Louis van Gaal refused to blame a pre-match attack on the Manchester United club coach as a reason for the team's shortcomings as their Champions League hopes were taken out of their own hands on Tuesday.
In what was an emotionally-charged game, headers from Michail Antonio and Winston Reid secured a 3-2 victory for West Ham United as they bade farewell to their home of 112 years ahead of their move to the Olympic Stadium.
Diafra Sakho had given the hosts the lead until Anthony Martial put United ahead with a second-half double.
The occasion was marred before kick-off when bottles were thrown at the United coach as it made its way into the ground.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed an officer and a member of the public were hurt, with the Football Association confirming it would launch an investigation.
Kick-off was delayed by 45 minutes but West Ham were quickly out of the blocks and, although United rallied after the break, Van Gaal ultimately saw his team's hopes of Champions League qualification severely dented. United trail Manchester City for fourth in the Premier League by two points, and will now need their rivals to lose outright against Swansea City in their final match with no chance of catching City on goal difference.
The Dutchman, though, wouldn’t pin Tuesday night’s disappointment on the pre-match tumult.
• Read more: Louis van Gaal's Manchester United fate should not be decided on next two games
• Also see: West Ham United beat Manchester United, give Boleyn Ground rowdy farewell – in pictures
“First of all you cannot prove that (it had an effect),” he said.
“We live in this world, we know that, I know it is not the first time it happens. Okay, I have a long experience in football and there are players who don’t have the experience.
“It will have an influence but I don’t think we have to look for excuses because we chased the match in the second-half and 20 minutes before full-time we are ahead so I don’t think you have to look for that excuse.
“I think the disappointment is because we were 2-1 ahead, we changed the match in our favour and in a fantastic way.
“Then you lose because of the set-plays and that I have already said before the match, we tried to organise everything but still you miss the centimetres so we have a lot of set-plays and corner goals against us already.
“That is disappointing because it has a big consequence and you lose a game you have to win.”
Despite the loss handing the impetus back to City in the race for fourth, Van Gaal has not conceded his side will miss out on the Champions League this season.
“No it (a top-four finish) is still not gone,” he added.
“In the last match of the season we can pass over Manchester City, they can lose and we can win – then we are fourth, you can count I think?
“I don’t think it is not likely, in this league it happens a lot and Swansea City has a very good run.
“We have to beat Bournemouth and that is tough.
“We have less points than last year and last year we were qualified two matches before the end and now we are still fighting on the last day. It is less but still we can finish as fourth, we have to think only of that.
“It is a mental blow for the players but against Bournemouth we have to give everything so that we don’t give Manchester City a free trip into the Champions League.”
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
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 worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
