The new Premier League season kicks off this weekend with a full schedule of fixtures running from Friday to Monday. Liverpool will get things started when they welcome Bournemouth to Anfield on Friday night (11pm UAE). Here we look ahead to what should be another successful season for the Merseyside club.
Prospects
Liverpool head into the new campaign having powered to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight crown last season, finishing 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal.
They were the division's top scorers and also had the second meanest defence as Arne Slot enjoyed a spectacular first season in charge after replacing the super successful Jurgen Klopp.
But the joyous celebrations were quickly overshadowed first by the victory-parade attack on fans in Liverpool city centre and then the tragic death of Portuguese attacker Diogo Jota in July after a car accident in Spain. It will be an emotional opening game of the season against Bournemouth at Anfield as players and fans pay tribute to a much-loved player.
The starting XI against the Cherries will have a fresh look with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz having left for pastures new, while more than £260 million has been spent on bringing in the likes of Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike.
If Slot manages to blend these additions into a team that already includes proven Premier League stars such as Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah, then there is little doubt Liverpool will be there or thereabouts in the title race once again.
Last five finishes
- 2024/25: 1st
- 2023/24: 3rd
- 2022/23: 5th
- 2021/22: 2nd
- 2020/21: 3rd
First five fixtures
- August 15: Bournemouth (H)
- August 25: Newcastle United (A)
- August 31: Arsenal (H)
- September 14: Burnley (A)
- September 20: Everton (H)
The manager
Arne Slot: Had big boots to fill when he replaced Klopp last summer but managed it with remarkable ease, leading Liverpool to the title. But whereas that title-winning side was very-much Klopp-built, this campaign has the stamp of Slot after a busy summer in the transfer market – both arrivals and departures.
Slot will have a new full-back partnership to bed in with new boys Frimpong and Kerkez replacing one of the all-time great Premier League pairings in Trent Alexander-Arnold (sold to Real Madrid) and Andrew Robertson (demoted to second choice).
It will be a similar story attacking wise with Florian Wirtz and Huge Ekitike added to the ranks while Luis Diaz has left for German champions Bayern Munich.
As well as defending the domestic title, the Dutchman will be looking for improvement in the Champions League with the Merseysiders having only gone beyond the quarter-finals once in six seasons.
Star signing
Florian Wirtz: The £100m attacking midfielder looked a Rolls-Royce player during his debut in the Community Shield defeat to Liverpool, combining well with Ekitike to set up his fellow new boy's opening goal at Wembley.
Has a Kevin De Bruyne-like aura about him with his ability to pick a pass, while his stats at Bayer Leverkusen – 57 goals and 47 assists in 140 games – suggest he will be a major contributor to the Liverpool scoring chart.
Xabi Alonso, his coach at Leverkusen, described Wirtz as “one of the top players in the world” while also comparing him to the great Lionel Messi. “Why is Messi so good? Because he knows how and when to play simple passes,” said the Spaniard. “It's not always about making the most brilliant move, but the best and smartest. Florian can do that. That's why he's so good.”
Key player
Mohamed Salah: The frenzied transfer speculation that followed the Egyptian around last season should be over after Salah signed a new contract in April.
Liverpool will be hoping he has not lost any of his hunger after agreeing the bumper two-year deal and that his underwhelming Community Shield performance against Palace is merely a preseason blip.
The 33-year-old will be aiming for a repeat of last season's exploits that saw him win the Premier League Golden Boot and Playmaker awards for scoring the most goals (29) and providing the most assists (18).
Across all competitions, Salah's 34 goals was the second highest tally in his eight seasons at the club, bettered only by the 44 he notched in his first campaign on Merseyside.
Hot prospect
Rio Ngumoha: Already the second youngest player to start for Liverpool – he was 16 years, 135 days old when he played in the FA Cup game against Accrington Stanley in January – England youth international winger Ngumoha has just enjoyed an impressive preseason that saw him assist against AC Milan and goal against Yokohama F. Marinos.
He followed that up in the friendly against Athletic Club, scoring one and assisting another in the first five minutes.
Ngumoha, who turns 17 this month, received a standing ovation from the Anfield crowd after his second-half substitution against the Spanish side. Will be interesting to see whether he can force his way into Slot's first-team plans.
Aayan%E2%80%99s%20records
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20UAE%20men%E2%80%99s%20cricketer%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWhen%20he%20debuted%20against%20Bangladesh%20aged%2016%20years%20and%20314%20days%2C%20he%20became%20the%20youngest%20ever%20to%20play%20for%20the%20men%E2%80%99s%20senior%20team.%20He%20broke%20the%20record%20set%20by%20his%20World%20Cup%20squad-mate%2C%20Alishan%20Sharafu%2C%20of%2017%20years%20and%2044%20days.%3Cbr%3E%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20wicket-taker%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAfter%20taking%20the%20wicket%20of%20Bangladesh%E2%80%99s%20Litton%20Das%20on%20debut%20in%20Dubai%2C%20Aayan%20became%20the%20youngest%20male%20cricketer%20to%20take%20a%20wicket%20against%20a%20Full%20Member%20nation%20in%20a%20T20%20international.%3Cbr%3E%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20in%20T20%20World%20Cup%20history%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAayan%20does%20not%20turn%2017%20until%20November%2015%20%E2%80%93%20which%20is%20two%20days%20after%20the%20T20%20World%20Cup%20final%20at%20the%20MCG.%20If%20he%20does%20play%20in%20the%20competition%2C%20he%20will%20be%20its%20youngest%20ever%20player.%20Pakistan%E2%80%99s%20Mohammed%20Amir%2C%20who%20was%2017%20years%20and%2055%20days%20when%20he%20played%20in%202009%2C%20currently%20holds%20the%20record.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20trailblazers
%3Cp%3ESixteen%20boys%20and%2015%20girls%20have%20gone%20on%20from%20Go-Pro%20Academy%20in%20Dubai%20to%20either%20professional%20contracts%20abroad%20or%20scholarships%20in%20the%20United%20States.%20Here%20are%20two%20of%20the%20most%20prominent.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeorgia%20Gibson%20(Newcastle%20United)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20reason%20the%20academy%20in%20Dubai%20first%20set%20up%20a%20girls%E2%80%99%20programme%20was%20to%20help%20Gibson%20reach%20her%20potential.%20Now%20she%20plays%20professionally%20for%20Newcastle%20United%20in%20the%20UK.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMackenzie%20Hunt%20(Everton)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAttended%20DESS%20in%20Dubai%2C%20before%20heading%20to%20the%20UK%20to%20join%20Everton%20full%20time%20as%20a%20teenager.%20He%20was%20on%20the%20bench%20for%20the%20first%20team%20as%20recently%20as%20their%20fixture%20against%20Brighton%20on%20February%2024.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Review: Tomb Raider
Dir: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Walter Goggins
two stars
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
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The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper
Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km
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
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group C
Liverpool v Napoli, midnight
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
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France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
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