Premier League

EVERTON and Nottingham Forest have been tipped to avoid relegation by a supercomputer despite their impending points deduction.Both clubs were charged with breaching Financial Fair Play rules relating to profitability and sustainability.
Nottingham Forest have been tipped to stay up despite their points deductionCredit: Alamy
Everton face another six points deduction on top of the ten points they were docked earlier this seasonCredit: Rex
They each face a minimum six points deduction which would plunge Everton into the relegation zone.
The Toffees have already been docked ten points this season after being punished for recording financial losses of £124.5million across three years – exceeding the £105m threshold.
Everton would be 12th in the Premier League if not for the deduction and a supercomputer still expects Sean Dyche to steer his side away from the bottom three.
Bettingexpert’s supercomputer, BETSiE, tips Everton to finish 16th, around five points ahead of 18th-place Luton.
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However their chances of relegation have increased by 4.6 per cent following the latest sanction, with Nottingham Forest also 6.4 per cent more likely to end up in the Championship.
Forest are predicted to finish a place behind Everton and one point worse off, having picked up five wins in 20 games so far.
Their probability of relegation is now 22.7 per cent – lower than that of Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United.
That trio have been tipped to return to the second tier after struggling to adapt to the Prem.
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The three promoted sides are still expected to be relegated
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Forest would also drop into the bottom three if they were deducted six points but with two wins in two under Nuno they appear to have turned a corner.
The club are set to appeal their charge and will use the sale of Brennan Johnson to support their case.
The winger was sold for £47.5m after Forest previously knocked back a bid of £30m earlier in the summer from Brentford.
If Forest had sold Johnson to the Bees in June when the offer was made the money would have reduced their overall losses between 2020-23 – which is the period they are believed to have breached FFP rules. More

MANCHESTER UNITED wonderkid Amir Ibragimov has shined again by scoring four against Newcastle United U16s.The 15-year-old has even trained with the Red Devils’ first team and met Sir Alex Ferguson.
Amir Ibragimov has shined again and scored four goals against Newcastle U16sCredit: Getty
The 15-year-old, who has trained with the first team, had scored five goals in his last two gamesCredit: twitter @risingballers
Ibragimov has been the talk of the season at United and after his stellar performance against the Geordies, it is no surprise why.
The match finished 4-1 to United, with all goals coming from the young Red Devils’ leading man.
His first goal saw him beat two defenders in the penalty box and ended with a perfect finish.
Then his second saw a corner make its way to his feet and with one touch the ball fired into the back of the net.
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With the crowd already amazed his hat trick saw him dispatch a free kick followed by a penalty to make it four.
Ibragimov has now scored five goals in his last two games since returning from injury last week.
He only celebrated his 15th birthday back in April and it’s understood that he trained with the first team at Carrington a few weeks after that.
To be given the chance to mix with the top stars at such a young age is highly unusual.
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And his coach Raducio King, who has played with legends including Paul Scholes and Ronaldinho, compared the Manchester starlet to another Red Devils icon.
He said: “I could see him playing as a No.10, like a Wayne Rooney role, driving forward, switching balls, tackling, attacking, you name it.
“Just making sure the team does well – he can attack and defend.
“I’ve played the game myself and I know being great at that age is good and it’s something to be proud of.
“However, if the end goal is reaching the first team, you have to keep yourself humble and working. I think he can get there.”
Ibragimov was born in Russia and was initially part of Sheffield United’s academy after his family moved to England.
The midfielder has since captained United’s U14s and U15s and he’s made five appearances for the U18s this season.
The youngster is eligible to represent Russia and England, and he’s already featured for the Three Lions at youth level.
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United have been so mesmerised by the teen’s performance that they made sure no one else could grab the youngster and tied him down to a deal in August.
Ibragimov will stay with United throughout his scholarship period until he is eligible for professional terms when he turns 17. More

JOE COLE has revealed he regrets leaving Chelsea to sign for Liverpool.The ex-England star moved to Anfield in 2010 after seven years with the Blues.
Joe Cole has revealed he regrets joining Liverpool in 2010Credit: PA
Cole was a club legend, having own won three Premier League titles and two FA Cups.
But in his final years at Stamford Bridge, he saw his minutes diminish due to a serious knee injury.
Cole was in and out the side then decided to quit for Liverpool as he refused to move to London rivals Tottenham.
The winger had a nightmare spell with the Reds, scoring just five goals in 42 games and he was even loaned out to Lille.
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He eventually left with Liverpool ripping up his contract.
Opening up on his decision to leave Chelsea, Cole told The Obi One podcast: “I done my knee and that was probably the start of the end of my career because I was never the same player after that.
“I done everything, ACL, PCL, MCL – I was out for 11 months.
“Chelsea were right, from a business perspective. They stopped contract negotiations to see how I was when I came back.
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“I came back in October. By this time, Carlo Ancelotti had come into the club, I was coming in off the bench, playing well, but it was hard to break back into the team.
“The guys went away to the Africa Cup of Nations in the January. I knew I’d have a chance to play regularly.
“I played every game, six, seven or eight games in a row, played really well and then they started, ‘we can offer you this new contract’, but it wasn’t at what it was before.
“My ego got involved a little bit and football was more of a struggle. I would play and my knee would blow up. I was in a lot of pain.
“We would win a game but I couldn’t train for three or four days afterwards. I really wrecked myself. That’s how my body was after it.
“Something clicked and I thought to myself, ‘I’m never going to get back to the player I was. I’ve got to leave.’
“Because I didn’t want to finish my Chelsea career just sitting there on the injury table.
“I had a choice between Liverpool or Spurs because Arsenal pulled out – I just couldn’t go to Spurs.
“It would have made sense, Harry Redknapp was the manager, they had a good team, I lived in London, half my pals are Spurs fans. I just couldn’t do it.
“Liverpool is a great club. It didn’t work for me there but it is a fantastic club.
“But if I could have my time again, I would probably go abroad, somewhere hot, because playing in the heat actually helped my knee.”
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Cole ended up rejoining boyhood club West Ham after leaving Liverpool.
He went on to play for Aston Villa, Coventry and Tampa Bay Rowdies before retiring in 2018.
Cole eventually saw his contract ripped up at AnfieldCredit: PA:Press Association More

THE Premier League have set a trial date to hear Manchester City’s Financial Fair Play case.The Treble winners were hit with 115 charges by the league last February relating to financial irregularities.
Richard Masters confirmed a date has been set for Manchester City to go to trialCredit: Getty
Manchester City have been hit with 115 charges
And Premier League CEO Richard Masters revealed “a date has been set” for the hearing, though refused to divulge any further details.
City and Prem chiefs have been going back and forth with one another for several months over when the hearing to address the alleged violations will take place.
It has been claimed the trial will kick off in the autumn, which means City may not learn their fate until the summer of 2025.
The club are accused of breaching 115 regulations from the 2009-10 season onwards.
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Chief among the alleged violations are allegations of over financial reporting and a refusal to cooperate with the Prem’s investigation.
City have vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
But if found guilty the club could be hit with serious sanctions – possibly a points deduction or even relegation.
Everton were docked 10 points this season for breaching profit and sustainability rules between 2020-23.
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City are even at risk of being stripped of the three Premier League titles they won between 2012 and 2018.
The champions have challenged the 115 charges and the case was in the hands of the head of its “independent judicial panel”, Murray Rosen KC.
Prem boss Masters referred to City’s case when asked about the frustrations of Everton and Nottingham Forest, who were both hit with fresh FFP charges on Monday.
Both clubs face minimum six-point deductions this season after being accused of breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
Everton have appealed the ten-point deduction they received earlier this campaign but a further six-point hit would plunge them into the relegation zone – five points off survival. More

RICHARD MASTERS was watched closely during this morning’s Culture, Media and Sport committee meeting.The Premier League chief executive spoke just a day on from Everton and Nottingham Forest being charged for allegedly breaching financial rules.
Everton fan Julie Clarke was sat behind Richard Masters
Masters sat next to EFL chairman Rick Parry at the meeting.
He said: “It is fans that matter – without fans we don’t have a game.”
Everton were handed a ten-point deduction after being charged earlier this season.
The Toffees, who have already launched an appeal against their previous charge, could be slapped with another six-point deduction.
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Sat behind Masters at today’s committee meeting was Everton fan Julie Clarke.
A lifelong Evertonian, Clarke sits on the club’s Fan Advisory Board.
Wearing a T-shirt prominently featuring Everton’s badge, she could be seen watching over Masters at the meeting… to fellow fans’ delight.
One wrote on social media: “A picture tells a thousand words.”
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While a second commented: “Loving this lady!”
Others took issue with Masters’ comments.
A disgruntled supporter posted: “You don’t even think about the fans. It’s money orientated.”
Another added: “He is actually just taking the p*** out of us now.”
Masters also said: “We take our rule book very seriously, clubs expect us to take action if they don’t comply with the rules.”
Everton released a strong statement on Monday following their latest charge, concluding: “The Club must now defend another Premier League complaint which includes the very same financial periods for which it has already been sanctioned, before that appeal has even been heard.
“The Club takes the view that this results from a clear deficiency in the Premier League’s rules.
“Everton can assure its fans that it will continue to defend its position during the ongoing appeal and, should it be required to do so, at any future commission – and that the impact on supporters will be reflected as part of that process.”

Forest, also potentially facing a six-point deduction, wrote in their own statement: “Nottingham Forest acknowledges the statement from the Premier League confirming that the club has today been charged with a breach of the league’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
“The club intends to continue to cooperate fully with the Premier League on this matter and are confident of a speedy and fair resolution.” More