Tottenham's Harry Kane, left, should have more to cheer in the FA Cup at Rochdale on Sunday. Alessandro Di Marco / EPA
Tottenham's Harry Kane, left, should have more to cheer in the FA Cup at Rochdale on Sunday. Alessandro Di Marco / EPA
Tottenham's Harry Kane, left, should have more to cheer in the FA Cup at Rochdale on Sunday. Alessandro Di Marco / EPA
Tottenham's Harry Kane, left, should have more to cheer in the FA Cup at Rochdale on Sunday. Alessandro Di Marco / EPA

Football

Chelsea, Tottenham and Man City progress as Mourinho's Man United held by Huddersfield: FA Cup predictions

A look at all eight ties making up the last 16 of the competition ahead of the weekend's action.

Graham Caygill

February 16, 2018

  • English
  • Arabic

We are down to the last 16 teams in the FA Cup as the Premier League takes a weekend off from action. Here is what to expect from the games, spread over four days, with expectations being it will be eight top flight sides who make it through to the quarter-finals.

Leicester's Jamie Vardy, left, will lead the line for the Premier League club against Sheffield United. Rui Vieira / AP Photo
Leicester's Jamie Vardy, left, will lead the line for the Premier League club against Sheffield United. Rui Vieira / AP Photo

Leicester City 2 Sheffield United 1

Why? Leicester's league form has been inconsistent of late but with the goal threat of Jamie Vardy they should have too much quality for Championship side Sheffield United. Claude Puel's side can look to the cup as a welcome distraction from the Riyad Mahrez affair, with the club hoping the Algerian can move on after his disappointment at failing to secure a move to Manchester City in January.

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Chelsea's Eden Hazard will likely feature against Hull City. Eddie Keogh / Reuters
Chelsea's Eden Hazard will likely feature against Hull City. Eddie Keogh / Reuters

Chelsea 3 Hull City 0

Why? The FA Cup is probably Antonio Conte and Chelsea's best chance of silverware with their hopes of retaining the Premier League long gone. With Barcelona coming up in the Uefa Champions League next week it will be interesting to see what side he fields, but it will be a surprise if Eden Hazard does not feature and inspire the London side to the quarter-finals.

Swansea City manager Carlos Carvalhal takes centre stage on Saturday when his side goes up against his former employers Sheffield Wednesday. Andrew Boyers / Action Images via Reuters
Swansea City manager Carlos Carvalhal takes centre stage on Saturday when his side goes up against his former employers Sheffield Wednesday. Andrew Boyers / Action Images via Reuters

Sheffield Wednesday 1 Swansea City 3

Why? Interesting match-up this as Carlos Carvalhal takes his revitalised Premier League to his former club Sheffield Wednesday. Swansea are on terrific form at present with 14 points from their past eight games and they will carry that through to defeat their Championship opponents.

Brighton manager Chris Hughton is looking to get his side to the FA Cup final for the first time since 1983. Carl Recine / Action Images via Reuters
Brighton manager Chris Hughton is looking to get his side to the FA Cup final for the first time since 1983. Carl Recine / Action Images via Reuters

Brighton and Hove Albion 2 Coventry City 0

Why? Coventry's run to the last 16 has been one of the stories of the FA Cup this season as the 1987 winners, now in League Two, have produced a number of upsets. Brighton will be a bridge too far for them though. Chris Hughton's side are well organised and tough to break down and they will be too good for their lower league opponents.

Southampton's James Ward-Prowse scored the decisive third goal when the Saints won 3-2 at West Bromwich Albion earlier this month. Peter Cziborra / Action Images via Reuters
Southampton's James Ward-Prowse scored the decisive third goal when the Saints won 3-2 at West Bromwich Albion earlier this month. Peter Cziborra / Action Images via Reuters

West Bromwich Albion 1 Southampton 2

Why? Southampton won at West Brom two weeks ago in the league and while both sides are in the relegation zone, it is clearly Southampton who have the more upside and momentum. Mauricio Pellegrino's side to prevail and give themselves a confidence boost ahead of an important run of games in the Premier League.

Alexis Sanchez and Manchester United are yet to fully gel since the Chilean signed from Arsenal. Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
Alexis Sanchez and Manchester United are yet to fully gel since the Chilean signed from Arsenal. Catherine Ivill / Getty Images

Huddersfield Town 1 Manchester United 1

Why? Huddersfield beat United at home in October and have regained some belief after thrashing Bournemouth last weekend. United have yet to click with Alexis Sanchez in the side as Jose Mourinho looks for the optimal formation and this could well be an occasion where the Portuguese manager is content to take the tie back to Old Trafford.

Ian Henderson celebrates Rochdale's winning goal against Millwall in the fourth round that has set up their clash with Tottenham Hotspur. Nathan Stirk / Getty Images
Ian Henderson celebrates Rochdale's winning goal against Millwall in the fourth round that has set up their clash with Tottenham Hotspur. Nathan Stirk / Getty Images

Rochdale 0 Tottenham Hotspur 3

Why? Rochdale's boggy pitch has been the main talking point ahead of this match. Tottenham had a scare in the last round against Newport County and they are unlikely to do that again, with Harry Kane and Dele Alli looking as if they are getting back to their best form.

Sergio Aguero is in great form for Manchester City. Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
Sergio Aguero is in great form for Manchester City. Catherine Ivill / Getty Images

Wigan Athletic 1 Manchester City 4

Why? The last two times these two sides have met in the FA Cup it was Wigan who came out on top surprisingly. But do not expect a hat-trick as Pep Guardiola's men stay on track in their bid to win the quadruple with so many of their top players such as Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling firing on all cylinders at present.

The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo

Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km

Price: from Dh285,000

On sale: from January 2022 

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
While you're here
David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.

The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?

My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.

The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.

So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.

 

 

Baby Driver

Director: Edgar Wright

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James

Three and a half stars

Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

if you go

The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

On Women's Day
The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

La Mer lowdown

La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
 

While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Matrix Resurrections

Director: Lana Wachowski

Stars:  Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick 

Rating:****

While you're here
While you're here

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.”

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