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"description": "Daily Maverick is an independent online news publication and weekly print newspaper in South Africa.\r\n\r\nIt is known for breaking some of the defining stories of South Africa in the past decade, including the Marikana Massacre, in which the South African Police Service killed 34 miners in August 2012.\r\n\r\nIt also investigated the Gupta Leaks, which won the 2019 Global Shining Light Award.\r\n\r\nThat investigation was credited with exposing the Indian-born Gupta family and former President Jacob Zuma for their role in the systemic political corruption referred to as state capture.\r\n\r\nIn 2018, co-founder and editor-in-chief Branislav ‘Branko’ Brkic was awarded the country’s prestigious Nat Nakasa Award, recognised for initiating the investigative collaboration after receiving the hard drive that included the email tranche.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, co-founder and CEO Styli Charalambous also received the award.\r\n\r\nDaily Maverick covers the latest political and news developments in South Africa with breaking news updates, analysis, opinions and more.",
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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In late June Liverpool Football Club ended a 30-year wait to win the Premier League title. It formally became theirs when Chelsea beat nearest chasers Manchester City 2-1, giving Liverpool an unassailable lead with seven games remaining. It was the earliest title win in terms of games remaining, and the latest in terms of date due to three months of Covid-19 lockdown.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tail end of last season was crammed into five frantic weeks with most teams playing nine games. Because of the compression the 2020/21 season has arrived with barely a breath taken. Throw in the conclusion of European club competitions and the UEFA Nations League international matches that took place over the past two weeks, and it’s clear the new season will be a war of attrition.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are so many variables ahead as well. Will crowds return? Will Covid-19 rear up significantly again, causing another suspension to an already compressed calendar given the events of the past six months?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The continued lack of crowds in stadiums will detract from the spectacle while the constant pressure of Covid-19 testing and bio-bubble protocols is likely to take a toll on players’ mental health as much as anything.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, it was clear that in the finale of last season, after the Covid-19 lockdown, teams such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal were more settled under their new managers who were all still finding their way at new clubs. Liverpool stuttered slightly and Manchester City remained inconsistent. Were those portents of things to come?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teams with deep squads and massive playing resources are going to survive better than those with fewer riches, which adds a level of difficulty when assessing possible winners.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-715360\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/OD-craig-Premier-league-back-inset-.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1380\" /> Leeds United's manager Marcelo Bielsa reacts during the English Emirates FA cup third round soccer match between Arsenal FC and Leeds United held at the Emirates stadium in London, Britain, 06 January 2020. EPA-EFE.</p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liverpool, who have amassed 196 league points in the past two seasons and are undefeated in the Premier League at their Anfield home for three seasons, naturally start as favourites. But they have been miserly in the transfer market, only adding Greek left back Kostas Tsimikas while they are still pursuing Bayern Munich’s Spain international Thiago Alcântara.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Liverpool’s relatively small squad maintain the Himalayan standards they have set for two seasons under the pressure that comes with being champions? It’s one of the reasons Thiago’s arrival is vital. He would bring great class and a fresh injection of star power to the midfield.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liverpool meet newly promoted Leeds United in an intriguing opening fixture. Leeds are back in the top flight for the first time in 16 years, having been brilliantly steered into the Premier League by the renowned Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentinean coach is seen as something of a football guru, and his disciples include Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone. Coming up against Jürgen Klopp is certainly the biggest managerial clash of the opening weekend.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guardiola’s team, given its depth, is clearly going to be a threat again while free-spending Chelsea, under former star player Frank Lampard, are a real danger. In the short off-season Chelsea have brought in some big names, including wings Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz and free-scoring centre forward Timo Werner. They have goal-scoring options everywhere but has Lampard done enough to shore up the defence?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manchester United ended the post-lockdown period undefeated in their nine games and have certainly come into their own under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-715361\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/OD-craig-Premier-league-back-inset-Pep-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" /> Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola reacts during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16-second leg soccer match between Manchester City and Real Madrid in Manchester, Britain, 07 August 2020. EPA-EFE/Oli Scarff</p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jose Mourinho, who used the fact that he was appointed 10 games into last season as a reason for Tottenham Hotspurs’ failure to finish in the top four, now has to show his worth. There are no more excuses.</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arsenal are still a work in progress under Mikel Arteta, but winning last season’s FA Cup has certainly hinted at more to come from the Gunners. Arteta, who learned under Guardiola, is building a team that is easy on the eye and ruthless.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leicester City should kick on from last season’s fifth-place finish while Wolves, who were close to Champions League qualification last season, are well settled. Unlike last season when Liverpool romped away, this season could have an actual title race involving five or six teams. </span><b>DM</b>\r\n<h2><b>Key Transfers</b></h2>\r\n<b> </b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The summer transfer window started on 27 July, and ends on 5 October, running for a total duration of 10 weeks.</span>\r\n\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-715455\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2020-09-11-at-15.09.25.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"953\" height=\"540\" />\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n*Netspend is the difference between how much a football club has spent on arrivals compared to how much they have received from departures. The five clubs listed below have the best recorded netspend figures. In other words, the top five listed have achieved the lowest figure against other clubs.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was a total of </span><b>19 </b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">domestic transfers completed within English Premier League for the summer 2020 window. Regarding international signings, three players join the Prem</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ier League from Spain’s La Liga. Two players from both the German Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A will join Premier League teams. Similarly, two players from the Netherlands’ Eredivisie have been signed also to start.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, there was one completed transfer from the French Ligue 1 to Premier League, also with one completed transfer from Portugal’s Primeira Liga.</span>\r\n<h2><b>International Signings Completed for Summer 2020 Transfer Window</b></h2>\r\n<b> </b>\r\n\r\n<b>Names listed according to purchase value</b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-715456\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2020-09-11-at-15.09.32.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"950\" height=\"516\" /></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <strong>DM</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n ",
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"name": "epa08590657 Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola reacts during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg soccer match between Manchester City and Real Madrid in Manchester, Britain, 07 August 2020. EPA-EFE/Oli Scarff / POOL",
"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In late June Liverpool Football Club ended a 30-year wait to win the Premier League title. It formally became theirs when Chelsea beat nearest chasers Manchester City 2-1, giving Liverpool an unassailable lead with seven games remaining. It was the earliest title win in terms of games remaining, and the latest in terms of date due to three months of Covid-19 lockdown.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tail end of last season was crammed into five frantic weeks with most teams playing nine games. Because of the compression the 2020/21 season has arrived with barely a breath taken. Throw in the conclusion of European club competitions and the UEFA Nations League international matches that took place over the past two weeks, and it’s clear the new season will be a war of attrition.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are so many variables ahead as well. Will crowds return? Will Covid-19 rear up significantly again, causing another suspension to an already compressed calendar given the events of the past six months?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The continued lack of crowds in stadiums will detract from the spectacle while the constant pressure of Covid-19 testing and bio-bubble protocols is likely to take a toll on players’ mental health as much as anything.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, it was clear that in the finale of last season, after the Covid-19 lockdown, teams such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal were more settled under their new managers who were all still finding their way at new clubs. Liverpool stuttered slightly and Manchester City remained inconsistent. Were those portents of things to come?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teams with deep squads and massive playing resources are going to survive better than those with fewer riches, which adds a level of difficulty when assessing possible winners.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_715360\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"2000\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-715360\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/OD-craig-Premier-league-back-inset-.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1380\" /> Leeds United's manager Marcelo Bielsa reacts during the English Emirates FA cup third round soccer match between Arsenal FC and Leeds United held at the Emirates stadium in London, Britain, 06 January 2020. EPA-EFE.[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liverpool, who have amassed 196 league points in the past two seasons and are undefeated in the Premier League at their Anfield home for three seasons, naturally start as favourites. But they have been miserly in the transfer market, only adding Greek left back Kostas Tsimikas while they are still pursuing Bayern Munich’s Spain international Thiago Alcântara.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Liverpool’s relatively small squad maintain the Himalayan standards they have set for two seasons under the pressure that comes with being champions? It’s one of the reasons Thiago’s arrival is vital. He would bring great class and a fresh injection of star power to the midfield.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liverpool meet newly promoted Leeds United in an intriguing opening fixture. Leeds are back in the top flight for the first time in 16 years, having been brilliantly steered into the Premier League by the renowned Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentinean coach is seen as something of a football guru, and his disciples include Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone. Coming up against Jürgen Klopp is certainly the biggest managerial clash of the opening weekend.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guardiola’s team, given its depth, is clearly going to be a threat again while free-spending Chelsea, under former star player Frank Lampard, are a real danger. In the short off-season Chelsea have brought in some big names, including wings Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz and free-scoring centre forward Timo Werner. They have goal-scoring options everywhere but has Lampard done enough to shore up the defence?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manchester United ended the post-lockdown period undefeated in their nine games and have certainly come into their own under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_715361\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1707\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-715361\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/OD-craig-Premier-league-back-inset-Pep-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" /> Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola reacts during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16-second leg soccer match between Manchester City and Real Madrid in Manchester, Britain, 07 August 2020. EPA-EFE/Oli Scarff[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jose Mourinho, who used the fact that he was appointed 10 games into last season as a reason for Tottenham Hotspurs’ failure to finish in the top four, now has to show his worth. There are no more excuses.</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arsenal are still a work in progress under Mikel Arteta, but winning last season’s FA Cup has certainly hinted at more to come from the Gunners. Arteta, who learned under Guardiola, is building a team that is easy on the eye and ruthless.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leicester City should kick on from last season’s fifth-place finish while Wolves, who were close to Champions League qualification last season, are well settled. Unlike last season when Liverpool romped away, this season could have an actual title race involving five or six teams. </span><b>DM</b>\r\n<h2><b>Key Transfers</b></h2>\r\n<b> </b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The summer transfer window started on 27 July, and ends on 5 October, running for a total duration of 10 weeks.</span>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-715455\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2020-09-11-at-15.09.25.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"953\" height=\"540\" />\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n*Netspend is the difference between how much a football club has spent on arrivals compared to how much they have received from departures. The five clubs listed below have the best recorded netspend figures. 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Leeds United's manager Marcelo Bielsa reacts during the English Emirates FA cup third round soccer match between Arsenal FC and Leeds United held at the Emirates stadium in London, Britain, 06 January 2020. EPA-EFE.
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola reacts during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16-second leg soccer match between Manchester City and Real Madrid in Manchester, Britain, 07 August 2020. EPA-EFE/Oli Scarff
