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Consumer group Which? has ranked hotels based on customer feedback – with pub chain Wetherspoons given a ‘great value’ gong and Premier Inn losing Recommended Provider status as it slips down the list

The Britannia Hotels chain has been ranked the worst place to stay for the 12th year running in a poll, as Wetherspoons beat Premier Inn and took home the ‘top value’ prize.

Consumer group Which? gave Britannia, with more than 60 sites, a lowly customer score of just 44%. It managed just one star out of a possible five for the quality of its bedrooms and bathrooms.

One Britannia customer at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone, Kent, described witheringly as a “total dive”. Another said they had three nights booked but left after one because of the poor service, room and food.

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Britannia’s chain include a number of historic and landmark hotels. They include Liverpool’s famous Adelphi, which scores just 2.6 out of possible five on Tripadvisor as the website says guests “frequently cite noise issues due to thin walls”. Britannia’s Grand Hotel in Scarborough gets an even lower 2.4 on Tripadvisor, which says rooms are “basic and dated, with mixed reports on cleanliness.”

The firm’s hotel in London’s Docklands has been the scene of protests amid reports it was being used to house asylum seekers. It has been given a score of 2.8 on Tripadvisor. The Britannia group is controlled by tycoon Alex Langsam, who also owns holiday camp Pontins and was criticised after its Southport’s site sudden closure in early 2024.

The Mirror confronted Mr Langsam at the time at his 10-bedroom mansion in Cheshire. But when asked if he had anything to say to the workers who left in tears, he claimed: “It’s nothing to do with me, I am nothing to do with Pontins.”

Top in the Which? large hotel category was a pub chain with 35 inns. The Coaching Inn Group received a customer score of 81%, with “often historic buildings located in beauty spots or market towns where they aim to be ‘the best venue in town’.”

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon, which has over 50 hotels across the country, was also praised. It came fifth and was the only chain to be awarded a Which? Great Value badge. At just £70 for an average night’s stay, Wetherspoons got four stars for value for money and the majority of other categories, including customer service. One guest commented that the hotel was “clean, comfortable and good value”.

It came above Premier Inn, which slipped to seventh in the large chain table, and lost the Which? Recommended Provider status. While customers still ranked Premier Inn’s beds as some of the most comfortable in the survey, some guests told Which? their stay wasn’t good value and suggested that standards were slipping.

One guest said that “Premier Inn has lost its way. Prices no longer budget levels and service is no longer a priority”. An average night’s stay is £94. Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “A night away should be a real treat but with hotel prices climbing, finding a hotel chain that consistently offers comfort, good customer service and a charming location at a fair price has become harder. “

A spokesperson for Premier Inn said: “At Premier Inn we help millions of people have a great night’s sleep and sell over 20 million room nights every year to families, leisure and business guests. We’re pleased that the 2,746 Which? members who answered for Premier Inn as part of this summer survey awarded us five stars for bed comfort and that they also rated our customer service and cleanliness highly.

“Whether it’s our estate-wide roll-out of brand new, high-quality beds all with a choice of soft or firm pillows, providing relaxing shower products in every room or keeping our food and drink menus updated with new offers to tempt and excite customers, we’re continually investing in our guest experience. We are always looking to improve and welcome comments and feedback– indeed we actively seek them through our own customer surveys. We will certainly pay special attention to address anything that feedback suggests we need to.”

Britannia Hotels was contacted for comment.

Edwards’ position at Middlesbrough, given his current employment, would provide some obstacles, with Boro believed to be entitled to a significant compensation fee.

Edwards is a former Wolves Under-23 coach and was also first-team coach, having had a two-game interim spell in charge in 2016, and distanced himself from the role.

“I was told by my daughter yesterday [Sunday], so that probably tells you where I stand on it,” he said.

“You know my links to the club but my full focus is on this job here, which is a brilliant job, and trying to turn things around from the weekend in a really big game against Leicester.

“Speculation stuff is hard for me to comment about, anything else other than Middlesbrough, which is where my focus is, that we’ve done a decent job so far.”

Wolves have a history of appointing managers with close links to high-profile agent Jorge Mendes, in Nuno Espirito Santo, Bruno Lage and Pereira.

It is understood that in addition to O’Neil, Wolves were speaking to at least one manager from Mendes’ stable.

O’Neil was sacked by Wolves in December 2024 following a disappointing start to the 2024-25 campaign, failing to win in their opening 10 games.

Former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick analyses Manchester City’s plan to exploit the middle of the pitch in their 3-1 win against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Match of the Day.

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The “expansion of European club competitions” has led to there being just one game on 26 December in the English top flight, says the Premier League.

Boxing Day fixtures have been a long-standing tradition in English football but this year the only Premier League game will be Manchester United’s home match with Newcastle United (20:00 GMT).

While confirming the schedule for this year’s festive fixtures, the league’s communications manager George Haberman said: “The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season – impacting an important tradition in English football.

“There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup.

“This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995.”

More to follow.

Chris Wood, Dilane Bakwa, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ola Aina remain unavailable for Nottingham Forest.

Wood could return from a knee injury in time to face Leeds United next weekend.

Back-up goalkeeper Angus Gunn has also been after damaging knee ligaments during training.

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has returned to full training following nine months out with a knee injury although he is not in contention to travel to the City Ground.

“He [Martinez] wants to go to this one, he is not going to this one, he is going to take time,” said United boss Ruben Amorim.

“He is really good, he is really good, and he gives us that edge in every training session and that is also really good for us.

Harry Maguire is a doubt after missing the 4-2 win against Brighton last weekend due to a knock and Leny Yoro could once again deputise.

Players out: Nottingham Forest – Gunn, Wood, Bakwa, Zinchenko, Aina Manchester United – Martinez

Doubts: Nottingham Forest – none Manchester United – Maguire

Key FPL notes:

Undoubtedly, Sunderland – who won 2-1 at Chelsea on Saturday – have been the biggest surprise this term. Minutes away from a Championship play-off final defeat in May, they will end October fourth in the top flight.

With 17 points from nine matches, the Black Cats have equalled their best Premier League start, matching their tally from 1999-00.

Only five newly promoted sides have earned more points than Sunderland in the same number of matches. All five, including Sunderland themselves in 2000, managed to survive relegation.

“It’s an unbelievable start and one that’s been well earned,” former Watford captain Troy Deeney told Final Score.

“If you said that a couple of months ago, Sunderland fans would tell you, you’re crazy.”

Ex-Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick added on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Anyone who is honest enough will say that they never expected Sunderland to start this well, so full credit to them.

“The amount of points they have accumulated already has given them an unbelievable start and that’s something they will want to build on.”

Bryan Mbeumo’s match-winning goal in stoppage time elevated Manchester United to fourth on the Premier League ladder.

Manchester United’s improvement under coach Ruben Amorim continued as Matheus Cunha, Casemiro and two goals from Bryan Mbeumo secured a 4-2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, their third successive Premier League win.

Looking to build on last weekend’s first victory at Liverpool since 2016, Cunha arrowed home a sublime 24th-minute strike into the bottom corner, the Brazilian’s first goal for United.

There was fortune about the second from Casemiro 10 minutes later, his shot taking a huge deflection before finding the net, but Mbeumo’s well-taken third just after the hour mark put the hosts in complete command.

Danny Welbeck’s sublime free kick against his former club pulled one back for Brighton, before Charalampos Kostoulas’s header in stoppage time ensured a nervy finish at Old Trafford.

With Brighton committing everyone forward in search of the equaliser, Mbeumo fired a fine strike into the roof of the net to lift United to fourth in the standings. Brighton stayed 12th.

“I enjoy it a lot here,” Mbeumo told Sky Sports. “It hasn’t been easy at the start. It’s a new environment, a new expectation, but I think with the link-up with the team, everything is going the right way.

“The work we put in, the togetherness we give on the pitch, is key. I like the challenges, I came here to a big club, and we want to fight for the best places.”

Brighton big test for United

The visitors provided a big test for an improving United, given that since the start of the 2021-22 season no team has won more league games against United than Brighton.

United’s victory against Liverpool last weekend was the first time Amorim had achieved back-to-back league wins since taking charge 11 months ago, but the manager insisted the revival would be undone if they slipped to another loss to Brighton.

Welbeck forced a fine save from United goalkeeper Senne Lammens early on as Brighton started brightly, but Cunha’s pinpoint finish settled home nerves. Since the start of last season, Cunha has scored more goals from outside the box than any other Premier League player in all competitions.

Casemiro’s deflected strike deservedly put a dominant United further ahead, with more chances coming and going to extend the hosts’ lead before the break.

Mbeumo followed up his goal at Liverpool with the third to put United into a seemingly unassailable position.

Proof that they are far from the finished article yet came, however, as mistakes crept in and Welbeck started the Brighton comeback.

United appeared on the ropes when Kostoulas pounced to narrow the deficit to 3-2, but Mbeumo’s 96th-minute strike secured the three points as the home side won three straight league victories for the first time since August 2024.

“We put ourselves in a really difficult position,” Welbeck said. “We have a great group. We got two goals and were close to maybe getting a third. It didn’t happen, but it is a good sign we showed character.”

Premier League holders Liverpool’s title defence continues to stutter as Brentford’s recovery persists.

Champions Liverpool suffered a fourth successive Premier League defeat as they lost 3-2 at Brentford to continue their miserable run of form in London.

Arne Slot’s stumbling side fell behind after five minutes on Saturday when Dango Ouattara volleyed in following a long throw, and Kevin Schade went through to make it 2-0 in the 45th.

Milos Kerkez replied for the visitors in first-half stoppage time with his first Liverpool goal from Conor Bradley’s cross.

Liverpool’s expected second-half siege never really materialised, however, and Igor Thiago restored Brentford’s two-goal advantage from the penalty spot on the hour mark.

Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool hope with a clinical finish in the 89th minute, but they had left it too late.

It is the first time since 2021 that Liverpool have lost four successive league games, with three of those matches being in London after defeats at Crystal Palace and Chelsea.

They are now sixth in the table on 15 points, four points behind leaders Arsenal, who could extend that margin on Sunday when they host Crystal Palace.

Brentford’s second win in a row moved them up to 10th place, two points behind Liverpool.

Brentford fans taunt Liverpool manager Slot

The home fans took delight in taunting Liverpool manager Arne Slot with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning”, and while the Dutchman need not worry about that, the sense of his side’s title defence wilting was palpable.

They looked fragile at the back and were often out-muscled by Brentford. Doubts about Salah’s lack of impact will also continue, despite him slamming home a fine late goal to end a more than a month-long scoreless run in the Premier League.

Brentford’s threat from long throws could not have escaped Slot’s attention, but his side were caught cold by the tactic on a chilly night in southwest London.

Michael Kayode wound up a long delivery into the box, and when Kristoffer Ajer flicked it on, Ouattara reacted superbly to hook his volley past Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Liverpool responded with chances for Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, but they were not convincing and were undone again as halftime loomed. Mikkel Damsgaard’s superb long pass sent Schade away, and he kept his composure to beat Mamardashvili.

Kerkez fired home from close range in the fifth minute of stoppage time, despite fierce Brentford protests about an infringement.

Brentford earned a penalty when Virgil van Dijk clipped Ouattara’s foot on the edge of the area, and after a long VAR check, referee Tim Robinson awarded a spot-kick, and Thiago coolly slotted his shot down the middle.

Salah’s instant control and finish set up a chaotic period of stoppage time that took the game into its 100th minute, but Brentford held on for a thoroughly deserved three points.

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Follow the build-up, analysis, and live text commentary of the game as Liverpool and Man United face-off at Anfield.

Arsenal overcame a fierce test at struggling Fulham to squeeze a 1-0 win that maintained their lead at the top of the Premier League, which had been threatened earlier in the day by Manchester City.

Leandro Trossard’s 58th-minute tap-in turned a game that had seen Fulham, now on a three-match losing streak, dominate the first half at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Manchester City had climbed to the top of the table with a 2-0 win at home to Everton, prior to the Gunners’ late kickoff in the London derby in the west of the capital.

The result moves Arsenal three points clear at the top, although defending champions Liverpool can cut that to just a point if they beat Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.

Fulham, who had lost at Aston Villa and Bournemouth, prior to the international break, enjoyed the better of the early chances with Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson both dragging efforts that should have heavily tested the keeper.

Arsenal, in contrast, enjoyed some nice spells in possession, but failed to test their former keeper Bernd Leno, in Fulham’s goal, in the opening 30 minutes.

Instead, it was the openings Fulham continued to find that nearly upset the odds when Tom Cairney found room from a corner and rifled a drive back across the face, but there were too many bodies in the way, allowing Arsenal to block the goal-bound effort.

The first moment of note came for record-signing Victor Gyokeres, who had endured a painfully slow start due to a lack of service. The Swedish striker found space in the box, but at a tight angle and his low drive was comfortably parried clear.

The best moment was the final kick off the half when Declan Rice struck a trademark drive from range, but the curl from his instep took the ball just wide of the post with Leno cemented to the spot.

Bukayo Saka nearly opened up Fulham immediately at the start of the second period as he shimmied in from the right and stabbed the ball towards goal. Sander Berge stuck out a leg at the ball and nearly deflected it into his own net, but for a Fulham bundle on the line swinging the danger away.

It wasn’t long until the breakthrough came, though, as Gabriel rose highest to flick Saka’s corner to the back post where Trossard turned in with his thigh.

Saka nearly doubled the lead moments later with a low drive, which Leno did well to turn wide, while the England man also had a penalty awarded and overturned after VAR asked Anthony Taylor to review his decision after substitute Kevin clearly played the ball first.

Despite the respite, Fulham were not able to muster the challenge in the second half that they had in the first period.

Another week at the top for @Arsenal 👏 pic.twitter.com/tg5Up9dCgE

— Premier League (@premierleague) October 18, 2025

Man City eye return to the top of the Premier League

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland kept up his torrid scoring pace with two goals in five second-half minutes early on Saturday, which lifted City provisionally top of the table with victory over Everton.

Pep Guardiola’s men moved to 16 points after eight games, dropping Arsenal and Liverpool to second and third, respectively. Everton dropped to 10th on 11 points.

The 25-year-old Haaland – who scored in an 11th consecutive game for club and country for a season total of 23 goals – broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when he leapt to head home Nico O’Reilly’s cross from the left.

The Norwegian doubled City’s lead five minutes later when he latched onto Savinho’s cross and struck a blistering left-foot shot from the middle of the box that was slightly deflected by Everton’s James Tarkowski past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Haaland was hungry to complete a hat-trick, with three brilliant chances in the dying minutes, with Pickford racing out to save two of them with his legs. Haaland took the ball around Pickford on the third, but his looping shot from an impossibly tight angle dropped wide of the net.

Haaland shook his head in frustration, while the crowd chanted “Haaland! Haaland!” for his efforts.

City’s Phil Foden hailed Haaland for breaking the deadlock, calling the moment “very important”.

“We know he’s got that quality to time his runs to perfection and be in the right position. If they mark him out of the game, he is still capable of scoring, and we know he only needs one chance to score.

“He remained very patient; there wasn’t a lot of space for him today. And as you can see, he is always there for us at the right times; that is the sign of a world-class striker.”

There was no emotional homecoming for Everton winger Jack Grealish, who was ineligible to face his parent club. A TV camera showed Grealish at the game, but the absence of the league’s joint assist leader was a gaping hole for David Moyes’s team.

City, who thoroughly dominated in the second half, had 19 shots to Everton’s five, and seven on target to the visitors’ one.

Everton squandered a handful of chances. Early in the game, Iliman Ndiaye raced down the right side before sending a cross to Beto, who slid to just get his foot on the ball but poked it wide.

City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma tipped a long shot from Ndiaye over the bar later in the first half.

Follow our live build-up with team news ahead of our comprehensive text commentary stream at the Premier League match.

Who: Fulham vs Arsenal
What: English Premier League
Where: Craven Cottage in London, United Kingdom
When: Saturday, October 18, at 5:30pm (16:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 2:30pm (13:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Premier League leaders Arsenal will be the heavy favourites when they travel to Fulham on Saturday, but London derbies usually give the underdogs more than a fighting chance, as former Gunners manager Arsene Wenger always used to bemoan.

The Gunners, who have finished second in the table for the last three seasons, have not won the league since Wenger’s era. Fulham, meanwhile, have hit a blip and languish in 14th position.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at a game where the west Londoners will hope to upset the formbook against their north London visitors.

How have Arsenal fared this season?

Arsenal opened their season with an unconvincing 1-0 win at a surprisingly dominant Manchester United, and have rarely looked back. The Gunners have won eight of their 10 matches in all competitions this season; the only times they have failed to win in the league were the narrowest of 1-0 defeats at defending champions Liverpool and a 1-1 home draw with Manchester City, although that did require a 90th-minute leveller from Gabriel Martinelli.

The Gunners are yet to concede more than one goal in a game this season, and have only conceded twice in their last seven games. At the other end, 20 goals have been scored in their 10 games.

How have Fulham fared this season?

After a bright start, the west Londoners have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League. One defeat and four wins in their seven games so far, continued the feel-good factor that manager Marco Silva has brought to the Cottagers. Two of the four wins this season have come in the League Cup, but back-to-back league wins, either side of the latest cup win, had appeared to kickstart Fulham’s season.

Both recent defeats, by Aston Villa and Bournemouth, did come on the road, and Fulham remain unbeaten in five matches on home soil this season, where they have only dropped points once – and that after a fine second-half display against Manchester United in their first home game of the campaign.

When did Arsenal last win the Premier League?

The Gunners last lifted the Premier League trophy in 2004 when Wenger’s side were dubbed the “Invincibles” as they went unbeaten through the English top-flight season.

How many times have Arsenal won the Premier League?

The Gunners have lifted the league title in England on 13 occasions, with their first top-flight trophy coming in 1931. They would go on to win the title three times in the four seasons that followed. Wenger’s era was the most successful thereafter, with the Premier League trophy lifted in 1998, 2002 and 2004.

Premier League action returns this week 🤩@Arsenal are currently on top of the table, for the first time since April 2024 📈 pic.twitter.com/02Tkxse4Aq

— Premier League (@premierleague) October 13, 2025

Have Fulham ever won the Premier League?

Fulham have never lifted the English top-flight title and are one of a limited number of teams in the two top divisions in England to have never lifted a major trophy. The highest domestic title the Cottagers have claimed is the second-tier title, which has been won on three occasions – the last being in 2022. Fulham have also been runners-up in the FA Cup and UEFA Europa League in 1975 and 2010, respectively.

What happened the last time Fulham played Arsenal?

Title-chasing Arsenal beat Fulham 2-1 at Emirates Stadium in the Premier League in April in the last meeting between the clubs. Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka gave the Gunners a two-goal lead before Rodrigo Muniz’s 90th-minute strike set up a nervy finish.

What happened in the corresponding fixture between Fulham and Arsenal last season?

The Premier League game at Craven Cottage last season ended in a 1-1 draw in December. Raul Jimenez gave the home side the lead in the 11th minute, but William Saliba cancelled that out seven minutes into the second half of a game short on chances but heavily dominated by the Gunners’ possession of the ball.

Head-to-head

This is the 66th meeting between the Londoners, with Arsenal winning on 43 occasions and Fulham emerging victorious nine times.

Fulham’s last win against Arsenal came at Craven Cottage in December 2023, with Raul Jimenez and Bobby De Cordova-Reid turning the game in the home side’s favour after an early strike from Bukayo Saka.

It was the second Premier League meeting between the teams that season, with the reverse fixture ending 2-2 in north London.

It also marked Fulham’s first win in 12 matches against the Gunners.

Fulham team news

Midfielder Sasa Lukic has been an ever-present for Fulham in the Premier League this season, but picked up an adductor injury in the Cottagers’ final match before the international break.

The Serbian international is likely to be out for at least two more weeks and joins Kenny Tete and Rodrigo Muniz on the sidelines, the latter pair having knee and hamstring problems, respectively.

Raul Jimenez missed the defeat at Bournemouth before the break after sustaining an injury in the defeat at Villa, and the striker is a doubt for the visit of Arsenal. Samuel Chukwueze also picked up a knock in Nigeria’s win against Benin on Tuesday, but the extent of the injury is not yet fully known.

Arsenal team news

Martin Odegaard remains sidelined with a knee injury, but it is hoped the playmaker may return to face Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.

Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke are both also expected to return from knee injuries for that game, but the Fulham match comes too soon.

Gabriel Jesus could be back before the turn of the year – he, too, has a knee problem; Ben White is a minor doubt after missing training on Thursday. Piero Hincapie is expected to return from a knock.

Fulham predicted starting lineup

Leno; Diop, Bassey, Andersen; Castagne, Berge, Cairney, Sessegnon; Wilson, Iwobi; King

Arsenal possible starting lineup

Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard

Fulham and Arsenal Premier League form guides

Fulham’s last five EPL matches (most recent game last):

 L-W-W-L-L

Arsenal’s last five EPL matches –

D-W-W-W-W

Premier League clubs are divided over whether to introduce a controversial new ‘salary cap’ prior to next month’s vote on financial regulations, BBC Sport has been told.

The ‘top-to-bottom anchoring’ model – or TBA – would restrict the amount any club can spend on player wages, agents and transfer fees to five times the income earned from broadcasting and prize money by the bottom club in the English top flight.

The approach means that a cap would be imposed on clubs’ spending, regardless of their own income.

TBA is currently being trialled by the Premier League, alongside a ‘squad cost ratio’ (SCR) system of financial control that allows clubs to spend up to a percentage of their total revenues on squad-related costs.

On 21 November the Premier League will meet and vote on whether to adopt either, or both, models, and replace the current Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) that allow losses of £105m over a three-year reporting cycle.

Nine of the Premier League’s 20 clubs already have to comply with Uefa’s SCR rules as a result of qualifying for Europe, and some believe it makes sense to align the regulations.

In order to encourage sustainability, Uefa permits participants in its competitions to spend up to 70% of their revenues on their squads, while the Premier League has said it would allow a more generous 85%.

However, BBC Sport has been told that a number of Premier League clubs would only vote for SCR to be implemented if it was accompanied by ‘anchoring’, so that those with the largest revenues did not get too far ahead of the rest, and competitive balance was protected.

This stance has been hardened by the additional money being generated by expanded European club competitions and the Club World Cup.

Last year 16 clubs voted to conduct detailed analysis of TBA, with only Manchester United, Manchester City and Aston Villa voting against.

All three were known to be concerned that being pinned to the revenue of the league’s bottom-placed club would risk putting them at a disadvantage compared to some of their European rivals, who only have to adhere to SCR rules.

At the time, United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said anchoring would “inhibit the top clubs in the Premier League, and the last thing you want is for the top clubs in the Premier League not to be able to compete with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain – that’s absurd”.

In the 2023-24 season, 20th-placed Sheffield United earned around £110m. So last season no top-flight club would have been able to spend more than a total of £550m on player wages, amortised transfer fees and agents if TBA had been in force.

Meanwhile, a European club generating revenues of £1bn, for example, would be able to spend £700m while still adhering to Uefa’s SCR rules.

Manchester City spent £413m on wages last year, with total revenue of £715m.

Ahead of its meeting next month the Premier League has now sent proposals to its clubs, which reportedly include a suggestion that those in breach of anchoring rules could be punished with a points deduction.

Everton and Nottingham Forest were handed points deductions in 2023 and 2024 as a result of breaching PSR.

Back in February the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) issued what the Premier League described as “legal demands” over concerns it had about the impact that anchoring could have on player contracts if introduced.

The league said that the players’ union had been given “multiple opportunities to provide feedback”. The PFA remains opposed to TBA, and has hired barrister Nick de Marco in case it decides to launch legal action.

In 2021 the PFA’s claim that a planned salary cap by the EFL for League One and League Two was “unlawful and unenforceable” was upheld by an independent arbitration panel.

BOURNEMOUTH goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic was lobbed from near the HALFWAY LINE in Serbia’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Andorra.

The former Chelsea star was caught cold by Andorra forward Guillaume Lopez from inside the CCentre D.

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Serbia midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic’s wayward loose pass was eagerly intercepted by Lopez from 35 yards inside 17 minutes.

Lopez then had the presence of mind to drill a shot over helpless Premier League stopper Petrovic, who was way out of his six-yard box.

Petrovic, 26, flippantly dived backwards, but was unable to stop the ball from hitting the back of the net.

But Serbia hit back instantly through Christian Garcia’s own-goal, before Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic gave them the lead in the 54th minute.

Both teams are in England‘s Group K, with Serbia sitting third outside the play-off spots and Andorra rock bottom.

Since leaving Stamford Bridge for the Vitality Stadium in July, Petrovic has started all seven games for Andoni Iraola‘s side.

Petrovic was left out of Chelsea’s Club World Cup squad in June before securing his £25m exit to the south-west.

He replaced fellow former Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who joined Arsenal in a £5m deal this summer.

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He earned national hero status after saving a penalty in the World Cup qualifier against Albania – a match charged with a lot of tension, because of politics and history.

The Serb, who joined Chelsea from New England Revolution in a £14m deal in 2023, spent last season on loan at French club Strasbourg.

He was named player of the season as Strasbourg secured a Europa Conference League spot by finishing seventh in Ligue 1.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino wants football to keep an “open mind” about when World Cups are played.

The tournament has traditionally been contested in the northern hemisphere’s summer months – though the 2022 competition, in Qatar, took place in December to avoid playing in the hottest conditions.

“We have summer and winter and in the world if you want to play at the same time everywhere you can play in March or in October,” said Infantino, who runs the sport’s world governing body.

“In December you cannot play in one part of the world and in July you cannot play in another part.

“We need to consider all these elements and let’s see how we can make it better for everyone.

“Maybe there are ways we can optimise the calendar. We are discussing. We have to have an open mind.”

The international match calendar is fixed until 2030, with the United States, Canada and Mexico hosting next year’s men’s World Cup in June and July.

Morocco, Portugal and Spain host the World Cup in 2030 – with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay holding matches to mark 100 years since the first World Cup was held in, and won by, Uruguay.

Saudi Arabia will host the tournament in 2034.

Meanwhile, Infantino also confirmed Fifa’s desire to further grow the Club World Cup.

The US hosted an expanded 32-team tournament during a major heatwave in the summer, with temperatures in New York reaching a record 39C in June.

This drew criticism from footballers and players’ unions, who raised issues over player welfare and the number of games adding to a packed calendar.

Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Maheta Molango said in July the competition was devaluing football.

Chelsea beat Paris St-Germain in New York to claim the title.

Infantino, speaking at the European Football Clubs’ general assembly in Rome, said: “When the Champions League was created the first revenue was 40m (euros), now it is 4bn (euros). If the first Club World Cup generated 2bn (euros) in 30 years we should generate 200bn (euros).

“This has created revenues for the clubs. Now we work together to see how we can make it better, bigger and more impactful in collaboration with the clubs and stakeholders because it will benefit everyone.

“I’m biased but it was a huge success from every possible angle. We had 2.5m spectators in the stadiums. We had an average [attendance] of 40,000 and only the Premier League is doing better.

“There is interest in the entire world and we need the interest to boost the national leagues, the European and global competitions.”

“This level of gambling advertising during the Premier League’s first weekend is frankly astonishing,” said Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, chair of the Gambling Reform All Party Parliamentary Group.

“The industry claimed it was taking steps to self-regulate and reduce advertising, but yet again they have not kept to their word. The whistle-to-whistle ban is far too limited and is ineffective.”

Overall, there were 27,440 gambling messages measured across the entire opening weekend, a slight decrease from last year but still more than triple the tally from 2023.

The total is found by adding together every individual instance of gambling messaging from live match coverage, plus output on TalkSport, Sky Sports News and some social media channels.

There have been growing calls for a ban on gambling advertising, akin to the 2002 ban on tobacco promotion, and in 2023 the Gambling Commission recommended the government should limit the amount and frequency of gambling ads promoted within elite sports venues.

Lord Foster of Bath, chair of Peers for Gambling Reform, said: “The government must simply step in to reduce people’s and particularly children’s exposure to gambling advertising that we know can lead to harm. The government has all the powers it needs to protect people and it must do so now.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport told the BBC: “The government recognises that more work needs to be done to ensure that gambling advertising is appropriate, responsible, and does not exacerbate harm.

“We are consulting a wide range of evidence to inform our next steps in this space and working with industry to further raise standards.”

The Premier League did not provide a comment.

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (UPI) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit North Korea this week to participate in events commemorating the founding of the North’s ruling political party, both countries said Tuesday.

Li will “lead a party and government delegation to the DPRK to attend the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Workers’ Party of Korea and pay an official goodwill visit” from Thursday to Saturday, China’s Foreign Ministry announced.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

“China and North Korea are traditionally friendly neighbors,” a ministry spokesperson said about the trip. “Maintaining, consolidating and developing China-North Korea relations has always been the unwavering strategic policy of the Chinese [Communist] Party and government.

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency also reported on the visit, which marks the highest-level appearance by a Chinese leader since President Xi Jinping‘s trip to Pyongyang in 2019.

The relationship between the two longtime allies has shown signs of warming after widespread speculation of a rift over Pyongyang’s growing military alignment with Moscow.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Beijing last month to attend a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, where he held his first summit with Xi in six years.

More recently, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui met with Li Qiang and her counterpart Wang Yi on a trip to Beijing last week.

Other high-ranking delegates slated to visit North Korea for the anniversary celebrations include Russia’s second-in-command, former President Dmitry Medvedev, and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam.

Lam’s visit will be the first by Vietnam’s top leader since 2007.

According to an analysis of satellite imagery by Seoul-based SI Analytics, North Korea is preparing to hold its largest-ever military parade to mark the occasion. At least 14,000 personnel are expected to participate, and new weapons, such as the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, are likely to be unveiled.

UEFA chiefs want to block clubs from playing domestic games abroad.

But they are powerless to prevent La Liga and Serie A chiefs heading out of Europe this season.

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In a measure that could stymy any long-term Prem plans to play matches out of the UK, Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin confirmed his deep personal opposition to the concept.

That is despite giving the green light for Barcelona to play Girona in Miami in December and Milan to face Como in Perth in February.

Uefa explained its ruling executive committee had “reluctantly taken the decision to approve, on an exceptional basis” the requests from Spain and Italy, citing a lack of rules to prevent the games being switched.

But Euro chiefs pledged to work with Fifa to “uphold the integrity of domestic competitions and the close bond between clubs, their supporters and local communities”. 

Ceferin said: “League matches should be played on home soil.

“While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent. 

“Our commitment is clear – to protect the integrity of national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment.”

Prem chief Richard Masters has emphasised his total opposition to the prospect of English games being played overseas.

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However, that policy could change if 14 of the 20 top flight clubs voted to explore the option.

Fan group Football Supporters Europe said: “We regret the decision to allow the requests but all 55 national associations have committed not to make further requests for domestic matches abroad without first consulting UEFA. 

“The onus is now on FIFA to plug this regulatory gap. We welcome UEFA’s commitment to work with FIFA to ensure that future rules uphold the integrity of domestic competitions.”

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