Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko, right, celebrates his equaliser yesterday – his first goal for the club.
Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko, right, celebrates his equaliser yesterday – his first goal for the club.

Edin Dzeko to Manchester City's rescue in FA Cup



NOTTINGHAM // Manchester City’s recent history in knockout competitions has been pockmarked by ignominious exits to lower-league sides. Briefly, extraordinarily, this threatened to be the most embarrassing of all.

In the six seasons before Roberto Mancini’s appointment, they suffered six such defeats, to Oldham Athletic and Doncaster Rovers, Chesterfield and Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest and Brighton. A seventh setback beckoned before Edin Dzeko opened his City account in emphatic fashion.

It means City, taken to a second match by Leicester in the last round, require another replay. If they are to reach Wembley, it will be by the long route. Yet when elimination beckons, that is the preferable alternative. As Mancini said: “It is better to play another game.”

A 10-time winner of the Coppa Italia, he is taking its English equivalent seriously. That is not enough to guarantee a swift and easy passage, however. “This is the FA Cup,” the Italian added, philosophically.

The differences between Notts County and City are vast and varied, but epitomised by the two goalscorers. Dzeko, the £27 million (Dh157m) buy from Wolfsburg, has brought pedigree at a price. Neal Bishop, who put County ahead, has the unremarkable CV of a journeyman.

He had meandered his way around non-league football, graduated to League Two at 26 and League One last summer. But having played with a purpose, Bishop embellished the biggest afternoon of his career with a goal to bring him to widespread attention. When Alan Gow whipped in a corner, he glanced a header past Joe Hart.

At that stage, it was no less than County deserved. But City rallied. David Silva brought his velvet touch to a pudding of a pitch, releasing the overlapping Micah Richards. His cross brought a wonderfully controlled finish from Dzeko, the Bosnian providing a first explanation for City’s long pursuit of him. “I enjoyed it,” Mancini said. “I think he needs time to understand English football better. He needs another four or five games.”


It may be deemed an auspicious strike but to focus solely on Dzeko would be unfair to County. It is to their credit that the 59 league places separating the two teams never appeared an unbridgeable chasm. They performed with resolve, unity and quality.
Collectively, they displayed a doggedness that mirrored the approach of Paul Ince, their manager, in his playing days and drew the compliments of an old adversary in many a midfield battleground, Patrick Vieira. "I'm proud of my players," Ince said.

“Patrick said: ‘You’ve got a fantastic team spirit.’ They showed they had the belief to beat Manchester City. This team believe they can beat anybody. We played well; we stopped them playing the way they should.”

Even after Dzeko levelled, Lee Hughes could have won it in the final few minutes.

“We deserve another crack at them,” Ince added. They do. While an early Yaya Toure shot was repelled by Stuart Nelson, who later tipped Gareth Barry’s sweetly-timed volley over the bar, City created too little for too much of the time. Dzeko’s rescue act was welcome, his signs of form useful at a time when City are likely to be without the injured Adam Johnson for a further three months.

“It is a big problem because he is an important player,” his manager said.

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed

Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.

Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.

The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.

One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.

That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

MATCH INFO

Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)

Match is live on BeIN Sports

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

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Results

Stage seven

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s

3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s

General Classification

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s

3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s