Newcastle climbed to third in the Premier League after playing out a goalless draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The visitors dominated possession throughout the contest while the hosts were dealt a blow when Wilfried Zaha was forced off with injury in the second half.
Magpies goalkeeper Nick Pope, who kept his ninth straight clean sheet in all competitions, made a brilliant leaping save to deny substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta the chance to break the deadlock.
The result drew Newcastle level on 39 points with Manchester United, who face league leaders Arsenal on Sunday.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, speaking to the BBC, said "I’m really pleased with the team today. We were ourselves and we had chances, we just didn’t take them.
"There were a lot of half-chance moments and presentable opportunities. A lot of moments where we didn’t quite get our final ball right.
"We have high expectations of ourselves. It was two teams trying to impose themselves and trying to win. We dominated for long spells, they defended well.
"It’s great commitment from the group. All you can do is sit back every week and be very proud of what they’re delivering. The most important thing is that if you don’t win, you don’t lose."
The visitors had an early chance when Joe Willock sent a cross to Miguel Almiron on the right of the area but he directed his volleyed effort into the side-netting.
Dan Burn finally forced Vicente Guaita into a low save with a sharp, left-footed strike, and the Magpies found themselves on the attack again when referee Craig Pawson determined Jeffrey Schlupp took the last touch as he battled with Almiron down the right byline.
Newcastle made nothing of Kieran Trippier’s resulting corner but kept up the pressure as Fabian Schar flicked the ball to Joelinton, who sent a low, tame effort from 10 yards straight at Guaita.
Joelinton remained in the hunt for an opener and struck from close range, the ball appearing to take a deflection off Tyrick Mitchell’s arm, but a quick VAR check determined there was no handball.
The hosts survived another Newcastle set piece when Eberechi Eze was punished for bringing down Almiron on the right and the ball bounced off Schar before Guaita claimed it out of the air.
Palace could have taken the lead before half-time through Eze’s corner, which found Chris Richards in a good position in front of goal but the American – making his second start for Palace – could only nod over the crossbar.
Palace were unable to create any real chances after the break, while Newcastle could not find the finishing touch as Joelinton saw a right-footed effort blocked, Bruno Guimaraes directed a dangerous effort wide and Sven Botman missed a good opportunity to nod in an opener.
It was more bad news for the Eagles when talisman Zaha, making his 450th start, pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury forcing boss Patrick Vieira to bring on Michael Olise in the 65th minute.
It took a fine leaping save from Pope to avoid falling behind when the ball pinged around the area before landing at the feet of substitute Mateta, who unleashed an effort towards the top-left corner but watched the Magpies keeper tip away Palace’s best chance of the match.
The visitors continued to enjoy a considerable possession advantage through 80 minutes but were denied taking the lead by Guaita, who got his gloves on Alexander Isak’s header before blocking another from Schar.
Neither side was able to make anything of four minutes of added time, though 17-year-old substitute David Ozoh was still able to enjoy a milestone moment when he became the youngest player to play for Palace in the Premier League.
It was the second time the teams have drawn a blank, with a League Cup clash going to penalties following a goalless stalemate.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
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
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
ICC men's cricketer of the year
2004 - Rahul Dravid (IND) ; 2005 - Jacques Kallis (SA) and Andrew Flintoff (ENG); 2006 - Ricky Ponting (AUS); 2007 - Ricky Ponting; 2008 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); 2009 - Mitchell Johnson (AUS); 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND); 2011 - Jonathan Trott (ENG); 2012 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL); 2013 - Michael Clarke (AUS); 2014 - Mitchell Johnson; 2015 - Steve Smith (AUS); 2016 - Ravichandran Ashwin (IND); 2017 - Virat Kohli (IND); 2018 - Virat Kohli; 2019 - Ben Stokes (ENG); 2021 - Shaheen Afridi
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
