They are bottom of the form table and in the drop zone of the actual standings. The crowd created a series of banners to protest about the owners. The two biggest summer signings could not get into the team. And West Ham became the first team this season to score twice in a game against Alisson, Liverpool’s often unbeatable goalkeeper. Two-thirds of the league goals Liverpool have conceded in 2020 were scored by the Hammers on Monday.
While they still lost, it felt illogical, a strange sequel to their passive performance against Manchester City where their honest captain Mark Noble admitted: “We didn’t take part in the game.”
West Ham can be irrational and unpredictable, a publicity-seeking club who attract bad publicity, one where the gulf between ambition and actual achievement can be huge. They have 11 games to avoid one of the Premier League’s more expensive and embarrassing relegations. They have not won since New Year’s Day, David Moyes’ first game, and the manager’s bullish assertion when reappointed that “winning is what I do” has led to plenty of mockery. He has famously never triumphed at Anfield in 16 attempts, though as West Ham have only tasted victory there once in 57 years, perhaps that makes him a quintessential Hammers manager.
Even a performance of unexpected fight and potency illustrated why West Ham are in their current plight. To widespread surprise, they led. They were nevertheless defeated. In isolation, that is understandable but the loss of other leads are less forgivable: West Ham have scored first twice against Brighton and drawn twice, giving up a 3-1 advantage this month, and twice against Crystal Palace, taking no points. Noble said: “We are the team that has lost more points than anyone from winning positions. If we did stay in the lead, I think we would be in fourth or fifth.” Add those 17 dropped points and West Ham would be level with Chelsea.
The often excellent Lukasz Fabianski had a traumatic night at Anfield. Mohamed Salah’s equaliser amounted to a personal aberration, but conformed to a wider trend. “It is just a shame this season, more than any I have been involved with, that individual errors have really cost us,” Noble explained. They abounded during Roberto Jimenez’s disastrous spell deputising for Fabianski.
Roberto highlights the wretched recruitment. While substitute Pablo Fornals put West Ham ahead on Monday, it was damning that he and Sebastien Haller, who arrived last summer for a combined cost of £69 million (Dh328m), began on the bench. Moyes has instead arrowed in on the earthier qualities of the cheaper Michail Antonio and Robert Snodgrass, though Virgil van Dijk was effusive in his praise for the Scot’s corners. “They were very dangerous,” said the Liverpool defender. “Fantastic delivery.” Set-pieces may yet offer Moyesian salvation.
West Ham’s fondness for stardust and failings at team building mean they tend to commit a disproportionate amount of their resources to attack-minded players. Lacking the injured free transfer Ryan Fredericks, they had a rookie right-back, Jeremy Ngakia. Noble marvelled: “I said to him, what a fantastic thing to say to anyone when you grow old: 'Who was your first game against? Liverpool. Who was your second game against? Liverpool away.’” Ngakia, Noble felt, was “fantastic” but his immediate opponent, Sadio Mane, still scored.
The sense has been that West Ham were simply looking to get through a run of games against Liverpool and City. The fixture list offers little respite. It is in-form Southampton next followed by Arsenal, Wolves, Tottenham and Chelsea, each with Champions League dreams. Noble at least took solace in the spirit shown at Anfield, adding: “This is not a team that is going to roll over.”
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Director: Romany Saad
Starring: Mirfat Amin, Boumi Fouad and Tariq Al Ibyari
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
4.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m; Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.10pm: Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Canvassed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
