Ballymoney exit Irish Cup after narrow loss to Bangor despite Ireland call-up's inspirational display
The Provincial side may have squeezed home – by only three shots – against their Premier League rivals Limavady in the First Round, but this time, they agonisingly bowed out of the sport's top knock-out tournament, beaten by two shots in a gripping tie.
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Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Premier League supercomputer predicts 2025-26 table and it's bad news for Liverpool
Liverpool will begin their defence of the Premier League title next month but a supercomputer has predicted that the trophy won't be staying at Anfield for long Liverpool will once again fail to lift back-to-back Premier League titles, according to a supercomputer which has predicted the full 2025-26 table. The Reds were crowned champions last season after a stunning start to life under new manager Arne Slot. Very few had backed Liverpool to win the title following the departure of Jurgen Klopp but a slump from Manchester City and Arsenal 's failure to capitalise allowed Slot's side cruise to victory without a formidable challenge. That's set to change this term, though, with City having made 10 signings since the turn of year and Arsenal finally addressing their issues up front. Liverpool have, of course, spent more than anyone and won't stop at £269million. The reigning champions want to sign Newcastle striker Alexander Isak for a British-record transfer fee of at least £125m. That's after breaking the record to sign Florian Wirtz for an eye-watering £116m last month. But the supercomputer has Liverpool finishing THIRD - just as the Reds did in the 2020-21 season when they were defending champions under Klopp. Arsenal would finish second for the fourth year running, a new record, with City reclaiming the title under Pep Guardiola. There's also good news for Manchester United, who'd shoot up 10 places but narrowly miss out on Champions League football to Chelsea. Aston Villa would pip Tottenham to sixth place while Newcastle, West Ham and Everton round out the top half. Unfortunately for the three teams promoted from the Championship - Burnley, Sunderland and Leeds - they'd all go straight back down, a worrying trend which we've seen in the past two seasons. These are all predictions made by an AI supercomputer, via Sportscasting, which has simulated the upcoming Premier League season. Explaining City's title win, it said: "Even without any seismic squad changes, their machine-like system - powered by Omar Marmoush, Phil Foden, the returning Rodri, and a 36-goal season from Erling Haaland - keeps them dominant. Who'll win the 2025-26 Premier League title? Give us your prediction in the comments section. "Their depth and consistency in tight matches give them the edge over Arsenal and Liverpool. Arne Slot's rebuilt side will feature a potent attack - with Mo Salah alongside new signings Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz. But their defence will let them down against top teams, causing them to slip to third in the title race." AI supercomputer's 2025-26 Premier League table Manchester City (92 points) Arsenal (88) Liverpool (85) Chelsea (79) Manchester United (76) Aston Villa (70) Tottenham (67) Newcastle (63) West Ham (60) Everton (56) Brighton (54) Wolves (52) Brentford (50) Fulham (48) Crystal Palace (45) Bournemouth (43) Nottingham Forest (40) Burnley (35) Sunderland (32) Leeds (28)
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Transfer news live: Liverpool reach Isak agreement, Arsenal's Eze stance, Rangers close on Spurs star
The summer transfer window is about to enter its final month with hundreds of millions already splashed on some major signings. Arsenal have completed the signing of Viktor Gyokeres, closing out a deal worth £63m for the forward who was unveiled as a new Gunner during their pre-season match against Newcastle on Sunday. The Gunners have also confirmed the signing of Cristhian Mosquera in defence and they now have their sights on Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze. Liverpool have signed Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £79m deal having beaten off interest from Newcastle to secure his signature. The Reds have also agreed to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich which could challenge the resolve of Newcastle who are holding firm in their valuation of Alexander Isak. Isak has requested to 'explore his options' away from the club with a move to Liverpool seemingly the likeliest destination as the Premier League champions aim to strengthen their forward line. Elsewhere, Manchester United have completed the signing of Bryan Mbeumo who joins Matheus Cunha in Ruben Amorim's new-look attack though the manager is still hopeful of securing a No.9 before the start of the season. Marcus Rashford has completed a loan move to Barcelona while Jadon Sancho is drawing interest from Juventus as the club also focus on outgoings. Meanwhile, Chelsea have their sights on a Dutch duo of Xavi Simons and centre-back Jorrel Hato. Arsenal refuse to play ball over Eze Arsenal are not willing to meet Crystal Palace's demands for Eberechi Eze. That's according to The Athletic, which reports that Palace are holding out for more than £60m, as per Eze's release clause. Arsenal will only produce a bid if Palace lower their price. Lawrence Ostlere30 July 2025 07:56 City reject £25m offer from Forest for McAtee To Manchester, where City have rejected a bid of £25m from Nottingham Forest for midfielder James McAtee. Sky Sports reports that the 22-year-old is valued far higher by City, where he played regularly at the Etihad last season. McAtee is expected to leave this City this summer as he goes in search of regular first-team football. Lawrence Ostlere30 July 2025 07:49 Rangers close in on Spurs' Moore We start with the news that Rangers are closing in on a loan deal for Tottenham prodigy Mikey Moore. The 17-year-old broke into Spurs' first team last season and made some impressive contributions, particularly in their run to Europa League glory. Now he is set for a season in Glasgow, according to Fabrizio Romano, as Russell Martin plots Rangers' ascent back to the top of Scottish football. Lawrence Ostlere30 July 2025 07:44 Lawrence Ostlere30 July 2025 07:35
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Man City verdict on 100+ charges could be months away with further delays in sight
Club executives and senior football figures believe that the Manchester City case could still go until at least October before the initial outcome, as the controversy threatens to complicate another Premier League season. Some club leaders have even speculated that it might arrive in the campaign's second international break, from 4-18 October, given previous patterns regarding similar cases. An outcome was expected last season, given that the hearing concluded in early December. It has nevertheless rumbled on into the summer, and means another season faces the weight of potential upheaval and drastic change through possible points deductions. Manchester City stridently insist upon their innocence. Actual details of the process have been kept under lock and key, with only those directly involved knowing exactly how it is going, due to the sensitivity of the case. The charges involve accusations of City breaching football's financial regulations, and Freedom of Information requests revealed that the British embassy in Abu Dhabi discussed the case. Bloomberg even reported that UAE officials raised the charges in a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in 2024, but Lammy said it was a matter for the Premier League. Insiders with knowledge of certain aspects of the investigation are nevertheless predicting a September-October outcome, with some believing it will come in one of the international breaks. The initial outcome of City's Associated Party Transaction case ended up arriving on 7 October 2024, which was at the start of that period's Fifa window. Such stances have nevertheless been subject to change, given there was previously a widespread view that the initial decisions would be published around Easter, and the end of April. The controversy - which has now been ongoing since the initial Der Spiegel "Football Leaks" in November 2018 and resulted in the Premier League announcing 100+ charges in February 2023 - is commonly seen as an "existential moment" for the league and the wider game regardless of outcome. Premier League insiders say it has also had another effect, which is in delaying proper governance. Clubs are now unwilling to push through or even suggest any major changes in the running of the competition, due to the belief that the outcome of the case could change absolutely everything. There is also a split between clubs regarding what should happen if the most severe charges are proven and City are punished. While a minority would push for outright expulsion in such an event, that is seen as unlikely since it would require a special shareholder vote and a majority of 15 clubs. Other clubs are more in favour of a potential punishment allowing everyone to get on with it, as they feel the controversy is now causing undue damage to the Premier League. That very view is nevertheless seen by other executives as a concerted "tactic" by City, since the stakeholders are more likely to become fatigued by the process the longer it goes on. Another split revolves around the idea of "a stay" in the event of a potential City punishment, and whether the club face sanctions straight away or after an appeal. One senior club executive told The Independent that there is unlikely to be any tangible change to anything for even a year after the initial outcome, due to the various stages of the process as well as possible appeals. As it is, City themselves are understood to be "confident" they will be cleared.
