Manuel Pellegrini accused referee Mark Clattenburg of costing his Manchester City side victory following a 2-2 draw away to Arsenal on Saturday.
Pellegrini insisted a series of major decisions went against the Premier League champions at the Emirates Stadium, claiming there were fouls in the build-up to both Arsenal goals.
The Chilean added visitors City were denied a clear penalty when the ball struck the hand of Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere.
And the manager also compared Clattenburg’s performance to his display in City’s 3-2 defeat at Liverpool last April when Pellegrini again condemned the referee’s decision-making.
“I think that both Arsenal goals were very clear fouls – for the first one, it was two or three fouls continuous fouls on Sergio Aguero and the second one Danny Welbeck pushed Vincent Kompany with no intention of playing the ball and then it was a goal,” Pellegrini said.
“The only other doubt is that we were denied a clear penalty for a handball.
“Last season, it was Martin Skrtel with a fist for Liverpool in the six-yard box and today (Saturday) it was Jack Wilshere with two hands on the ball inside the box right in front of the linesman and no penalty is given.
“He (Clattenburg) had a very bad game, he had a bad day today and he had another against Liverpool last season.
“Arsenal scored both goals with fouls. Of course he (Clattenburg) cost us victory.”
Aguero put City ahead midway through the first half but Arsenal recovered with goals from Wilshere in the 64th minute and Alexis Sanchez 10 minutes later before Martin Demichelis levelled six minutes from time.
Both teams start their Champions League group campaigns this week, with City at Bayern Munich and Arsenal travelling to Borussia Dortmund.
Pellegrini revealed he rested Yaya Toure after the midfielder returned from international duty with Ivory Coast in anticipation of City’s trip to Germany.
“Yaya arrived on Friday after a long trip and we have another difficult game on Wednesday and I don’t think we have a problem replacing him with the players that played today.”
Meanwhile Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was satisfied with his side’s performance, although a late injury to France right back Mathieu Debuchy dampened home spirits.
“Debuchy has a badly sprained ankle, for how long he will be out we don’t know. But it doesn’t look too good. They need more time to assess but it’s a bad sprain,” Wenger said.
“Calum Chambers was always going to play in Dortmund anyway because Debuchy is suspended for that game,” the Frenchman added.
Wenger handed an Arsenal debut to Danny Welbeck following the striker’s move from Manchester United.
Welbeck was unable to mark his first appearance with a goal, hitting the post with an early chance, and Wenger admitted it would take time for the forward to bed in.
“He did well. I believe he needs to build up his link play with our players but that is normal.
“It was sad that he couldn’t take his chance but every time he had an opportunity to develop his pace, he looked dangerous.
“There were some things he needs to work on to integrate with our game but he looks dangerous.”
But Wenger added he had no concerns about England international Wilshere, whom he believes is back to his best after a frustrating run of injuries during the last two seasons.
“Jack is coming back physically to his level where he can be but it takes time to find that little fraction of a second where you can make a difference,” Wenger said.
“And it’s so important in the modern game where you can get away from people and win the ball. And it looks today (Saturday) that he found it on a consistent level over 90 minutes.”
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
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
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
