LIVERPOOL // Roberto Martinez tends to specialise in the unique. His place in history was secured in May when Wigan Athletic became the first team to win the FA Cup and get relegated in the same season.
This year’s managerial task is similarly quixotic: to secure a place in the Uefa Champions League while propelled by the goals of a player owned by another challenger for a top-four place.
Because, while this is one of the most talented squads Goodison Park has seen, Everton are disproportionately dependent on Romelu Lukaku. It was doubly significant, then, when the striker borrowed from Chelsea ended his goal drought yesterday and decided the clash of the upwardly mobile. While Southampton have slipped off the pace, Everton are showing their staying power and enter 2014 in an enviable position.
Their momentum appeared checked when the Southampton substitute Gaston Ramirez unleashed a thunderbolt that veered viciously on its way into Everton net. Then Steven Pienaar and James McCarthy combined, with the latter centring. Lukaku, with predatory expertise, dispatched his shot past Kelvin Davis.
“One of the best goals you are going to see in the league,” Martinez said.
It was also among the more timely. By the standards of Goodison’s goal-shy strikers of the past two decades, Stuart Barlow, Brett Angell, Denis Stracqualursi and the increasingly impotent Nikica Jelavic, five games without a strike scarcely counted as a blip. Not when Lukaku has more league goals than the three strikers Chelsea preferred to keep – Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba – have mustered between them. Yet considering how prolific Lukaku has been, however, it amounted to a relief when he sprinted away celebrating.
“We have never been in a position where we were a little bit worried or thought that was his only role,” said Martinez, ever one to ease the pressure on his players.
Nevertheless, Lukaku’s importance is illustrated by the identity of Everton’s second-highest scorer: a right-back who does not take set-pieces. That is also an indication of Seamus Coleman’s superlative form. The Ireland international’s third goal in four games was, like his strike at Swansea City seven days earlier, decidedly special. First came the pace, then the skill to beat James Ward-Prowse, and finally a thunderous shot, drilled beyond Davis from an acute angle.
In between the two goals, however, Everton lost their way a little.
“There were many phases where we were superior to Everton,” Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino said.
Ross Barkley spurned a glorious chance to double the Merseysiders’ lead, a juggling Adam Lallana almost conjured an equaliser and the marginalised Ramirez did, striking a shot with such swerve that Martinez insisted goalkeeper Joel Robles, making his full debut for the club, should not be blamed.
Yet Everton responded, ending 2013 in suitable style. An encouraging year leaves them in a promising position. They have lost only six league games in the past 12 months and reach the mid-way point of the campaign on course for their highest Premier League points tally. The message from the smilingly ambitious Martinez is that it could have been better still.
“I think we can improve,” he said. “Thirty-seven points is an outstanding return half-way through. We have had two defeats and the draws have been more unfair draws than lucky ones.”
Converting draws into victories was an issue in the three games before Lukaku’s arrival, which all finished level. Since he signed, the Merseysiders have prevailed 10 times in 16 attempts.
It is no coincidence. Chelsea’s loss has been Everton’s gain, and he caused Southampton pain.
sports@thenational.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner RB Money To Burn, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Benbatl, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Kimbear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Platinum Star, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Key Victory, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20Profile
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
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FA Cup semi-finals
Saturday: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 8.15pm (UAE)
Sunday: Chelsea v Southampton, 6pm (UAE)
Matches on Bein Sports
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')
Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')
Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)
The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
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- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
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JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
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.
PRISCILLA
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Soldier F
“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.
“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.
“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”
Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson
