Liverpool's Spanish forward Fernando Torres, right, leaves the field after being injured against Reading.
Liverpool's Spanish forward Fernando Torres, right, leaves the field after being injured against Reading.

Trouble piles up for Benitez



Wednesday started well for Rafa Benitez as he bolstered his squad with the signing of the Argentine international winger Maxi Rodriguez from Athletico Madrid. However, the night ended in misery for the Liverpool manager. Being knocked out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 home defeat to Championship side Reading was a bitter blow.

But perhaps more damaging, given the season's revised goal of qualifying for the Champions League, were the injuries to Benitez's star duo Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. Striker Torres limped off in the first half with a torn knee cartilage that requires surgery and will be out for six weeks while Gerrard was replaced at half-time with a torn hamstring. He is out for a fortnight. Midfielder Yossi Benayoun has also fractured a rib and faces a month on the sidelines.

The trio will be unavailable for the next two games - away to Stoke tomorrow and at home to Tottenham - while Torres and Benayoun will miss the Merseyside derby against Everton, a trip to Arsenal and maybe even the visit to Manchester City. Gerrard and Torres have already missed significant portions of the season because of groin injuries. Gerrard was out of action for six weeks, while Torres has missed five league games and has admitted to playing through the pain barrier.

Those injuries place an extra significance on the arrival of Rodriguez, who can occupy wide berths on either flank or play as a second striker. Benitez was thrilled with his newcomer. "He is good at getting into the box and is a good finisher," said the Spaniard. "Every year he gets five to 15 goals from midfield. I think he will adapt to English football because he is a clever player and takes up good positions on the pitch."

An experienced international colleague of Liverpool's midfield enforcer Javier Mascherano, Rodriguez was paraded to the Kop ahead of the Liverpool's FA Cup third-round replay against the Championship strugglers. In watching his new employers crash to a side who sit only two points clear of the relegation places and have amassed a measly three points from their last five league games, Rodriguez must have wondered if he had made a mistake.

As defeats go, this represented perhaps Liverpool's worst of the season - the lowest point in a term already plagued by inadequacy and under-achievement. It also fuelled speculation that Benitez, who only weeks ago prioritised the FA Cup as his club's best chance to end three silverware-less seasons, teeters on the brink of the Anfield exit door. It is something the former Valencia manager refuses to contemplate.

"Everybody has been talking about me but I'll keep working hard with my team," said Benitez after the shock loss. "From the beginning of the season we have been a little bit frustrated but we have to carry on. "We are not in the competition any more so we have to think about the future but it depends on your point of view - there were too many things I did not like. If the critics are fair, then it's OK but it's been the same for three months."

But results have showed no sign of improvement and worryingly for Benitez, with the team's confidence in ruins, he appears to have lost dressing room support. The Spaniard has vowed to battle on, saying: "This has not been our best season. There have been good situations and bad situations. The only way to improve is to be confident and to continue to work hard." @Email:emegson@thenational.ae

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.

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Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

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

What is double taxation?
  • Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
  • Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
  • The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
  • Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

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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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BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP

Group A

Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA

Group B

Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti

Group C

Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia

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Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria

Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania ​​​​​​​
Verdict: 4 Stars

Without Remorse

Directed by: Stefano Sollima

Starring: Michael B Jordan

4/5

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Uefa Nations League

League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands

League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey

League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania

League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

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'Nope'
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ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- Margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars

- Energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- Infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes

- Many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts

Tonight's Chat on The National

Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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The Beach Bum

Director: Harmony Korine

Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg

Two stars

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COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Happy Tenant

Started: January 2019

Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana

Based: Dubai

Sector: Technology, real-estate

Initial investment: Dh2.5 million

Investors: Self-funded

Total customers: 4,000

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The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre V6

Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km

Price: Dh179,999-plus

On sale: now