Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez looks down just after the final whistle following the English Premier League match against Liverpool at Anfield, in Liverpool, England, Saturday, March 4, 2017. Dave Thompson / AP Photo
Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez looks down just after the final whistle following the English Premier League match against Liverpool at Anfield, in Liverpool, England, Saturday, March 4, 2017. Dave Thompson Show more

Arsene Wenger has ‘no special regrets’ about omitting Alexis Sanchez from starting line-up in defeat at Liverpool



LIVERPOOL // Arsene Wenger insisted he had no regrets at leaving Alexis Sanchez out of Arsenal’s starting line-up after his team’s 3-1 defeat at Liverpool.

The Arsenal manager, whose future at the Emirates is a subject of speculation, took the surprising decision to name Sanchez to the bench, bringing on the Chilean international at half time.

But Wenger explained his decision as a purely tactical one and claimed he did not regret his selection.

“I have no special regrets, the only regret is to have lost the game,” Wenger said.

“Look, the thinking was that we had to go more direct. We wanted to play two players who are strong in the air. After that to bring Alexis Sanchez on in the second half.

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■ Premier League round-up: Arsenal drop out of top four with defeat at Liverpool

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“Of course, I believe in the second half it was easier for the strikers and you could see the difference in the performance of [Olivier] Giroud and [Theo] Walcott because we dominated midfield much more.

“Everybody will come to the same conclusion but I’m strong enough and lucid enough to analyse the impact.

“I don’t deny Alexis Sanchez is a great player. I bought him, I always played him and he has developed well. A decision like that is not easy to make but you always have to stand up.”

Arsenal trailed to goals from Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane at the interval but Sanchez’s introduction saw a much-improved second half from Arsenal and a goal from Danny Welbeck, assisted by the substitute.

Georginio Wijnaldum secured an important win for the home side with the final goal in injury time.

Wenger would not discuss Sanchez’s mood after the game although TV pictures appeared to show him looking disgruntled on the Arsenal bench during the first period.

“I don’t think I need to go into every individual situation,” Wenger said.

“What was good in the second half was the collective performance. What was bad in the first half was the collective performance. That for me is a much more rational explanation than all the rest.

“You focus on what you want. I believe for every single player it’s the same. When everybody tells you you need to buy strikers and you buy them and then everybody says, why don’t you keep them on the pitch. But it’s impossible.”

Liverpool’s win was the perfect response to the criticism Jurgen Klopp’s team took following their surprise defeat at Leicester City on Monday.

“It was good again,” Klopp said. “Coming up to the game we had a really hard week. I found a few words, that were not asking for friendship after the Leicester game.

“The next day we analysed and it was not enjoyable for me when I did it or the players when they saw it.

“But there was a point in the week that we had to finish with the Leicester game. There were so many bad individual performances.

“We are the roller-coaster. Lots of ups but too many downs. Only if you are really silly do you let the bad things influence you more than the good things.

“Then I watched training again late in the week and I thought, OK, the boys showed what they are capable of.

“If you had asked me on Wednesday if we could win I would have said no. On Thursday, I would have said maybe. But on Friday I knew we could win.”

Klopp said that he had expected Sanchez to play at Anfield and that his arrival at half time caused his team an anxious five minutes as they adjusted.

But he insisted he was not surprised by his omission.

“In 17 years as a manager I’m not surprised about line-ups,” he said.

“Except maybe if a player breaks his leg last week and plays then I want to meet the doctor!”

* Agence France-Presse

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THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

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On sale: now 

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Name: Tratok Portal

Founded: 2017

Based: UAE

Sector: Travel & tourism

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French Touch

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(Verve)

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- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

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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.

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Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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SPECS

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Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

The biog

Name: Greg Heinricks

From: Alberta, western Canada

Record fish: 56kg sailfish

Member of: International Game Fish Association

Company: Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters

What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?

The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.

Napoleon
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  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
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Kanguva
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Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs

Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor

Power: 843hp at N/A rpm

Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km

On sale: October to December

Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)

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The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe


Price, base: Dh201,153
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Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
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Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km

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Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation. 

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

Cinco in numbers

Dh3.7 million

The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown

46

The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.

1,000

The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]

50

How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday

3,000

The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

1.1 million

The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you

The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars

Business Insights
  • Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
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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.
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Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.


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