Chelsea saw their Premier League title dream die in a 0-0 draw with Norwich City that may have represented a curtain call for three of the club’s greatest players.
Following the final whistle of Sunday’s game – Chelsea’s last home fixture of the campaign – Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry took part in a ‘lap of appreciation’ at Stamford Bridge with their team-mates.
All three players will be out of contract at the end of the season and there was a hint of poignancy in their waves to the crowd, while they also posed for photographs together.
The trio became Chelsea stalwarts during manager Jose Mourinho’s first stint in charge, and the Portuguese responded evasively when asked if they had played their last home games for the club.
“They are with the club on their future,” he said.
“Now is the time to wait a little bit. The summer is a long summer, for us. For the media with the World Cup, it’s a different story. For the players in the World Cup, it’s a different story.
“But for the club it’s a long time, to be calm and sit and discuss and analyse the options and the market and the possibilities.”
Lampard, 35, is Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer and Terry, 33, is the club’s most decorated captain, while 33-year-old Cole was first-choice left-back until losing his place to Cesar Azpilicueta this season.
The draw against third-bottom Norwich secured Chelsea’s place in the group phase of next season’s Champions League, but left their title challenge hanging by the most slender of threads.
They will be eliminated from the title race if either Manchester City or Liverpool win one of their two remaining games, which could come as early as Monday, when Liverpool visit Crystal Palace.
Chelsea dominated the game against Norwich, with Andre Schurrle and David Luiz both striking the woodwork, while Eden Hazard had a strong penalty claim turned down after Ryan Bennett took a wild swipe at him.
On Hazard’s penalty appeal, Mourinho said that he “went back to the dug-out laughing” after quickly watching footage of the incident in his office inside the tunnel.
Asked why he had laughed, he replied: “Because I can’t cry.”
Mourinho has repeatedly complained about the lack of proven goal-scorers in his squad and he said that Sunday’s game only served to emphasise Chelsea’s need for a new striker.
“Our strikers are good strikers, there’s no doubt about that, but they’re players with specific qualities,” he said.
“They’re not the kind of players who, in five square metres with three or four players around them, can dribble one, see the space, make a shot.”
Mourinho had seen his side eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by Atletico Madrid four days earlier, but he said that Chelsea could be satisfied with their efforts this season.
Alluding to his belief that Chelsea have been penalised by disadvantageous officiating, he said: “Without the ‘festivals’ it would have been a better season.
“But it’s a very dangerous league and we managed always to be there. From day one till the end, we were always there. In the end we didn’t manage to finish and win it, but we were always around.
“And in the Champions League, the same. We managed to go to the second leg of the semi-final, so I think for the group we have and for the potential we have, we did OK.”
Norwich interim manager Neil Adams felt that his side were denied a “stonewall” penalty in the first half after Terry felled Martin Olsson as he prodded a shot towards Chelsea’s goal.
The point kept Norwich safe, but they will effectively be relegated on Wednesday if fourth-bottom Sunderland avoid defeat at home to fifth-bottom West Bromwich Albion.
“We need results. We need a bit of luck,” Adams said.
“Hopefully if it goes our way, we have to make sure Sunday’s game (at home to Arsenal) is a fantastic occasion.”
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
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
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
ABU%20DHABI%20CARD
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E5pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5.30pm%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Rub%20Al%20Khali%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Marmoom%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.30pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELiwa%20Oasis%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Khatim%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.30pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Al%20Quadra%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
