LIVERPOOL // A youthful manager who is trying to revolutionise an underperforming club with youthful players saw a glorious vindication of his methods.
Not Brendan Rodgers, the Anfield moderniser, but Paul Lambert, his Aston Villa equivalent. Men with similarities endured the extremes of emotions. Lambert was delighted, Rodgers disappointed.
Just when Liverpool thought a corner had been turned, they were given a brutal reminder of the work to be done.
Just when Aston Villa, who face Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur next, feared reaching the halfway stage of the season in the relegation zone, they were elevated to mid-table by their best day since Martin O'Neill's reign.
A 3-1 victory was a triumph of teamwork and a resounding endorsement of Lambert's management.
He has cast the old guard aside, promoted the next generation and signed the up and coming.
But despite a series of creditable draws and reaching the Capital One Cup semi-finals, his reign had lacked a defining result, a moment to provide concrete proof of progress. It was supplied wonderfully yesterday.
The architect was Christian Benteke, the Belgian battering ram in the attack. Scorer of two goals, provider of the other for Andreas Weimann, Benteke reinforced his reputation as a rising force.
Benteke offers an all-round game that has brought comparisons with Didier Drogba, Weimann a predatory instinct. They are 22 and 21 respectively, finishers who represent the future.
"The whole performance was fabulous," Lambert said. "The goals were excellent and I thought the back three were terrific. Young lads put their body on the line."
As ever, however, strikers take the spotlight.
Lambert's men began the game as the Premier League's lowest scorers. They rather belied that reputation as a goal-shy team as both strikers were on the scoresheet at half time.
Operating on the counter-attack, Villa showed incision and intent, breaking purposefully and clinically.
The subplot of the season at Villa Park has been the continuing controversy about Darren Bent's exclusion.
With the club record signing injured, he was out of the equation but the men Lambert prefers in attack provided him with vindication.
When Brett Holman rolled the ball into his path, Benteke took aim from 25 yards. With no one closing him down, he beat Pepe Reina at his near post.
Scorer turned supplier, Benteke brilliantly back-heeling the ball into Weimann's path for the Austrian to drill in the second. It was the culmination of clever combination work, with both strikers involved twice.
"The goals were brilliant, the second especially with the movement and back-heel," Lambert added. "Benteke has been unbelievable and Weimann is a natural finisher."
He almost illustrated that earlier, a lob landing on the roof of the net after Reina was left stranded by Glen Johnson's poor header.
The goalkeeper was exposed again when Benteke added the third. After Holman robbed substitute Joe Cole, he powered through, avoiding Martin Skrtel and holding off Joe Allen, before lifting his shot past Reina.
"We contrived to concede poor goals," said Rodgers.
After a solitary loss in 11 games, this represented a real setback.
"I didn't see it coming," admitted Rodgers, who accepted his side deserved their defeat. "It was a bad day at the office. We weren't quite at it with our intensity or our pressure."
Indeed, they were at their brightest before Villa scored. Liverpool only mustered a reply in the final few minutes when Johnson's shot was turned in by Steven Gerrard. However, they felt they should have been on the scoresheet before then.
It has been a source of considerable frustration at Anfield that Liverpool have not been awarded a penalty yet this season. They were annoyed again when Ciaran Clark tugged Daniel Agger back as they challenged for Skrtel's header. Neil Swarbrick became the latest referee to irritate Liverpool.
"I'm not sure what we're going to have to do to get a penalty," Rodgers added.
Whatever their problems with the men in black, however, Liverpool's real difficulties were posed by the players wearing claret and blue.
sports@thenational.ae
Previews, s10-11
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
Queen
Nicki Minaj
(Young Money/Cash Money)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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The%20Specs
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Company%20Profile
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FIGHT%20CARD
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
Sunday
Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
Monday
Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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