Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Julen Lopetegui was left furious after he felt two key decisions went against his team in the 2-2 FA Cup third-round draw at Liverpool on Saturday.
Goncalo Guedes had given Wolves the lead in the 26th minute after intercepting a poor pass from Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, before Darwin Nunez pulled the hosts level with a superb volley just before the break.
Mohamed Salah then gave Liverpool the lead seven minutes after the interval when he capitalised on defender Toti's failed headed clearance, but even though the Egyptian was in an offside position when the initial pass was played, the goal stood.
Hwang Hee-Chan levelled for Wolves 14 minutes later, and the visitors thought they had taken a late lead when Toti scored from a back-heel, but the assistant referee had his flag up for offside against Matheus Nunes.
Consulting the video assistant referee, VAR had no camera angle available to potentially overturn the original offside decision, ruling Toti's goal out and leaving Wolves to settle for a draw and a replay.
"We’ve seen it and it wasn’t offside. Sorry. It’s impossible," Lopetegui said, referring to Toti's disallowed goal. "We have seen it, but someone told him that it’s offside, because we have seen the image and it doesn’t exist.
"Our player, Matheus Nunes, is not offside. It’s very clear. [Trent] Alexander-Arnold is on the left and is breaking the line. We have tried to explain this to the referee.
“The decision is not unfair, the decision is wrong. I make big mistakes every day but today we have the help of VAR and it was a pity because we saw the image and, sorry, but it’s not offside."
Liverpool v Wolves player ratings
Lopetegui was also frustrated by the decision to allow Salah's goal to stand, saying: "The second goal of Liverpool is the same. We have talked a lot with referees about this kind of situation and one player, one touch of his position, Salah was offside with the first touch before Toti touched the ball, so he took advantage of his position.
"The rule is, if you take advantage of one position despite the ball coming off an opponent, this is offside. This is my interpretation of the rule and the rule is the same for all of the countries. Despite my player touching the ball, he is in an offside position."
Despite his unhappiness with the decisions, Lopetegui said he was delighted with the performance of his team and believes Wolves can build on it to turn around their Premier League campaign. Wolves are currently 19th in the table, one point from safety.
“For me, the most important thing about tonight is how we should be proud of our players," the Spaniard said. "They showed themselves that they can play against any team. Liverpool is one of the best teams in the world, with the best squad and the best coach, so for us it was a very important test.
“This is only one step. The real situation is that we’re in a bad position in the league and this is the most important thing. We have to change it and we have three matches where we have to be ready a lot, and ready to arrive in the last match, in the last minute, to achieve what we want. We have to be strong in our mind, believe in ourselves and work very hard for each match."
After facing Nottingham Forest in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, Wolves are back in Premier League action with a crucial home game against fellow strugglers West Ham on Saturday.
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
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BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
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Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
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
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
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