Five things learnt about arabi during their match against lekhwiya

NO MASTERSTROKE

Al Wakrah coach Jose Mauricio endorsed his Uruguayan compatriot Gerardo Pelusso’s credentials last week by saying he was one of the best managers in their country and the right candidate to oversee Arabi’s revival, provided he was given a free hand. But Pelusso’s body language on the touchline and his strategy for the game suggested that he had already lost interest. His men lost the game in the midfield against a marauding Lekhwiya. The third defeat in five rounds cost the former Paraguay manager his job.

NEED TO IMPRESS

Ashkan Dejagah was arguably Arabi’s best player last season, yet the club replaced him with Luis Jimenez as the Asian recruit as the Chilean also holds a Palesinian passport. Jimenez is comfortable on the ball and the long diagonal ball with which he picked out Omar Al Emadi that led to their only goal was enough to prove his talent. But Jimenez did not do much other than that and received a lot of flak from fans on the social media. He will be eager to prove a point under the new coach.

SALL MUST DELIVER

It is doubtful whether former St Etienne and Nancy player Mustafa Sall could live up to his top billing. The Senegalese defender’s lack of pace was exposed when Arabi defence held a high line as Lekhwiya tried to use the space behind it. Sall had missed the first match against Sailiya, but he has been at the rear which conceded 10 goals in the last four matches. He needs to do a lot better.

FATHI STRUGGLES

Ahmed Fathi had promised a lot last season under Gianfranco Zola, especially when the Italian played him as a centre back. And in his preferred defensive midfielder’s role, Fathi failed to deliver the goods. He could hardly check the rival onslaught, but even more disappointing was his passing, which often let the strikers down. A talented player, Fathi seems to have lost his confidence.

CRUCIAL RED CARD

Ahmed Maksoud let Arabi down against his parent team. He retreated in order to block Ali Afif’s shot following a counter-attack just before halftime, but was slightly late in his challenge and felled the Lekhwiya forward in the penalty box. A second yellow card was unavoidable, but he should have avoided earning the wrath of referee Abdulrahman Jassim earlier for unnecessarily protesting a free-kick decision. Arabi needed eleven against a superior Lekhwiya and Maksoud was one of the key players they could not afford to lose before half-time.