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The race for the Premier League top four is wide open after Arsenal’s surprise 1-0 win over Chelsea last night. Emile Smith Rowe scored the only goal of the match at Stamford Bridge, and if Liverpool and West Ham can win their games in hand they will be just one and two points off Chelsea in fourth, by the time they play their next league game against third placed Leicester. A decision on the location of the Champions League final is finally expected today, with Porto in line to host the game provided questions over Covid restrictions are resolved. Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær has said Harry Maguire will miss the final three games of the Premier League season and remains a doubt for the Europa League final against Villarreal. United will look to bounce back from their defeat to Leicester on Tuesday night when reigning champions Liverpool visit Old Trafford tonight, kick off is at 8.15pm.
Dean Rock says Dublin’s breach of the Covid-19 training ban was “a deeply regrettable incident”. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday ahead of his team’s league opener against Roscommon this weekend, the All Star attacker said: “Look, I wasn’t there myself, but obviously the outdoors thing, people were obviously outdoors socialising, so I imagine that was sort of the premise behind it, being outside, doing a bit of running. It was one of those things, never should have happened, and if we could go back in time it certainly wouldn’t have happened.”
In his column this morning, John O’Sullivan explains why Ireland’s young rugby stars are being starved of priceless minutes. The long-term absence of the AIL means chances are at a premium for provincial prospects. There were 66 players across the Leinster (18), Munster (17), Connacht (16), and Ulster (15) academies at one point this season, but only 13 (19.7 per cent) have played five matches or more for the respective senior teams - “When everyone is in situ and available for selection, the academy players find access to matches harder to source. In pre-pandemic times the AIL provided a valuable competitive outlet for some of the younger players, but that’s no longer available. The most recent round of fixtures in the AIL Division 1A took place just over 14 months ago.”
Meanwhile, following a meeting of its board on Wednesday the International Olympic Committee has insisted it is “moving fully ahead” with the Tokyo Games despite growing public unease in Japan after the state of emergency in the country was extended.