Bolton // Retribution is rarely as glorious. Bolton Wanderers have their revenge, a long-awaited home win and renewed grounds for optimism.
They remain in the relegation zone, but, courtesy of goals from Kevin Davies, Chris Eagles and Ivan Klasnic, they have helped to exorcise the ghosts of last season's most damaging day.
Stoke City were their April conquerors in the most one-sided FA Cup semi-final since 1939.
It is unusual that one result brings such a stark turnaround but since that 5-0 hammering, Bolton's form had been horrific: 13 defeats in 16 league games, including eight in the last nine, since the Wembley humiliation and seven in a row on their own turf.
Having gone from free-flowing to freefall, they made the return journey within the space of 90 minutes.
Once again, they resembled the side who surged into the Premier League's top four only 12 months ago.
"We had our day at Wembley," said Stoke's Tony Pulis. "They had their day today."
"There's no getting away from the level of performance and how crucial the win was," Owen Coyle, the Bolton manager said.
"It catapults us in among seven or eight teams [above Bolton] and puts us in an upward spiral."
His Stoke counterpart was altogether less impressed.
"No excuses whatsoever," Pulis said. "That was in the bottom three or four performances in my eight-and-a-half years at this football club.
"We were very, very poor. We never competed." While Stoke have a reputation as obdurate opponents, this was an ideal time to face them. Bolton's first game in eight days was Stoke's third in seven.
But Asmir Begovic was spared the 5,000-mile round journey to Tel Aviv for Thursday's Europa League game against Maccabi and he returned to gift Bolton two goals.
Meetings of these two clubs produce harrowing memories; Wanderers were given cause to wince at Wembley, while Begovic had reasons to regret yesterday's game.
As much as Coyle, who made five changes, recalling two strikers, who both scored, and giving the composed 20-year-old Joe Riley a league debut in a defence that kept a rare clean sheet, was a contributor to victory, and terrific as Klasnic and Eagles were, Begovic was the unfortunate instigator of Stoke's downfall.
Thanks to him, Bolton were ahead after 84 seconds. When Glenn Whelan misplaced an attempted clearance, Begovic handled it unwisely and, it seemed, unnecessarily.
Backpass, ruled Howard Webb, the referee, and before Stoke had started to protest, Klasnic had plucked the ball from Begovic's grasp and rolled it to Kevin Davies, presenting the captain with an open goal. He did not miss.
"Whether the first goal was a backpass or not, it doesn't matter," Pulis said.
"We have got so much time to right the wrong."
Instead, they compounded it. Begovic's second mistake was punished as efficiently as the first.
As Klasnic and Robert Huth chased a long ball, the latter prodded it back to his goalkeeper. Granted the chance to clear, Begovic miscued, only finding Eagles.
While the angle was awkward for the winger, he is a fine technician and duly picked out the far corner of the net before the diving Begovic could get there.
The goalkeeper was the prime culprit, but not the only one. Stoke's sloppiness was summed up by the third goal.
Huth's header, rather than clearing his lines, struck Eagles. He found Paul Robinson who, in turn, picked out Klasnic. The Croatian arrowed a shot into the far corner, Begovic applying a touch without managing to push it wide.
Yet a tale of embarrassment for one side offered examples of excellence for the other.
"The quality of some of our goals was there for everybody to see," Coyle said.
That was apparent especially in the fourth, converted stylishly by Eagles, the deftest of dinks clearing the diving Begovic after Klasnic - almost inevitably - had supplied him.
That was the fourth goal in which the Croatian was involved; and soon came the fifth as Eagles took a corner that David Wheater headed on and Klasnic glanced over the line.
"Eagles was outstanding from start to finish," Coyle added. "It's lovely to be clinical the way some of the elite clubs have been against us."
His side conceded five at the Reebok Stadium to both Manchester United and Chelsea.
Instead, they averted setting an unwanted record of becoming the first top-flight side to lose their opening six home league games of a season.
"That must be the catalyst for us to move forward," Coyle said. They look back in anger at Wembley no more.
-- RICHARD JOLLY
McCARTHY BUOYED BY VICTORY
Mick McCarthy, the Wolves manager, described his side's 3-1 victory over Wigan as a "great result" as they moved up to 13th in the Premier League.
Jamie O’Hara’s opener for the Molineux side was cancelled out by Ben Watson, following up his own saved penalty, before second-half goals by David Edwards and Stephen Ward clinched victory.
It was Wolves’ first win in nine games and consigned Wigan, the league’s bottom team, to an eight successive loss.
McCarthy said: “We’ve been struggling of late and to get three points off our competitors at the bottom is important.”
McCarthy has been subject to abuse by some fans and he paid tribute to his team.
“I think the players go about their jobs in a proper manner and they did that again today. I am delighted for the players – we’ve all been getting a bit.”
FRIEDEL SAVES TOTTENHAM
Martin Jol, the Fulham manager, last night praised Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Brad Friedel as the visitors survived a second-half onslaught at Craven Cottage to deny the home side against the Dutchman's former club.
Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon struck to give Spurs a commanding interval lead in a lively London derby, but they were overrun when play resumed.
Fulham dominated the second half with Younes Kaboul’s 57th-minute own goal the direct result of relentless pressure from the rampant home side.
But despite their overwhelming superiority, the Cottagers were unable to secure the equaliser after failing to convert a series of chances, thanks in no small part to the form of Friedel.
After the match, Jol said: “He [Friedel] was probably the best player on the pitch. We had 26 or 30 attempts on goal after half time and yet we just couldn’t sneak one in.
"We deserved at least a point, for sure. At least a point.”
Controversy reigned during a chaotic five-minute spell of injury time when Tottenham right-back Kyle Walker clearly handled the ball, but referee Peter Walton declined to award a penalty.
Luka Modric then cleared a late effort off the line.
To rub salt into the wound, substitute Jermain Defoe scored with virtually the last kick of the game.
Jol will have felt the disappointment more than anyone as he oversaw his first encounter against his former paymasters since leaving White Hart Lane in acrimonious circumstances three years ago.
The victory was Spurs' seventh in eight games and places them on the cusp of the Champions League spots with only goal difference separating them from Chelsea.
Tottenham still have a game in hand over their London rivals.
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, watching from home as he continues his recovery from a heart procedure, will be content with the three points but this was not the Tottenham that dazzled against Queens Park Rangers.
Sunday they rode their luck, as Friedel concurred.
“Those were not bread-and-butter saves I was making, it all got a bit hectic towards the end,” he said. “[But] we can do the dirty stuff in games, the ‘roll your sleeves up’ stuff, and we proved that in this game.
"Everyone knows we can play but you have to be able to do the dirty stuff as well and we showed we are capable of that.”
sports@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
The%20specs
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
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The%20end%20of%20Summer
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The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Company%20Profile
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The Energy Research Centre
Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.
SPECS
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Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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RIDE%20ON
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
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Company%20profile
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The%20specs%20
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