Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants his side to repair the "mental damage" of a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace when they face West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Thursday.
Wenger's men blew a chance to take a major step towards securing Champions League qualification for a remarkable 19th successive season after being held at home by London rivals Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal led via Alexis Sanchez’s header in first-half stoppage time and dominated throughout before Yannick Bolasie’s equaliser in the 81st minute ensured the home side were greeted with a chorus of boos come the final whistle.
Wenger's men are still fourth in the table, occupying the last of the automatic Champions League places on offer to English clubs, but Manchester United are just four points behind in fifth with five games remaining.
• Read more: Arsenal in a different kind of fight now – Arsene Wenger's underachievement continues
• Also see: Alexis Sanchez on target but Arsenal disappoint against Crystal Palace – in pictures
Sunday’s result ended Arsenal’s already-slim hopes of winning the title and veteran Arsenal manager Wenger said: “We are too disappointed to think about the league, we have to think about the Champions League and fight to be in the Champions League.
“I’m not in that kind of mood to dream about the championship but I need to repair mental damage and prepare for the next game to come against West Brom on Thursday,” the Frenchman added. “You have to do that rather than look behind us.
“Everyone playing is winning games. It could be a fight in the end to stay and get a place in the top four.”
Against Palace, it was a familiarly depressing story for Arsenal, who dominated but still dropped two points.
Sanchez headed home Danny Welbeck’s pass on the strike of half-time against a Palace side content to sit back and defend deep.
But chances went begging for Arsenal before Bolasie hit the hosts on the break nine minutes from time.
“We usually create a high number of chances. We lacked a change of pace, sharpness and they defended well,” Wenger said.
“You have to sometime win 1-0 and this is one of those days. We are a team that likes to take the initiative. With that you expect goals and you accept the risk where taking the game to an opponent.
“I’m responsible and I’m frustrated. We will see where we stand at the end of the season so we must stick together.”
Palace are all but safe from the threat of relegation and manager Alan Pardew now hopes his players give him a selection dilemma at Manchester United on Wednesday before Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with Watford.
“There will be changes,” Pardew said. “I want to give people the chance to play in that semi-final.
“I don’t think (losing focus) will be a problem at Old Trafford. There’s more energy in the team and a defensive focus. They are a great bunch of players to manage. We are an honest team.
“That period before our recent game with West Ham and I think the Cup run was affecting our focus, work rate, commitment – and that’s what Palace is about.
“We have renewed confidence in our defence and goalkeeper (Wayne Hennessey). We need momentum to go to big game likes Old Trafford and Wembley.”
Pardew added: “We are a mid-table team and we need to prove that. We need to get ourselves up there and there’s this big game for the club and our fans at Wembley.”
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Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
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
