Arsenal missed the chance to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool down to four points when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
Fulham took the lead with the first attack of the game in the 10th minute when Kenny Tete threaded a perfect ball through to Raul Jimenez who kept his calm under pressure from William Saliba to fire home into the bottom corner.
The Gunners then nearly scored with their one and only effort on target in the first half when Adam Traore gave the ball away leading to a quick counter-attack which ended with Bukayo Saka's strike forcing a good stop from Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Lerno down low.
After a disappointing opening 45 minutes, set-piece kings Arsenal levelled the scores in the 52nd minute when Kai Havertz headed down Declan Rice's corner for Saliba to stab home.
And midfielder Thomas Partey should have put his team in front from another Rice corner only for the Ghanaian to head wide with the goal at his mercy.
Fulham, though, were standing firm and had a chance of their own with 20 minutes to go when substitute Andreas Pereira saw his low effort saved by David Raya in the Arsenal goal.
But it was Mikel Arteta's side that thought they had secured all three points two minutes from time when Saka got in front of his marker Antonee Robinson to head home from close range Gabriel Martinelli's perfect cross to the back post.
The England international celebrated what would have been his sixth Premier League goal of the campaign in front of a delirious away end – only for VAR to rule that Martinelli had been caught offside by the tightest of margins after being picked out by a Jurrien Timber pass.
It was a punch in the gut for Arsenal who would have made it four wins on the spin but had to settle for a point.
Liverpool – whose Merseyside derby clash at Everton was postponed on Saturday on safety grounds due to the severe weather caused by Storm Darragh – enjoy a six-point lead over the Gunners with a game in hand.
“We dominated most of the game,” Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard told Sky Sports. “The first half wasn't great. We were a bit sloppy and lacked energy and power. The second half was a lot better. It's frustrating not to win. We were close in the end with the goal.
“They're a good team. They know how to defend. A solid block. We didn't do enough today. We have to learn from that and straight back in for the next one.
“We have to focus on ourselves. We don't care about the other teams [in the title race].
“We did a lot of good things. We have to do more and put the ball in the box more times. Maybe be a bit more direct and aggressive. We could have won it in the end.
“It's a very long way to go. We've said hundreds of times we have to keep going game by game.”
Arsenal are back in action on Wednesday when they take on Monaco in the Champions League before returning to domestic duties against Everton three days later, both at the Emirates Stadium.
Fulham remain 10th in the table on 23 points but will be overtaken by Spurs if Ange Postecoglou's side beat Chelsea.
“The first thing is to praise the players for their commitment” said manager Marco Silva. “On the ball it wasn't the game we like to play normally. The weather conditions weren't the best. They are really strong in the pressure.
“In some moments we should have kept the ball. Not many chances [for Arsenal] were good chances. We knew they'd start the second half strongly. I'd like to see us making better decisions because we had some good moments to punish them more but they equalised.
“Overall, the commitment and fighting spirit was really good. A very good goal. Great ball from Kenny Tete and what a finish.
“It's [the recent run] been great. The players are great as always. They're embracing the challenge.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
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.”
RESULTS
1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Hugo Lebouc (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
2pm Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Karaginsky, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Sadeedd, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.
3pm Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner Blue Sovereign, Clement Lecoeuvre, Erwan Charpy.
3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Bladesmith, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
Results:
5pm: Baynunah Conditions (UAE bred) Dh80,000 1,400m.
Winner: Al Tiryaq, Dane O’Neill (jockey), Abdullah Al Hammadi (trainer).
5.30pm: Al Zahra Handicap (rated 0-45) Dh 80,000 1,400m:
Winner: Fahadd, Richard Mullen, Ahmed Al Mehairbi.
6pm: Al Ras Al Akhdar Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m.
Winner: Jaahiz, Jesus Rosales, Eric Lemartinel.
6.30pm: Al Reem Island Handicap Dh90,000 1,600m.
Winner: AF Al Jahed, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel.
7pm: Al Khubairah Handicap (TB) 100,000 2,200m.
Winner: Empoli, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap Dh80,000 2,200m.
Winner: Shivan OA, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi.
