Liverpool manager Arne Slot has again insisted that uncertainty over Trent Alexander-Arnold's future was not to blame for his poor performance against Manchester United at the weekend.
The right-back endured a tough time at Anfield on Sunday as the Premier League leaders were held to a thrilling 2-2 draw by old rivals United, coming in for criticism from a section his own supporters during the game and in the UK media afterwards.
Alexander-Arnold, captain Virgil van Dijk and attacker Mohamed Salah's contract sagas are currently making as many headlines as the team's sparkling season so far that sees the Reds topping both the Premier League and Champions League tables.
The trio can leave for free at the end of the season with England international Alexander-Arnold strongly linked with a move to European champions Real Madrid but Slot came out after Sunday's draw stating that the rumours had no bearing on his struggles against United.
And, speaking ahead of Wednesday's League Cup semi-final first leg away to Tottenham Hotspur, the Dutch coach reiterated his belief that it is usually the performances of the opposition rather than the mistakes of his own team that decide games.
“What I do know this season, all the points and all the results we got this season are deserved,” said Slot. “All the players are fit at the moment but if we drop points when we have injuries, people say it is because you have injuries.
“If Mohamed Salah misses a penalty against Real Madrid, he's distracted by his ‘contract situation’.
“If Trent doesn't play well he's distracted by his ‘contract situation’. If everybody plays well, nobody is distracted by their ‘contract situation’.
“Nine times out of 10, [results are] down to how well the other team plays.”
Alexander-Arnold bore the brunt of criticism after the home draw against a United side that had lost five times last month following a hapless defensive display that eventually saw him replaced by Conor Bradley minutes after he had picked up a yellow card.
But, as Slot was at pains to point out, it was not only Alexander-Arnold who was below par at Anfield. “We were all disappointed, not only Trent Alexander-Arnold, we were all disappointed,” said the former Feyenoord coach.
“First of all about the result. Parts of our game we weren't completely happy with. It wasn't only Trent, there were more things we could have done better.
“Trent didn't play his best game, but some others also didn't play their best. If you play 50, 60 games in a season, one of them won't be your best performance. Maybe we should highlight these players are playing so well despite playing two games in a week.
“I've spoken to him and others individually as well, which you do after every game. I spoke to him before the game as well and the things we shared I will not say here.
“It wasn't his best game and I showed him where to improve. But you do this after every game. Sometimes you show them what they did really well. But I do this with everyone.
“There are always things you can improve, but in general they worked really hard. We were unable to get the best result but we still got a result.”
Spurs, meanwhile, announced on Tuesday that captain Son Heung-min had agreed to extend his stay in North London until the summer of 2026.
The 32-year-old South Korean attacker, whose previous deal was due to expire at the end of the season, joined the club from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and has long established himself as firm fans' favourite after scoring 169 goals in 431 games.
This season, though, has not been one of his best, despite scoring five goals and providing six assists in 17 league matches, with Son was left on the bench until the 62nd minute of Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Newcastle United – 12th-placed Spurs' sixth home league game in a row without a win.
“The main ambition is to make sure he finishes his career here with some silverware,” said manager Ange Postecoglou on Tuesday as Spurs aim to keep alive their hopes of winning a first major trophy since securing the League Cup in 2008.
News of Son's new deal should come as welcome relief as Tottenham continue to struggle with a lengthy list of players out of action with the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Richarlison all injured. James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr are absent for the first-leg through suspension.
Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who has just joined from Slavia Prague, is eligible and could start at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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.”
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
'Spies in Disguise'
Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
