Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, is clinging to the slim hope that West Ham United can tear up the form-book by winning at Manchester City on Sunday, giving the Merseyside club the chance to become Premier League champions after all.
Their chances seemed to have disappeared in the last two games, losing at home to Chelsea and then throwing away a three-goal lead in the last 11 minutes at Crystal Palace.
Now they must beat Newcastle at Anfield and hope 12th-placed West Ham can somehow win away to City, who have beaten them three times this season, by an aggregate of 12-1.
In the aftermath of the Crystal Palace collapse, Rodgers predicted that City would win their remaining two games to deny Liverpool a first title since 1990.
They duly defeated Aston Villa 4-0 on Wednesday but two days later Rodgers had changed his tune a little, telling a news conference: "It's certainly not over. West Ham have got some really talented players and if you can go to Tottenham and win 3-0, you can certainly go to Manchester City [and win]."
Liverpool will be hoping for a favour from Andy Carroll, the striker they sold last summer to West Ham after spending the previous season on loan there, although he has scored only two goals since returning from injury in January.
“They’ve got a really good defensive record with 14 clean sheets, so it shows they’re a really difficult team to play against,” Rodgers said.
Whatever happens on Sunday, however, the manager said that Liverpool, who finished only seventh a year ago after his first season in charge, can be proud of their efforts and will be even stronger for the next campaign.
“I want to congratulate my players on this season, we’ve had a remarkable season and the players have put Liverpool on the world map again,” he said.
“If we end up finishing second to the richest team in the history of sport it really shows the progress we’ve made here. It’s a huge compliment to be even considered for the title.
“I think we’ll improve dramatically next season with the young players that have come through. So for us it’s only the beginning.”
sports@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
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
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
