looking to bounce back from the disappointment of losing to Benfica 3-1 in a first-leg final 16 match on Thursday.
Their latest Premier League outing was a 4-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last Saturday following which manager Tim Sherwood strongly criticised his players for showing a lack of commitment after defender Younes Kaboul was sent off and all four goals were conceded in the last 30 minutes.
Kaboul’s red card was rescinded by the FA so he can play tomorrow and there will be no doubting Spurs’ commitment against Arsenal, who will be playing their 999th match under manager Arsene Wenger.
Said Christian Eriksen after the Benfica game: “I think everybody agrees [it was a disappointing night],” said the Denmark international, whose fine free-kick had made it 2-1 in the second half.
“I think my goal gave us a boost but unfortunately only for a few minutes. Then they got the ball again and then we had to run even more.
“They played well and they played maybe how we should play, but we didn’t.
“But we were just not good enough on the ball. When we got it, we couldn’t keep it and they were really good on the ball.”
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Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.
This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.
These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.
Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
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
Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
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