Drug resistant infections
will kill an extra 10 million people a year worldwide - more than
currently die from cancer - by 2050 unless action is taken, a study
says.
They are currently implicated in 700,000 deaths each year. The analysis, presented by the economist Jim O'Neill, said the costs would spiral to $100tn (£63tn).
He was appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron in July to head a review of antimicrobial resistance.
Mr O'Neill told the BBC: "To put that in context, the annual
GDP [gross domestic product] of the UK is about $3tn, so this would be
the equivalent of around 35 years without the UK contribution to the
global economy."
The reduction in population and the impact on ill-health would reduce world economic output by between 2% and 3.5%.
The analysis was based on scenarios modelled by researchers Rand Europe and auditors KPMG.
They found that drug resistant E. coli, malaria and tuberculosis (TB) would have the biggest impact.
In Europe and the United States, antimicrobial resistance
causes at least 50,000 deaths each year, they said. And left unchecked,
deaths would rise more than 10-fold by 2050.
Mr O'Neill is best known for his economic analysis of developing nations and their growing importance in global trade.
He coined the acronyms Bric (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and more recently Mint (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey).
He said the impact of the would be mostly keenly felt in these countries.
"In Nigeria, by 2050, more than one in four deaths would be
attributable to drug resistant infections, while India would see an
additional two million lives lost every year."
The review team believes its analysis represents a significant
underestimate of the potential impact of failing to tackle drug
resistance, as it did not include the effects on healthcare of a world
in which antibiotics no longer worked.
Joint replacements, Caesarean sections, chemotherapy and
transplant surgery are among many treatments that depend on antibiotics
being available to prevent infections.
The review team estimates that Caesarean sections currently
contribute 2% to world GDP, joint replacements 0.65%, cancer drugs 0.75%
and organ transplants 0.1%.
This is based on the number of lives saved, and ill-health prevented in people of working age.
Without effective antibiotics, these procedures would become much riskier and in many cases impossible.
The review team concludes that this would cost a further $100tn by 2050.
Mr O'Neill said his team would now be exploring what action could be taken to avert this looming crisis.
This would include looking at:
how drug use could be changed to reduce the rise of resistance
how to boost the development of new drugs
the need for coherent international action concerning drug use in humans and animals
Mr O'Neill said the support of the Bric and Mint nations was vital.
He noted that China would be hosting the G20 summit in 2016 and said he hoped this issue would be a focus of discussion. 'Compelling'
He said scientists seemed more certain that drug resistance
would be a major problem in the short term, than they were over climate
change.
Dr Jeremy Farrar, the director the Wellcome Trust, said: "By
highlighting the vast financial and human costs that unchecked drug
resistance will have, this important research underlines that this is
not just a medical problem, but an economic and social one too."
Prof Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England,
said: "This is a compelling piece of work, which takes us a step forward
in understanding the true gravity of the threat."
The review team concludes that solving the problem of drug
resistance will be far cheaper than doing nothing and there was "cause
for optimism" that the right steps could be taken.
This included university researchers and biotech
entrepreneurs "teeming with ideas" including new drugs, vaccines and
alternative therapies such as antibodies. Investment
Laura Piddock, professor of microbiology at the University of
Birmingham, is focusing her research on bacteria such as E. coli and
salmonella, which are responsible for a growing level of drug resistant
infections.
Both are so-called gram-negative bacteria, which have a
complex cell wall that acts as a barrier to drugs. If they do penetrate
the wall, they are "vacuumed out" by the cell.
She said: "My team is looking at what are the switches in
those bacteria which turn that vacuum cleaner off, and at molecules
which would have the same effect. If we can do that, we can make the
bacteria sensitive to antibiotics."
Prof Piddock said there had not been enough global investment in finding new drugs.
She said: "It is very difficult to find drugs against bacteria like E.coli because they are so naturally resistant.
"We need more investment and new business models to ensure
the pipeline is filled with promising molecules, to ensure that we can
solve this problem, and make sure the drugs are there when patients need
them." Your comments (565)
The price of oil has fallen further after the International Energy Agency forecast weaker demand in 2015.
The IEA, a consultancy to 29 countries, said supply and demand would take "some time" to respond to sharp falls in oil prices.
It said it was too early to expect low oil prices to start constricting a US supply boom.
On Friday, Brent crude fell to below $63 a barrel, its lowest price since July 2009. Continue reading the main story
Last Updated at 12 Dec 2014, 17:00 GMT*Chart shows local time
price
change
%
61.83
-
-1.85
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-2.91
The price of Brent fell to $62.50 a
barrel at one point before recovering slightly to $62.67. US crude was
trading below $59 a barrel.
'Price rout'
The IEA cut its forecast for global oil demand growth next
year by 230,000 barrels per day to 900,000 barrels per day on the
expectation of lower fuel consumption in Russia and other oil-exporting
countries.
Oil prices have been in steep decline since June due to slow demand growth and a US shale oil boom which has increased supply.
Prices "continued to plunge in November and into early
December", the IEA said, adding that, "it may well take some time for
supply and demand to respond to the price rout".
The root cause of the fall in prices was "a surge in non‐Opec
supply to its highest growth ever and contraction in demand growth to
five‐year lows".
It predicted that non-Opec supply gains would add to a global glut of oil.
The US boom should push non-Opec production to a record 1.9
million barrels per day this year, IEA said, but this figure should fall
to 1.3 million barrels per day in 2015.
In Russia, the IEA said lower global oil prices combined with
the effect of sanctions and a "collapsing currency" were likely to have
an adverse effect on production.
A man faces deportation from the UK after a judge said his British wife's salary was not high enough.
Michael Engel, from South Africa, said the "bizarre" immigration system rules were "attacking British citizens".
Mr Engel, a 31-year-old yacht engineer living in Cornwall,
said he and wife Natalie plan to go back to South Africa with
18-month-old daughter Nyana.
A Home Office spokesman said the rules were designed to stop foreign spouses becoming reliant on UK taxpayers. 'I'm gobsmacked'
The couple were told of the immigration tribunal's ruling
after they had appealed on human rights grounds in a bid to protect
their family life.
UK top three and bottom three areas
average gross full time pay (ONS figures April 2014) - Cornwall was in
the lowest 10% of 410 authorities
But under rules introduced in 2012, British citizens who want
to bring a foreign spouse to the UK must earn £18,600 a year and a
further £3,800 - a total of £22,400 - if the couple have a child.
Mrs Engel's craft-making business made £19,786 in 2014 which
was deemed not enough by the tribunal panel, which met on 3 December.
She said the decision made her feel like her family was being "kicked out" of the country.
She said: "I'm gobsmacked, lost for words, angry and deflated. I'm not so proud to be British right now." Ruling appeal
But Judge Michael Wilson, who heard the appeal, said UK
taxpayers "should not be expected to have to financially support the
appellant in the event of him not obtaining work".
The couple now have 14 days to seek permission to appeal against the ruling.
Mr Engel said: "We did everything in our power to tick all the boxes.
"They are just attacking the wrong people - they are attacking British citizens."
The couple met in 2009 working on a cruise ship and lived in South Africa for four years.
They moved to the UK in January 2013 with Mr Engel on a holiday visa, living first in Yorkshire and then in Cornwall.
In a statement the Home Office said: "Our family rules were
brought in to make sure that spouses coming to the UK do not become
reliant on the taxpayer for financial support.
"This is fair to applicants and to the rest of the public, and has been upheld by the Court of Appeal."
Michael Engel, his wife Natalie and daughter Nyana, are now awaiting a deportation date
Average gross full time pay in Cornwall was £23,305 for the year ending April 2014, compared with £27,195 for the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Cornwall was in the lowest 10% of 410 authorities that provided figures.
North Cornwall Liberal Democrat MP, Dan Rogerson, said: "The
decision is a blow to Michael and Natalie, and to their family and
friends.
"We need to make sure that the immigration system lets
families in low income areas like ours stay together, whilst at the same
time ensuring that people have the financial means to support their
spouse if they come to the UK."
Tech giant Google has confirmed reports that it plans to move engineers out of its office in Russia.
The firm said it "remains committed" to Google users in the
country and told the BBC it has relocated engineers in other countries
on previous occasions.
Google declined to say how many staff would be affected by the move.
In July this year, the Russian parliament passed a law
requiring internet companies to store citizens' personal data inside the
country.
The Kremlin has said the law is designed to aid data
protection but critics have seen it as an attempt to censor internet
access as the law would give the government powers to block sites which
refused to comply.
Many tech companies store user data in huge data storage
facilities around the world and do not link the location of the data to
the location of the user, meaning that most users' data will not be kept
in the same country as them.
Google will retain some staff including sales, marketing and support teams in its Russia office, according to the Wall Street Journal.
""We are deeply committed to our Russian users and customers
and we have a dedicated team in Russia working to support them," said
the firm in a statement.
On Monday, the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) conducted its
governorship Primaries in Lagos. Jimi Agbaje, in a keenly contested
election floored Former Defence minister, former ambassador and former
governorship candidate, Musiliu Obanikoro. Prior to that contest, there
had been a whole lot of speculations on how the the contest would turn
out.
Obanikoro had resigned his position as minister to vie for the
ticket. As a minister, he had been prominent in PDP affairs especially
in the south west. During the Ekiti governorship election, he was in
that state to support the PDP candidate, Ayodele Fayose who trounced the
incumbent governor, Kayode Fayemi. He was equally in Osun state to
offer his support to the candidate of his party, Iyiola Omisore.
Indeed, before then, it had always been all over town that Senator
Obanikoro would contest for his party ticket for the Lagos governorship.
Why I personally have nothing against the candidature of the former
minister, the general feeling is that, it would be difficult for him to
clinch the ticket and if he, against expectations, got the ticket, it
would be the answer to the prayers of the APC in the state to again
clinch the coveted governorship seat. Indeed, the prayers of APC is for
Obanikoro to emerge in order to make the governorship election a
walkover for them. It is not quite clear where the resentment against
Obanikoro’s ambition stemmed, but it was not something that came
overnight. There had been a growing resentment to Obanikoro’s
governorship ambition since 2007 when he flew his party’ s ticket and
contested against the incumbent Lagos governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola.
The resentment didn’t come from the party alone but even from the voting
public. How this came about is still a mystery. I remember reading an
online reaction that the former minister should just not waste his time
as he would never win anything in this life. I felt that was too dire.
So what could have led to this? Although I have never had the
opportunity of having a close up relationship with the former minister,
from what I have been able to gather, he is a gentleman and someone
that is always willing to lend a helping hand. Some people also believe
that his problem could be traced to former PDP Vice Chairman and Lagos
Boy, Chief Olabode George who never hid his dislike for the ex-minister
and would do anything within his power to ensure that he never won the
ticket which was what precisely happened. Obanikoro himself never hid
the fact that he never saw eye to eye with Chief George. A post credited
to him on social media further reveals the schism between the duo where
he allegedly said, ‘the only time we had peace in our party (in Lagos)
was when Bode George was in prison’. Chief Bode George was said to have
worked assiduously to ensure the emergence of Agbaje.
Indeed, one would credit Chief George with a discerning spirit for
understanding the mood of the generality of the people and backing a
candidate with enough credibility to give the Lagos APC a run for its
money. The decision has made the governorship contest in the state quite
interesting. And this would be the first time the PDP would show the
level of seriousness that it was going to battle the APC for the soul of
Lagos. Why is this so? The PDP candidate, Jimi Agbaje is a
pharmacist-turned politician and had contested for the lagos
governorship in 2007 on the platform of the Democratic Peoples Alliance
(DPA). He was quite popular then and had wide acceptability among so
many Lagosians. It was probably due to this popularity that made the PDP
to woe him into its fold. Hea came across as a very serious, brilliant
contender then unfortunately the platform on which he tried to realize
his ambition was not so popular. Some chieftains of the PDP also
acknowledge his popularity and felt that the only way the PDP could slug
it out with the APC is to get a candidate with credibility. This, the
PDP got.
Now that the two major candidates have emerged, how would the battle
be fought between Akinwunmi Ambode, the APC candidate and Agbaje. On
paper, Ambode should coast to victory without any hitch. He is a
candidate of a major party in the state and the country which had held
firmly on to Lagos state since 1999. Not only that, he has the support
of highly respected leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. On his
own, he has distinguished himself very well, professionally. for Agbaje,
the tendency is to say that because he never had any public service
experience, this would affect his performance, but every body seem to
acknowledge that he is highly cerebral and would rise up to the
occasion. Not only that, he has distinguished himself in private
practice.
The other issue is the party structure. How strong is the PDP party
structure that would back and ensure Agbaje’s ambition? The fact is that
the APC party machinery and structure has been tried and truly tested
and could be relied upon. In the PDP, it is obvious that there is still a
lot of work to be done.
There is the need to assuage Obanikoro who is clearly unhappy with
the outcome. Would he be willing to work with others to ensure victory
for his party’s candidate? The APC does not have this problem while
Asiwaju Tinubu and the Governor Fashola can always find a way to
accommodate each other. It is thus going to be an interesting battle. A
battle between continuity which Ambode represents and change as
represented by Agbaje. But one thing is clear, APC will not have a easy
ride unlike before.
From Mariam Aleshinloye Agboola, and Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Plateau State Capital, Jos, was yesterday rocked by twin bomb explosions with scores feared killed or injured.
One of the explosions occurred in front of Mr. Biggs Restaurant while
the second was just a few metres away. The scene was close to the burnt
central market where traders erected their stalls to sell wares,
usually in the evenings. This is even as police detonated a bomb in
Kano.
The two explosions occurred between 6:30 and 6:35 pm. Though details of the explosions were sketchy at press time, Daily Sun learnt that many lives may have been lost and some people were rushed to the hospital.
Immediately after the blasts, the area was cordoned off by security
operatives. No person or motorist was allowed to get close to the
terminus roundabout for safety reasons.
The state government had on many occasions warned traders to stop
laying their wares around the terminus area to guide against yesterday’s
incident.
Meanwhile, barely 24 hours after two suicide bombers killed
themselves and four others at the famous Kanti Kwari Market in Kano,
another Improvised Explosive Device (IED) has been discovered in another
popular market in the state capital.
The explosive was found at about 2pm, yesterday at the popular Dawanu
Market in Ungogo Local Government Area. The bomb was immediately
defused by the Anti-Bomb Unit of the police force.
Police Commissioner, Alhaji Adenrele, Shinaba, disclosed that
following the report of the suspected bomb, the police immediately swung
into action, adding that they successfully defused it before it could
cause any harm.
“I can confirm to you that our men successfully foiled their
intention. There was no loss of lives and nobody was injured,” he said,
adding that normalcy has since returned in the market.
Unidentified persons suspected to be ritualists in the early hours of
yesterday dumped two unidentified mutilated bodies on Ife/Ibadan
Expressway.
The incident, which would be the second reported case of suspected
ritual killing in Osun State in the last five days has been generating
confusion and panic among many residents of the state.
A corpse of an unidentified lady was earlier in the week found inside
an uncompleted building in Magaji Area of Iwo, the headquarters of Iwo
Local Government Area of the state.
Daily Sun was reliably informed that the bodies must have been dumped
by two different vehicles coming from Ibadan, towards Ife before day
break.
A man, who claimed to be among the first set of people that arrived
at the scene where the bodies were dumped, who simply identified himself
as Adekunle, said: “We strongly suspect that the bodies were dumped as
early as 4 a.m.
“From our observations, the same parts were missing in both bodies.
Heads, private parts and their limbs were all cut off. We only met the
torsos. We could not also determine the sexes of the bodies because
unsuspecting vehicles had smashed them possibly because it was still
dark when they were dumped.”
Another resident of Wasinmi, who preferred anonymity, urged security
agents to intensify surveillance on the area, stressing that cases of
ritual killings are usually on the increase during end of the year and
election period.
According to him, ritualists, especially those involved in picking
unsuspecting passengers on the road may have set up camps in the forest
around the expressway. He, therefore, called on the police to ensure
all-day-round monitoring of activities on and around the road to put an
end to activities of ritualists in the area.
Efforts to get police’s reaction to the incident were unsuccessful as
the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Folasade Odoro,
could not be reached for comment, as she was outside the state on
official duty.
The Overload promotion rolled out by Glo last week is generating a lot of excitement among subscribers across the country.
Glo subscribers who spoke on the offer described the promotion, which
offers 200 per cent bonus on airtime recharges and data plans, as a
strategic way to start the festive season.
For instance, Chijioke Ameh who called from Plateau State noted: “I
am very happy with Glo Overload. I hope it will last longer because the
promo has increased my data usage and enabled me to carry out more
activities on my phone as I enjoy browsing with it.”
Also reacting, Abraham Jighu, a Lagos-based legal practitioner,
stated: “I opted for Overload by dialing *200# and I’ve been enjoying
the 200 per cent bonus on my recharges just as Glo promised. It is more
appreciated now given the season we are in. I treasure this increased
airtime to call my loved ones.”
Another businessman from Gembu in Taraba State, Levi Donald, said he
was happy to notice bonus to his call credit when he recharged in the
last three days and welcomed the promo. Agnes Ogwuche, a Jalingo-based
student, noted that she recharged N200 and got N600. With this, she is
now making more calls and using the chance to reach out to people she’s
lost touch with.
Onitsha-based Akinyemi Phillips expressed surprise that he was enjoying more call time than he paid for.
Teslim Babalola said: “Wow! Glo is really the people’s network. I
bought the N2,000 data plan, I realised that instead of getting 350MB, I
received 2.5GB. A friend of mine said he bought the N5,000 data plan
and got a whopping 12GB. That is simply awesome.”
Meanwhile, Glo Allawee, another promo released by Globacom recently,
has been well received by Nigerians. Feelers from the operator’s
Gloworld outlets across the country show a spike in the number of new
subscribers who are eager to enjoy the free N18,000 airtime.
Under the promo, new subscribers get a whopping N18,000 worth of free
airtime spread over a year at the rate of N50 per day. The only
condition is that they have to spend airtime worth N50 or more on any
particular day to be entitled to N50 free airtime the following day.
On Wednesday 10th December 2014, the presiding magistrate of the
coroner court investigating the cause of death of persons in the
Synagogue building collapse, Oyetade Komolafe, submitted that the court
lacked the powers to hear the application filed by The Synagogue Church
Of All Nations (SCOAN), through its lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, praying the
court to stay proceedings pending the determination of the same
application by the high court.
Magistrate Komolafe, citing various examples, observed that the
coroner’s court was purely a fact-finding one that was not intended to
witch-hunt any group or individual. He thereby dismissed the application
and ruled that proceedings would continue on Friday, December 12, 2014:
“I have said it several times that this court is purely on a
fact-finding mission and is not intended to prosecute anybody or group.
We are all here to find out the real cause(s) of the death of persons in
the building collapse. I wonder why it being painted to look as if we
are trying to prosecute anybody. The coroner’s court id different from
the regular court and would not entertain any application that is not
within its powers to do so. For this reason, the application brought by
the counsel to The SCOAN is hereby dismissed. We will reconvene on
Friday, December 12, 2014 to continue proceedings”.
Meanwhile prominent Nigerians have continued to storm the court
premises in solidarity with The SCOAN and its Founder, Prophet T.B.
Joshua. At least three traditional rulers were sighted within the court
room. They included: BaaleOnipetesi, HRH. Chief Olusegun Akinola,
BaaleAnifowose, HRH. Chief KayodeOkeyemi II and the Ologudu of
Oguduland, HRM. Oba WaidiAyinlaFashola.
Many other groups were seen carrying placards and calling on the
Federal Government as well as the Lagos State Government to leave
Prophet T.B. Joshua alone and dig for the real cause of the building
collapse. Prominent among these groups was the Osun State Youth Forum
and a coalition of other youths from the entire federation.
The ESPN FC panel debates whether or not Jose Mourinho should've rested his top players against Sporting Lisbon.
LONDON -- Jose Mourinho says there is no prospect of Fernando Torres returning to Chelsea from his loan move to AC Milan.
It
was agreed in the summer that Torres would play out the last two years
of his Chelsea contract at Milan, but his poor form and high wages have
already led to speculation that Milan will look to offload him.
When asked whether the Spaniard could return to Stamford Bridge, though, the Blues boss said: "No."
Pressed
on whether it was true that Milan are seeking to end the deal, Mourinho
said: "I don't know but he's on loan for two seasons at AC Milan."
Chelsea
added Diego Costa, Didier Drogba and Loic Remy to his squad over the
summer and Mourinho stressed that the club could not add any further
players given restrictions over squad sizes.
"He's our player but
he's on loan. We have no space for players in the list, either in the
Champions League or Premier League. That's an impossible picture," he
said.
"But I have to say, nobody from AC Milan made contact with
us thinking about that possibility, so probably nothing is true and,
more than possibly, he's happy at Milan and Milan to have him."
Mourinho also rejected talk of a January exit for Petr Cech, with the 32-year-old goalkeeper set to stand in for the injured Thibaut Courtois against Hull City on Saturday.
"I
don't think it's possible," he said. "I read a couple of weeks ago his
agent saying no chance of leaving Chelsea in January. That plus the fact
that I have no info about any offer for him makes me believe 100
percent that he's staying. I repeat again: I'm so happy we have this
fantastic situation with the goalkeepers."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger speaks ahead of his team's match with Newcastle on Saturday. LONDON
-- Aaron Ramsey looks set to miss Arsenal's festive fixture programme
after manager Arsene Wenger confirmed the midfielder has sustained a
hamstring injury.
Ramsey, 23, scored a memorable volley in Wednesday's 4-1
Champions League win at Galatasaray, but it seems that may be the last
significant contribution he makes to the Gunners' cause in 2014.
"We
have the scan last night and I don't know enough the extent of his
injury," Wenger told a news conference, adding that he could not put a
timescale on the Wales international's recovery period. "It's a shame
because he was getting close to his form."
Ramsey's absence is one
of many concerns Wenger is dealing with ahead of Saturday's home game
against Newcastle, with his defensive injury woes increased as Nacho
Monreal and Laurent Koscielny are also out of this weekend's match.
With
Calum Chambers suspended, Wenger faces some big decisions in selecting a
back line to face a Newcastle side that ended Chelsea's unbeaten start
to the season last weekend.
"Defensively, I have 24 hours to think
about it and I will find a solution," he continued. "We have to play
someone with almost no experience or someone who is not used to playing
in the position."
Wenger insisted that his side's poor display in the 3-2
defeat at Stoke last weekend was a blip in what he sees as an improving
defensive record, despite the injury problems that have affected his
squad this season.
"Before Stoke, we got three clean sheets in a
row, but always the last game that is judged for the quality of the
team," he said. "This is the modern game. Our last game was Galatasaray
and we defended well there. I agree we didn't defend well at Stoke.
"We
work on our weak points, obviously, but it is difficult. We came back
[from Turkey] at 5am in the morning on Wednesday morning and we just
have to recover at the moment. Our [training] sessions now are recover,
recovery."
Wenger has confirmed that he will look to add a
defender to his squad in the upcoming January transfer window, but he
warned Arsenal supporters that movement of players will be limited next
month.
"If everybody is fit and available, we don't need to go on
the transfer market, but we have to consider that Koscielny could be a
question mark with his fitness, so we have to go out on the transfer
market, yes," he said.
"There will be very little activity because
all the big clubs want to keep their players. It will be as usual --
quiet in the first three weeks and then frenetic in the last three or
four days. Usually, the transfer market in January is not very active."
While
Wenger has a lack of players to select from in defensive positions, his
attacking options are plentiful, with Lukas Podolski pushing for a
Premier League return after his fine display in the Galatasaray game and
Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud also available after missing the trip
to Turkey.
Following the outcomes of the presidential primaries of
the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress
(APC), President Goodluck Jonathan is now set to once again engage
Muhammadu Buhari, a former military head of state, in a fierce
competition in the presidential election scheduled for February 14,
2015.
The two men had in 2011 contested the presidency. While
Buhari ran on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC), Jonathan contested on the PDP ticket.
In his acceptance speech, shortly after the ratification
of his adoption as the sole candidate of his party for the presidential
election, President Jonathan pledged that he would not fail Nigerians
and that his target would be to ensure that the living standard of
Nigerians improved.
Jonathan said his nomination as the PDP presidential
candidate exemplified the party’s determination to ensure that democracy
in Nigeria yielded the desired benefits to Nigerians.
He assured that the country’s fight against corruption was on course and would be won.
The president said his administration was strongly
committed to the observance of human rights, adding that no Nigerian
would be persecuted for holding a contrary view.
For his part, Buhari, who addressed delegates before the
exercise, said: “We seek a new Nigeria. It starts with us. It starts
today. I have placed myself before you, seeking your help to nominate me
as your standard bearer for our progressive party, APC.
“Personal ambition does not drive me in this regard. I
seek to be the next president of our beloved nation because I believe I
have something to offer Nigeria at this time of multiple crises.
Insecurity, corruption, and economic collapse have brought the nation
low. Time is due that we work together to lift Nigeria up.
“I am ready to lead Nigeria to its rightful future.
I have always served Nigeria to the best of my ability.
I have always tried to give more to the nation than it has
given me. This is the principle of service that has guided my public
life. Thus, I am not a rich person. I can’t give you a pocketful of
dollars or naira to purchase your support. Even if I could, I would not
do so. The fate of this nation is not up for sale,” he added.
Jonathan, who retains Namadi Sambo as his running mate,
polled 2,812 ‘YES’ votes to get the needed support from the party in a
result that was announced in the early hours of Thursday, at the Eagle
Square venue of the event, while Buhari emerged winner with 3,430 votes
out of the 5,932 votes cast by the delegates at the presidential primary
held inside the main bowl of Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.
Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar, former Nigerian vice president
and one of the presidential aspirants of the APC , along with three
other three contestants, conceded defeat in the party’s primaries to
Buhari.
The former vice president came third with 954 votes, while
Rabiu Kwankwaso, governor of Kano State emerged second with 974 votes.
Coming behind Kwankwaso was Rochas Okorocha, Imo State governor, who
polled 624 votes and Sam Ndah Isaiah with 10 votes. All the losers
pledged to work together with Buhari and the party leadership to win the
2015 presidential election.
Atiku in his congratulatory message after the results of
the election were announced at about 5:30 pm Thursday, said: “I heartily
congratulate General Muhammadu Buhari for emerging victorious in this
keenly contested presidential primary election of our great party, the
APC. You ran a spirited campaign, and since the delegates have spoken,
you fully deserve the victory.
“I am very confident that you will provide the needed
leadership to turn this country around. I have no doubt that you will
work with dedicated and qualified Nigerians to protect our citizens,
improve our economy, create jobs, improve education, reform governance
and fight corruption. You will indeed bring the change Nigerians have
been yearning for. Once more, congratulations.
“I congratulate the other contestants, namely governors
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Rochas Okorocha, as well as the erudite Sam
Nda-Isaiah. You have all demonstrated your commitment to democracy by
participating in this transparent process and by campaigning vigorously
across this country.
“I thank our delegates for their sacrifices and their
commitment to democracy. In particular, I thank those who voted for me
for your faith in me. However, since we came up short, we have to now
rally behind General Buhari to help him prevail in the coming
presidential election,” he said.
According to him, “The APC has demonstrated, through the
transparent process, the party’s commitment to democracy and rule of
law. It has demonstrated its respect for people and their choice through
the ballot box. I sincerely thank the convention committee for putting
together a hitch-free convention.
“My dear friends, we have voted, a winner has emerged. I
pledge my commitment to this party, and to campaign vigorously for our
candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, and all APC candidates to ensure
victory in the 2015 elections. I call on all other contestants and our
party’s rank and file to unite behind our candidates at all levels to
ensure that the PDP is defeated, so Nigerians can have real change.”
Also speaking, Rabiu Kwankwaso, assured that all the members would work for the same course.
Rochas Okorocha, who acknowledged the internal democracy
exhibited by the party, said: “I believe that it’s God that has made
this possible for him and it is for a purpose.”
He also noted that “today the South-East has a sense of
belonging in this great party,” adding that the outcome of the primary
is a coma in his political carrier.”
A cross section of Nigerians living in major parts of the
northern states took to the streets to celebrate the emergence of former
Head of State, Muhammad Buhari, as the presidential flag-bearer for the
All Progressive Congress (APC) in the forthcoming 2015 general
election.
Of the 7,214 votes cast by the delegates at the third APC
National Convention, Buhari emerged winner with 3,430 votes, followed by
Kwankwaso with 974 votes; Atiku polled 954, Okorocha got 624 votes;
Nda-Isaiah got 10 votes while 16 votes were declared as invalid.
While announcing the result of the presidential primary,
Kayode Fayemi, chairman of the electoral committee and the returning
officer, 5,932 votes received while 7,214 delegates were accredited.
“Having won the majority of votes cast, it is my pleasure
and honour to declare Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the All
Progressive Congress presidential primary in preparation for the 2015
presidential election,” after which he handed over the certificate of
return to Buhari.
He pledged to hold meeting with all stakeholders within
the party on the best way to tackle the problems confronting the
country.
In his remarks, John Odigie-Oyegun, APC national chairman,
who commended the leadership of the party and the Convention Planning
Committee, assured Nigerians of the party’s commitment towards rescuing
Nigeria from the numerous crises bedevilling the country.
“For all of you who are here and those who have gone, you
have made history. In my almost 30 years in politics, I’ve never seen
success like this,” he said.
Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, has given a pat on the back to the
other two English premiership sides, Arsenal and Manchester City that
made it to the UEFA champions league round of 16.
Mourinho, whose side topped its group after winning four of her six
group games said he is happy with the fine run of Arsenal and Man City
in the money spinning competition, even as he added that he wanted to
see them forge ahead in the tournament.
“I’ m happy Manchester City and Arsenal reached the last 16. I work
in England. I want the prestige of English football and I hope they keep
doing well,” Mourinho said after Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Sporting
Lisbon Wednesday night.
On who Chelsea will draw in the round of 16, Mourinho said the Blues
fear no foe as he has a solid squad that is ready to face any opponent.
Monday’s draw will pair Chelsea against either Juventus, PSG, Basel, Bayer Leverkusen or Shakhtar Donetsk.
“We don’t fear anybody, but we know there are very good, strong teams
in this competition. Last year we were close and we didn’t have the
team playing at such a high level as we do this season, so we can dream
we will do it,” Mourinho said.
While Chelsea had avoided the likes of fellow group-winners, Real
Madrid and Bayern Munich, French champions Paris St-Germain and Italy’s
Serie A-winners, Juventus, finished second in their groups and could
prove tricky knockout opponents.
Less than 20 hours after Governor Rochas Okorocha crashed out of the
All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries held on December
11, 2014, the Imo State APC yesterday hurriedly organized a
gubernatorial primary apparently to beat the deadline set by
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the submission
of candidates’ names by parties for the 2015 general elections.
The state Commissioner for Lands and the son-in-law of Governor
Okorocha, Chief Uche Nwosu, had earlier been elected as the consensus
governorship candidate of the party prior to the presidential primary of
the APC.
Chairman of the election committee of the party, Mr. John Alamba,
said the party had to organize another gubernatorial primaries in line
with the party’ s constitution to replace Chief Uche Nwosu, who had
suddenly withdrew his candidature.
He pointed out that the electoral committee had to summon the
delegates again to participate in another primaries to elect another
governorship candidate of the party for the forthcoming general
elections.
The leader of the Jonathan Mandate for Justice 2015 (JMJ) and
chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State, Mr.
Noah Dallaji, has hailed the outcome of the PDP national convention
In a statement yesterday, Dallaji praised the delegates, leaders and
members of the PDP who attended the convention and their resolve to
elect President Jonathan as the party’s choice for president, saying he
would not only win the 2015 presidential election but also use the
mandate to consolidate on his transformation agenda.
Dallaji, who reviewed the processes of the convention and
convictions of the delegates to arrive at the decision to endorse the
president for second term, said it was a way of telling Nigerians and
the international community that the PDP is a democratic party which
would always conform to its constitution
“As a democratic party, the PDP has by the outcome of this convention
showed to the world that we are true democrats. The delegates have
expressed themselves through their ballots and resolved to give
President Goodluck Jonathan the presidential ticket, which is a good
thing for our collective interest as a people and nation in an era of
consolidating our national transformation. We can only thank and praise
the delegates for their wise decision. Importantly, we cannot but also
praise the leadership of our National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, who
has provided good direction, stabilised and united the party since he
came on board.
“As we have been saying and echoed by other genuine democrats in and
outside the party, what is important in a democracy is the process which
should conform with the ethics of democracy and this was vindicated at
this convention because the people made their choice and this should be
respected by all as a fundamental objective of democracy.
It was a democratic enterprise which further showed the resilience of
the PDP as a political party, the acumen and commitment of its
leaders as well as the good spirit and discipline of our members”, he
stated.
He claimed that the president’s victory at the convention would also
be reflected in the 2015 general election, noting that the Nigerian
electorate can see beyond the antics of the opposition and would vote
for President Goodluvk Jonathan.
According to him, what is important to the people now is how to
consolidate on the progress already made across the nation by virtue of
the the impact of the transformation agenda of the president and never
to go back to the past of unpredictable policy and leadership change.
“Of course the president’s victory at the convention is a foretaste
of what to expect in the 2015 general election because the people will
vote massively for Mr. President and that should not surprise the
opposition. The opposition will have their say but they can’t stop the
people from voting according to their wishes and aspirations. All they
want is continuity of policies and programmes to consolidate on the
gains already made via the transformation agenda of this government
which the people can seee as impacting their lives and much more would
be done during the president’s second coming. So it is not about
changing policies and leadership for the sake of it but consolidating
on the good work done by the Jonathan administration which is showing
signs of improvement that our nation is getting better, delivering on
the challenge of national cohesion and development even as we note that
much more still need to be done. We have to be careful of unpredictable
policy and leadership change, we certainly need to move forward.”
With
the resetting of squads less than a month away, ESPN FC's Mark
Donaldson has some advice to Premier League Fantasy players: replace
your injured players.
Get all the latest team news and information from the weekend's Premier League action with the help of Physioroom.com. SATURDAY'S MATCHES
PREDICTION: A 3-1 for Southampton FANTASY PICK: Graziano Pelle KEY STAT: Burnley have
five points fewer after 15 games (12) than they did in 2009-10 when
they were relegated from the Premier League at the season end (17). - BURNLEY
Striker
Sam Vokes is still not ready to be considered. The Wales international,
who has not featured since March because of a knee injury, played 90
minutes for the development squad in midweek but will not be brought in
for first-team action just yet. Centre-back Michael Duff looks set to
miss a fourth game with his calf problem while Stephen Ward (ankle) and
Matt Taylor (Achilles) are still some way off. Provisional squad:
Heaton, Trippier, Shackell, Mee, Reid, Wallace, Kightly, Cisak,
Sordell, Marney, Jutkiewicz, Boyd, Gilks, Keane, Long, Barnes, Arfield,
Ings, Chalobah, Jones. - SOUTHAMPTON
Southampton
expect to have midfielder Toby Alderweireld back from a hamstring
problem. James Ward-Prowse is also set to be in the squad after resuming
full training following two months out with an ankle problem. Morgan
Schneiderlin, however, is missing with a groin injury. Forward Jay
Rodriguez has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from a knee
problem, so remains out. Provisional squad:
Forster, Bertrand, Clyne, Yoshida, Fonte, Wanyama, Long, Davis, Tadic,
Pelle, Mane, Davis, Gardos, Isgrove, Reed, Targett, Mayuka, Hesketh,
Alderweireld, Ward-Prowse.
PREDICTION: A 3-0 win for Chelsea FANTASY PICK: Willian KEY STAT: Cesc Fabregas (81) is now clear in sixth place in the all time Premier League assist ranking; one ahead of David Beckham (80). - CHELSEA
Goalkeeper
Petr Cech will make his first Premier League start after Thibaut
Courtois suffered a minor injury in training. Playmaker Cesc Fabregas
will serve a one-match suspension as Jose Mourinho reverts to the
majority of his first-choice line-up. Defender John Terry and forwards
Eden Hazard and Willian were rested for the midweek defeat of Sporting
Lisbon, which saw Mourinho make six changes to the side which lost for
the first time this season last weekend at Newcastle. Provisional squad:
Cech, Ivanovic, Luis, Fabregas, Zouma, Ramires, Oscar, Hazard, Drogba,
Mikel, Schurrle, Salah, Remy, Costa, Matic, Willian, Cahill, Terry,
Azpilicueta, Schwarzer, Beeney, Loftus-Cheek, Christensen. Expert Analysis: Diego Costa -- Lacking Fitness.
Costa has looked a little out of sorts in recent weeks and is finding
it difficult to rediscover and create the goal-scoring opportunities
which appeared to come so naturally when he burst onto the Premier
League scene. However Jose Mourinho offered a little insight into the
Spanish striker, advising "it is his lack of conditioning" which is
affecting his performance on the pitch. Having struggling for most of
the season with a hamstring complaint, Costa has been unable to train
fully and as a consequence has suffered physically. Fitness is paramount
-- particularly in one of the most demanding leagues in the world --
and players will struggle to reach optimal levels during the season due
to demanding fixture schedules. Ben Dinnery - HULL
Hull
captain Curtis Davies could be handed a recall. The centre-half has
been dropped for the last two matches, but manager Steve Bruce could
revert to a back three at Stamford Bridge, opening up a vacancy at the
back. Gaston Ramirez has completed a three-game ban, but fellow loanee
Hatem Ben Arfa is set to continue his exile from the squad. Provisional squad:
McGregor, Jakupovic, Davies, Rosenior, Robertson, Chester, Dawson,
Bruce, Elmohamady, Meyler, Huddlestone, Livermore, Brady, Aluko, Quinn,
Ramirez Hernandez, Aluko, Jelavic.
PREDICTION: A 2-2 draw FANTASY PICK: Jonathan Walters KEY STAT: Of
all regular goalkeepers, Asmir Begovic has the lowest saves to shots
ratio in the Premier League this season, keeping out just 53.5 percent
of opposition shots on target. - CRYSTAL PALACE
Crystal
Palace defender Damien Delaney could return to the Eagles starting
line-up. Delaney was on the bench for the goalless draw against
Tottenham last weekend but is now considered fully fit, having recovered
from a calf injury. Midfielder Jason Puncheon will be assessed after
missing training on Thursday through illness while Joe Ledley (hip) and
Adrian Mariappa (knee) are both ruled out. Provisional squad:
Speroni, Hennessey, Kelly, Fryers, Delaney, Dann, Ward, Hangeland,
Jedinak, Bannan, McArthur, Bolasie, Thomas, Puncheon, Gayle, Campbell,
Johnson, Doyle, Chamakh, Zaha. - STOKE
Stoke
are likely to be without defender Marc Muniesa. The Spaniard tweaked
his hamstring during last weekend's victory over Arsenal and is set to
be replaced by either Marc Wilson or Robert Huth, both of whom are fit
after injury. Striker Jonathan Walters has an ongoing problem with his
knee but is expected to feature while Steve Sidwell, Peter Odemwingie
(both knee), Victor Moses (thigh) and Dionatan Teixeira (broken foot)
are all sidelined. Provisional squad: Begovic,
Sorensen, Butland, Shawcross, Huth, Pieters, Cameron, Bardsley, Nzonzi,
Adam, Ireland, Wilson, Whelan, Walters, Arnautovic, Bojan, Assaidi,
Diouf, Crouch, Shenton.
PREDICTION: A 2-1 win for Man City FANTASY PICK: Frank Lampard KEY STAT: Only one of the last nine meetings between Leicester and Man City in all competitions has ended in a home win (HW1 D3 AW5). - LECEISTER
Kasper
Schmeichel has been ruled out for at least six weeks for Leicester
after breaking a metatarsal in training. Ben Hamer will deputise in goal
but boss Nigel Pearson will look to sign a new goalkeeper in the
January transfer window. Captain Wes Morgan returns from suspension,
Ritchie De Laet is available after illness, Leonardo Ulloa (leg) is fit,
Dean Hammond (calf) is back in training and Matt Upson is close to a
return after a long-term foot injury but will not play. Provisional squad:
Hamer, Moore, De Laet, Konchesky, Wasilewski, Drinkwater, James, King,
Cambiasso, Albrighton, Mahrez, Knockaert, Vardy, Ulloa, Nugent, Schlupp,
Wood, Powell. Expert View: Kasper Schmeichel - Fractured Metatarsal. Stress
fractures of the foot, and in particular the fifth metatarsal, can be
problematic when healing -- optimistic guidelines envisage two months
but it can take considerably longer. Fairly common among young players,
the injury is attributed to overuse either through too much training or
too many matches, but other factors can include the football boot --
number of studs and configuration -- plus the type of playing surface. BD - MAN CITY
Manchester
City captain Vincent Kompany is set to return. The defender was not
risked for the midweek Champions League victory at Roma after a spell
out with a hamstring injury. Playmaker David Silva could start after
returning from a knee injury as a substitute in Rome, while midfielder
Yaya Toure is available after his European suspension. City must
continue without star striker Sergio Aguero, who is out with a knee
injury. Provisional squad: Hart, Caballero,
Zabaleta, Sagna, Kompany, Demichelis, Mangala, Boyata, Kolarov, Clichy,
Milner, Navas, Nasri, Silva, Toure, Fernando, Ferndinho, Lampard, Dzeko,
Jovetic, Pozo.
PREDICTION: A 1-0 win for Sunderland FANTASY PICK: Adam Johnson KEY STAT: The Hammers have failed to score in four of their last six Premier League games against Sunderland. - SUNDERLAND
Steven
Fletcher could return to the Sunderland starting line-up. Fletcher was
an unused substitute in last week's goalless draw at Liverpool after
limping off during the defeat to Manchester City with a back injury, but
is fit to return. Sebastian Coates is available again after being
ineligible for the trip to Anfield, but Emanuele Giaccherini (ankle) and
Billy Jones (hamstring) are both still ruled out. Provisional squad:
Pantilimon, Mannone, Reveillere, Brown, O'Shea, Vergini, Coates,
Cattermole, Rodwell, Bridcutt, Gomez, Larsson, Johnson, Buckley,
Alvarez, Mavrias, Fletcher, Wickham, Altidore. - WEST HAM
West
Ham midfielder Mark Noble is Sam Allardyce's only injury concern. The
27-year-old recently broke the record for Premier League appearances for
a Hammers player but will not add to his tally due to a problem with
his Achilles tendon. Allardyce has a selection headache in attack with
Andy Carroll, Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho, Carlton Cole and Mauro
Zarate all fully fit and in contention to feature against the Black
Cats. Provisional squad: Adrian, Jaaskelainen,
Cresswell, O'Brien, Reid, Tomkins, Collins, Jenkinson, Kouyate, Song,
Nolan, Amalfitano, Downing, Jarvis, Vaz Te, Zarate, Carroll, Sakho,
Valencia, Cole.
PREDICTION: A 1-1 draw FANTASY PICK: Joleon Lescott KEY STAT: Alan Irvine's side have netted 57 percent of their goals from set pieces, which is the highest proportion in the top flight. - WEST BROM
Captain
Chris Brunt will again miss out. The midfielder has failed to recover
from a hamstring injury he suffered in last week's 2-1 Barclays Premier
League defeat to West Ham. Jonas Olsson is out following an operation on
his Achilles but Saido Berahino is set for a recall after being dropped
to the bench for the goalless draw at Hull and Claudio Yacob is
available following a ban. Provisional squad:
Foster, Myhill, Pocognoli, Gamboa, Dawson, Lescott, McAuley, Yacob,
Davidson, Wisdom, Baird, Varela, Gardner, Morrison, O'Neil, Dorrans,
Mulumbu, Blanco, Sessegnon, Samaras, Ideye, Berahino, Anichebe. - ASTON VILLA
Aston
Villa pair Ron Vlaar and Fabian Delph could be in contention to return.
Captain Vlaar has been out since early November with a calf injury
while England rookie Delph dislocated his shoulder in October but both
have returned to training and may make surprise returns. Tom Cleverley
(bruised foot) is a doubt and fellow midfielder Ashley Westwood will
miss around a month with a knee injury. Forward Andi Weimann returns
from suspension but defenders Philippe Senderos and Nathan Baker remain
out, as does midfielder Joe Cole. Provisional squad:
Guzan, Given, Hutton, Lowton, Okore, Clark, Vlaar, Herd, Cissokho,
Delph, Richardson, Sanchez, N'Zogbia, Cleverley, Grealish, Bacuna,
Agbonlahor, Weimann, Benteke, Robinson. Expert Analysis: Ashley Westwood -- Medial Collateral Ligaments.
Collateral ligaments were the injury of the game week 15 as Sergio
Aguero stole the headlines after two minutes against Everton but on
Sunday Ashley Westwood suffered a similar fate during the hard fought
win over Leicester. The Villa midfielder was stretchered from the field
of play moments before half-time with manager Paul Lambert fearing the
worst -- however a scan on Monday confirmed the injury was not as bad as
initially feared with damage to the inner stabilising ligament of the
knee [MCL]. It is hoped Westwood could return in around a month although
4-6 weeks in the first instance would provide a more realistic
timeframe.
PREDICTION: A 4-2 win for Arsenal FANTASY PICK: Olivier Giroud KEY STAT: 23 points is the second worst tally of points under Arsene Wenger after 15 games (2012-13 -- they had 21). - ARSENAL
Arsenal
will be without midfielder Aaron Ramsey due to a hamstring problem.
Defenders Laurent Koscielny (calf), Nacho Monreal (ankle) and Calum
Chambers (suspended) are all not available, so right-back Mathieu
Debuchy could be asked to move over to centre-half, but otherwise
Arsenal report no fresh injury problems from the midweek Champions
League win over Galatasaray in Istanbul. Captain Mikel Arteta (calf),
Theo Walcott (groin), Mesut Ozil (knee), goalkeeper David Ospina
(thigh), Abou Diaby (calf) and Jack Wilshere all continue their
rehabilitation. Provisional Squad: Szczesny,
Gibbs, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Bellerin, Flamini, Cazorla,
Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez, Welbeck, Giroud, Martinez, Podolski,
Campbell, O'Connor, Maitland-Niles, Ajayi, Akpom. - NEWCASTLE
Newcastle
captain Fabricio Coloccini is set to be passed fit. Boss Alan Pardew is
closely monitoring the Argentinian's recovery from a hamstring injury
but is keen to make the minimum of changes from last weekend's win over
leaders Chelsea. Daryl Janmaat is also available after shrugging off a
minor problem but Moussa Sissoko and Steven Taylor are suspended and
Rolando Aarons is ruled out for a month with a hamstring strain.
Goalkeepers Tim Krul and Rob Elliot are both out which means young
Jak Alnwick gets a start. Provisional squad: Alnwick,
Janmaat, Dummett, Williamson, Coloccini, Streete, Haidara, Tiote,
Anita, Cabella, Colback, Gouffran, Ameobi, Riviere, Cisse, Perez,
Armstrong, Woodman, Abeid. Expert Analysis: Rob Elliott -- Thigh Strain.
Elliot has been ruled out until January after the Newcastle goalkeeper
suffered a tear to the quadriceps muscle -- thigh -- during the win over
Chelsea last weekend. Elliot had waited patiently for his opportunity
this campaign and following an ankle injury to Tim Krul (out until
January) the former Charlton stopper was set for an extended spell in
the first team. However hopes of managing an ongoing thigh problem were
dashed when the excessive force caused by kicking damaged muscle fibres
which will see him miss the Festive fixture period. Youngster Alnwick is
set to seize the moment. BD SUNDAY'S MATCHES
PREDICTION: A 3-1 win for Man Utd FANTASY PICK: Robin van Persie KEY STAT: Only
Everton v Liverpool (20) has seen more red cards than Liverpool v
Manchester United of all fixtures in Premier League history (15). - MAN UTD Team news to follow... Expert Analysis: Chris Smalling -- Groin Strain.
Jonny Evans was afforded an earlier than expected return to the United
side when Chris Smalling broke down at Southampton on Monday night. The
defender has suffered from a number of muscular issues this season but,
following his sending-off during the derby, Smalling was looking to
establish himself in the heart of defence. However with barely 10
minutes on the clock Smalling pulled up with what was later confirmed a
minor groin grade one tear. The England international has been ruled out
for around two weeks but, given the player's history, I wouldn't be
surprised to see Smalling sidelined for a little while longer to
minimise the risk of recurrence. BD - LIVERPOOL
Striker
Mario Balotelli is back in training and could return to the squad. The
Italy forward has been sidelined since Nov. 8 because of a groin problem
sustained on international duty. Midfielder Adam Lallana will be in the
squad despite breaking two ribs just over a week ago while centre-back
Kolo Toure is expected to have recovered from a groin injury which kept
him out of the midweek Champions League draw against Basle. Provisional squad:
Mignolet, Johnson, Lovren, Skrtel, Moreno, Lucas, Henderson, Lallana,
Gerrard, Sterling, Lambert, Jones, Manquillo, Enrique, Toure, Can,
Coutinho, Allen, Markovic, Balotelli, Borini.
PREDICTION: A 1-1 draw FANTASY PICK: Wilfried Bony KEY STAT: Swansea
have now thrown away 16 points from winning positions in the Premier
League this season; more than any other team and with those points would
be top of the table. - SWANSEA
German
goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel will make his first Premier League start
since May. Tremmel deputises for the suspended Lukasz Fabianski, who was
sent off in Swansea's 3-1 defeat at West Ham last weekend and
subsequently lost his appeal against his red card. Defender Neil Taylor
returns after missing out at Upton Park because of suspension and
Argentina central defender Federico Fernandez is available after being
sidelined for six weeks with calf trouble. Provisional squad:
Tremmel, Rangel, Bartley, Williams, Taylor, Britton, Ki, Montero,
Routledge, Sigurdsson, Bony, Cornell, Amat, Fernandez, Richards,
Shelvey, Carroll, Dyer, Gomis, Emnes, Barrow, Tiendalli, Fulton. - TOTTENHAM Team news to follow... MONDAY'S MATCH
PREDICTION: A 3-0 win for Everton FANTASY PICK: Steven Naismith KEY STAT: Rob
Green has been forced into a save on average every 23 minutes which is a
more regular rate than any other shot-stopper this season. - EVERTON
John
Stones could make an unexpected comeback. The 20-year-old defender, who
sustained an ankle injury against Manchester United on October 5, is
back in training ahead of schedule and in contention for a place in the
squad. Steven Naismith, James McCarthy (both hamstring) and Darron
Gibson (knee) will also be given a chance to prove their fitness, but
midfielder Gareth Barry is suspended and Christian Atsu's hamstring
injury is still being assessed. Provisional squad:
Howard, Coleman, Distin, Jagielka, Stones, Baines, Garbutt, McGeady,
McCarthy, Gibson, Barkley, Osman, Mirallas, Lukaku, Hibbert, Pienaar,
Besic, Naismith, Eto'o, Alcaraz, Kone, Oviedo. - QPR
QPR
striker Charlie Austin is suspended. Austin was sent off in Saturday's
2-0 victory over Burnley after receiving two yellow cards and misses the
trip to Goodison. Defender Steven Caulker is fit despite needing
hospital treatment on a cut sustained to his head while falling over
during a social occasion with team-mates last Sunday. Provisional squad:
Green, McCarthy, Murphy, Traore, Onuoha, Ferdinand, Dunne, Caulker,
Yun, Hill, Isla, Henry, Barton, Fer, Mutch, Phillips, Kranjcar, Hoilett,
Vargas, Zamora.
ESPN FC's Jason Dasey and Dez Corkhill preview the
upcoming heated Premier League clash between Manchester United and
Liverpool, in which a win is vital for both sides.
Premier League Spotlight previews the weekend's top-flight
fixtures, highlighting the key points to keep an eye on as the action
unfolds.
Weekend fixtures
Saturday
Burnley vs. Southampton
Chelsea vs. Hull
Crystal Palace vs. Stoke
Leicester vs. Man City
Sunderland vs. West Ham
West Brom vs. Aston Villa
Arsenal vs. Newcastle Sunday
Man Utd vs. Liverpool
Swansea vs. Tottenham Monday
Everton vs. QPR
Weekend battle: Manchester United vs. Liverpool
There is an increasing strain on the face of Liverpool manager
Brendan Rodgers. His beaming white smile has not been flashed anywhere
near the number of times it was last season. Habitually a beacon for
positivity, the Northern Irishman cut a particularly downtrodden figure
on Tuesday night in the wake of this campaign's latest setback, as all
that the side fought for in 2013-14 went up in smoke before the end of
the calendar year.
It was anticipated that the Anfield effect would be enough to rouse
these underperforming Reds players in their final Champions League group
game against Basel, but again they were listless and got what they
deserved: barely a draw. Regardless of who left and who arrived in the
summer, or the so-called challenges involved in a return to the
competition after a five-year absence, Rodgers should have guided his
team into second place behind Real Madrid, considering their group
consisted of Basel and Ludogorets.
Which is the weakest part of Liverpool's team?
Yet he failed and the melancholy that has inevitably followed,
combined with a dour Premier League campaign so far, means the pressure
is on him to save their season by ensuring requalification for the very
competition they just departed. He said after the 1-1 draw with Basel:
"We have to fight for the rest of the season." Ninth in the table and
with six of their 15 league fixtures having ended in defeat, the
improvement needs to be dramatic. The ray of light is that, beyond
leaders Chelsea and title holders Manchester City, the quality in the
division is subpar.
A case in point are Manchester United, who have somehow strung
together a run of five top-flight wins despite their displays not
meriting such a sequence. Most recently they triumphed at Southampton as
their two shots on target ended up in the back of the net and handed
them a 2-1 victory that lifted them to third in the table. Third! At
least their manager Louis van Gaal was frank in his assessment of his
team's 90 minutes: "The performance was not good enough -- we were the
lucky team."
Liverpool were 3-0 winners when they faced Manchester United in March.
Worryingly for the rest of the Premier League, that result, and the
four others previously (especially at Arsenal), felt very "United under
Sir Alex Ferguson" indeed, when they were no strangers to playing poorly
yet still succeeding. The return of the clinical finishing of Robin van
Persie, with three goals in as many performances, bodes well, too. It
also somewhat accentuates shortcomings of Sunday's opponents Liverpool,
for they have not benefited from the luxury of having a cold-blooded
goalscorer amid their ranks to paper over the cracks.
"For us the solution is simple -- we have to be better in our
performance level" was Rodgers' rather broad resolution for Liverpool.
Perhaps of greatest concern, putting the Luis Suarez sale aside and the
failure to improve an already brittle defence, is the lack of chances
created. Opponents are hardly being made to work hard to stifle the
Reds, a team famed for its dizzying movement last campaign. Certainly,
Liverpool's 3-0 win at Old Trafford in the corresponding fixture last
term feels a lot longer ago than March 16, 2014. Under pressure: Arsene Wenger
It was very Arsenal to lose at Stoke as they did but also very
Arsenal to respond as they did at Galatasaray three days later. When it
mattered in the Premier League, Arsene Wenger's team's susceptibility
for defensive incompetence, combined with gutlessness, saw them concede
three times in the opening 45 minutes at the Britannia. In a Champions
League game that meant not much, though -- the Gunners impressed and
scored some excellent goals. Ergo, all is right in the Wenger world.
Now, Wenger did not warrant the frankly classless verbal barbs
from those at Stoke-on-Trent station that followed the 3-2 loss,
although if you sift through the lack of respect shown there are grains
of agitation not without cause. Some will, of course, counter that
Gunners fans are acting with a sense of entitlement, that regular
Champions League qualification is a reward not a right. But that is to
miss the point. Stagnation is the nub of the issue at the Emirates --
that, with Wenger at the helm, a resistance to being true winners
remains.
The return to fitness of Mathieu Debuchy is a huge boost for Arsene Wenger.
Wenger was at least boosted by the return of natural and experienced
right-back Mathieu Debuchy versus Galatasaray after his three-month
injury absence. His availability alleviates some of what would have been
an unnecessary -- had the club's manager done his summer transfer
window business properly -- onus on the young shoulders of Calum
Chambers. Wenger is famed for giving youth a chance but too regularly
over the years he has exposed promise too severely, as the game at the
Britannia Stadium showed with 19-year-olds Hector Bellerin and Chambers
struggling.
A home match against Newcastle awaits on Saturday evening, the
Magpies with their tails up after ending Chelsea's unbeaten start to the
season -- a result probably met with a deep sigh of relief in North
London as it meant their 2003-04 record remained unique. A grotesque
start was the Gunners' undoing at Stoke, not dissimilar to last season's
away meetings with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, casting
concern that a regression instead of progression is indeed setting in.
Far better will be demanded by an increasingly disenchanted Gunners
faithful. Finding form: Manchester City
Maybe the Premier League title race isn't a foregone conclusion after
all? (It still probably is.) Chelsea's loss at Newcastle and Manchester
City's 1-0 win over Everton cut the Blues' lead at the summit to three
points and widened it from third spot to five, which rubber-stamped this
season as the two-horse race it was predicted to be. It really has been
a good week for Manuel Pellegrini's side as, after their fourth victory
on the spin in the league, they then booked their place in the knockout
phase of the Champions League with an impressive win at Roma.
David Silva's return will help to soften the blow of Sergio Aguero's injury.
That their 2-0 triumph against Roma, who are second in Serie A, was
achieved without the spine of their outfield -- no Vincent Kompany, Yaya
Toure or Sergio Aguero -- made the result all the more commendable,
although lest we forget a squad as strong as City's shouldn't be winning
just two of their six group games in Europe. Regardless, the victory
also eased fears over how hard Aguero's absence through injury will hit
them.
Pellegrini said of the news the Argentine, who has scored 19 goals in all competitions this term, will be out for up to six weeks: "Our team doesn't depend on one player." And, although the statistics suggest otherwise,
City can probably take comfort in his absence coming during a seemingly
favourable, albeit hectic, run of fixtures: Leicester, Crystal Palace,
West Brom, Burnley and Sunderland. Caveat Aguero's injury with the
return of the wonderful David Silva and Pellegrini's words don't seem
too daft. Statistically speaking (via Opta) - Only Everton v Liverpool (20) has seen more red
cards than Liverpool vs. Manchester United of all fixtures in Premier
League history (15) - Angel Di Maria has 20 goal assists in 2014 -- more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues - Newcastle United have won just one of the last 14
Premier League matches against Arsenal (W1 D5 L8), and have lost the
last five on the bounce - Olivier Giroud has netted four goals in four Premier League appearances against Newcastle - Manchester City have only had more points at this stage of a season in one previous campaign (2011-12 -- 38 points)
Sam Allardyce's won 11 matches last season. After 15 matches this campaign, they've already won eight.
Any other business: West Ham
All hail Big Sam Allardyce and his fourth-placed West Ham United. To
think his future was in serious doubt towards the latter part of last
season -- this campaign (see Alan Pardew at Newcastle) really is one of
renaissance. The Hammers' 3-1 win over Swansea was a third in succession
and, after just 15 matches of 2014-15, they are a mere 13 points short
of 2013-14's points total of 40. There's surely a part of everyone that
would love to see Allardyce doing his thing in the Champions League.
Watch out, Europe's elite (and Sunderland on Saturday), because Andy
Carroll's coming to get you.
Drug resistant E.coli bacteria are already a significant problem in Europe
Burnley
Southampton
Chelsea
Hull City
Crystal Palace
Stoke City
Leicester City
Manchester City
Sunderland
West Ham United
West Bromwich Albion
Aston Villa
Arsenal
Newcastle United
Manchester United
Liverpool
Swansea City
Tottenham Hotspur
Everton
Queens Park Rangers
