LEICESTER // Andy King, the Leicester City captain, feels his side still have a great chance of pulling off an FA Cup upset after securing a third-round replay with a thrilling 2-2 draw against Premier League heavyweights Manchester City at the Walkers Stadium.
Debutant Sol Bamba gave Leicester a sensational first-minute lead, but goals from James Milner and Carlos Tevez had appeared set to send the visitors through.
But Joe Hart, the City goalkeeper, fumbled Paul Gallagher's cross to allow King to tap home an equaliser.
The hosts created several opportunities to win it, with Jack Hobbs heading over the bar with the best of them, but King does not believe failing to win at home means the Championship side, one division below the top tier, have wasted their best chance of progressing to the fourth round.
King told ESPN: "You have to look at the players they brought in to their side and the quality in their squad and to get something was probably what we deserved.
"We were the home side and we are confident and we don't fear anyone and it showed.
"They are strong at home but we have given ourselves a chance and we are in the hat for the next round. Having played how we did we could have come away with that win."
King also paid tribute to the performance of Bamba, with the former Hibernian defender proving a constant menace at set-pieces.
"Our scouting staff have obviously done their homework and he was exceptional, it looked like he was going to score from every corner."
Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Leicester manager, is looking forward to the chance to lock horns again with his former club.
"We came up against one of the best teams in the country so we must be happy," he said.
"We tried to win the game but you have to be careful because if you open yourself up you can get caught, but they did very well today.
"I am looking forward to it [the replay] and it is a great experience for all the players. It will be difficult [to get a result] but why not?"
Roberto Mancini, the City manager, was not so impressed with his side's performance, and has warned them they must improve if they are to have any chance of winning the competition.
He said: "We had a lot of chances in the second half but this is the cup, it's important we understand the competition, and to win it we must be better than tonight.
"Bamba is very tall and physical and next time we must pay more attention to him."
But the Italian did not criticise Hart for his costly error for the equaliser.
"He has saved us a lot of times, but it's important that we have another chance," he added.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
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Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
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Guide to intelligent investing
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Racecard
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m
The UAE's journey to space
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”