Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has given his new players a sneak preview of Anfield ahead of their first Premier League home game of the season, against Bournemouth on Monday.
Rodgers handed competitive debuts to five new signings in last weekend’s 1-0 win at Stoke City, which saw Liverpool prevail courtesy of a memorable long-range strike by Philippe Coutinho in the 86th minute.
Liverpool encountered some difficulties at home last season, losing four games and drawing five, and in a bid to help the new recruits acclimatise to the famous stadium, Rodgers held a training session there on Friday.
“I felt it was important for our new players, and the new staff, to acquaint themselves with Anfield,” he said.
“They know how special it is. They trained well last night and obviously we’re looking forward to the game on Monday.
“It’s a really special place to play football and it’s going to be very important again for us, if we’re going to have a good season, that our home form is second to none.
“A big part of that is the support we receive at home. So we’re looking forward to the game.”
Liverpool struggled at the Britannia Stadium until Coutinho’s late flash of inspiration and Rodgers will hope to see more invention from his forward players against Bournemouth, a promoted side.
New £32.5 million (Dh186.7m) striker Christian Benteke saw his only attempt at goal blocked, while Adam Lallana was hooked in the 63rd minute after an ineffective display.
Brazil forward Roberto Firmino, a £29m acquisition from Hoffenheim, made a late entrance as a substitute. Rodgers said Firmino, 23, will soon be in a position to start after building up his fitness.
Rodgers could name an unchanged side for the visit of Eddie Howe’s team, which would mean 18-year-old Joe Gomez continuing at left-back after making an impressive competitive debut at Stoke.
Liverpool twice won at Bournemouth in cup competitions in 2014, prevailing 2-0 in the fourth round of the 2013/14 FA Cup and then winning 3-1 in last season’s League Cup quarter-finals.
Howe will be the first manager to take Bournemouth to Anfield since January 1968, when a team playing under the banner of Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic lost 4-1 in an FA Cup third-round replay.
Howe is also expected to use the XI that he selected on the opening weekend, when the club from the south coast lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa in their first top-flight fixture.
He wants to give the players who took Bournemouth to the Championship title a chance to prove themselves in the Premier League and, aside from Harry Arter, Shaun MacDonald and Christian Atsu, his squad is fully fit.
At 37, Howe is one of the most highly rated young managers in England and he is excited about pitting his wits against Rodgers and his newly appointed assistant Sean O’Driscoll.
Howe previously worked under O’Driscoll, who was one of his predecessors at Bournemouth, and has been impressed by the philosophies that Rodgers has successively instilled at Swansea City and Liverpool.
Rodgers, he said, has, “been a role model, really, for me, someone you look up to and admire. I admired watching his Swansea teams play.
“When you try and analyse games and analyse systems, and philosophies, he’s certainly someone that I’ve looked at. I respect the way he conducts himself as well.”
Howe said that O’Driscoll, who has replaced Colin Pascoe in the Anfield dugout, was “hugely influential” when the pair worked together.
“I certainly believe Sean had a huge part in my management style,” he added.
“Obviously, he’s moved on and I haven’t seen or worked with him for a long time, but I think that stays with you. I was very lucky, as a young professional, to have such a forward-thinking coach as Sean.”
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Results
4pm: Maiden (Dirt) Dh165,000 1,600m
Winner: Moshaher, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
4.35pm: Handicap (D) Dh165,000 2,200m
Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.10pm: Maiden (Turf) Dh165,000 1,600m
Winner: Rua Augusta, Harry Bentley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
5.45pm: Handicap (D) Dh190,000 1,200m
Winner: Private’s Cove, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav.
6.20pm: Handicap (T) Dh190,000 1,600m
Winner: Azmaam, Jim Crowley, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6.55pm: Handicap (D) Dh190,000 1,400m
Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
7.30pm: Handicap (T) Dh190,000 2,000m
Winner: Rio Tigre, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav.
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Championship play-offs, second legs:
Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0
(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)
Final
Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE)
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Schedule:
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
