When Peter Crouch returns to Liverpool tonight, Rafa Benitez might well wish he could turn back time to when the striker was surprisingly deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield.
Just two years ago, the frontman became frustrated by his lack of first-team starts as Fernando Torres made an instant Premier League impact.
Crouch left for Portsmouth that summer, but Benitez has since rued the fact he left, and lost out to Tottenham last July when he was available again for transfer.
It has proved a significant moment in the fortunes of both clubs this season as they compete for a top-four finish.
With Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun sidelined, Liverpool will be without their three leading scorers against Spurs and lack the goal threat that someone like Crouch offers the visitors.
Having signed him for Southampton, Portsmouth and Spurs, Harry Redknapp has continually had faith in Crouch, who said: "He always seems to get the best out of me. There have been a lot of other managers that I have had that have struggled to get the best out of me. I don't think I have anything to prove to Liverpool. Some of the best years of my career were spent there."
Meanwhile, Portsmouth have been dealt another blow after their application to have a winding up petition from the English tax authorities struck out was dismissed by a High Court judge yesterday. The club had argued that the VAT (value added tax) portion of its massive tax bill was too high by £7.5million (Dh45m), but failed to convince Mr Justice Newey.
A further hearing is now expected on February 10, and the outcome could send Portsmouth a step closer to being the first Premier League club to drop into administration. The decision is another blow for Pompey's owner Ali al Faraj, who has been battling huge debts since the day he took over.
@Email:akhan@thenational.ae
Liverpool v Tottenham, KO midnight, Showsports 1 & 2
<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html" charset="UTF-8" /></head><body><!--PSTYLE=* Labels%3aFH Label 18 Sport--><p>Beach soccer</p><!--PSTYLE=BY Byline--><p>Amith Passela</p><p /></body></html>
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
