There were 94 minutes on the clock when Mohamed Salah took the ball in the close confines of a packed penalty area. Even for a man who had struck 19 times in as many previous appearances this season, the angle seemed too tight to shoot.
But there is a reason why he tops the Premier League charts for both goals and assists. He supplied a low cutback. Divock Origi met it with deft movement, turning and letting fire. A stalemate had become a victory. Origi had come to Liverpool’s rescue. Again.
“Divock Origi, the legend, came and finished it off for us,” grinned Jurgen Klopp. “Winning in the 95th minute is great but when Div scores it is even better. He has scored some of the most important goals in the history of this club.”
Origi has struck in a Champions League final. If Liverpool become champions again, this may seem a seminal moment in their season. This could be the kind of victory that wins titles. “If you do it 38 times, yes, if you do it once, no,” said Klopp.
But Liverpool did it. After Diogo Jota was guilty of an awful miss, Origi compensated. Wolves came agonisingly close to becoming the first team to keep a clean sheet against Liverpool in almost eight months, since Real Madrid. But while Liverpool were not at their most potent, their efforts were unstinting. “It is not a lucky win; we had chance after chance but did not score,” added Klopp.
His attacking intent was apparent when he replaced his captain Jordan Henderson with Origi. He delivered and while Chelsea could rue late drama earlier in the day, their title rivals could savour it.
“It is really important and it feels really big,” added Klopp. “It is an important skill to stay positive. It was not needed too often this season but it is still an incredibly important skill.”
The most significant of all is the ability to put the ball in the back of the net. Jota has demonstrated it. He returned to Molineux with six goals in his previous six games and memories of a winner against his former club last season. He departed responsible for perhaps Liverpool’s miss of the year.
It came after the only error in Wolves’ resilient rearguard. When a mix-up between Romain Saiss and Jose Sa left the goalkeeper stranded outside his box, Jota failed to find a net guarded only by two defenders, smacking his shot against Conor Coady’s thighs.
Coady personified the resistance of a team who have scored fewer league goals than Salah this season but who gave everything to stop Liverpool. There was Saiss’ goal-saving interception when Salah seemed set to convert Andy Robertson’s cross and Leander Dendoncker’s intervention when Jota’s downward header may have beaten Sa.
There were three saves from the goalkeeper, two from Sadio Mane and the best showing his athleticism and agility, and one denying Salah in the 90th minute.
There was also the organisation Wolves showed in a largely dull first half. For Liverpool, it had a rarity: with no shots on target and only five efforts in total, four from them. Wolves’ lone attempt by Rayan Ait-Nouri was so wild that it went out for a throw.
But while Liverpool lacked the brilliance they demonstrated in destroying Everton, they had persistence. They showed more urgency after the break. They ended with 17 shots, plenty of pressure and the vital goal. “It is really unlikely you have glamorous wins 20, 25 times a year,” said Klopp. “You have to win football games, however.” And thanks to Origi, Liverpool did.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Vikram%20Vedha
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Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
