Manchester City took the Premier League title race down to the final week of the season in 2025/26 but they want to go one better in the new campaign.

Manchester City will have a new manager at the helm but their objective remains the same: to win the Premier League title. To do that, City will have a keen focus on the games against their main rivals. It goes without saying that those matches could make or break their title tilt.

City’s first test of their title credentials will come on just the fourth matchday when the Blues travel to fierce rivals Manchester United on September 12. Pep Guardiola’s men struggled at Old Trafford in January, losing 2-0 on what was Michael Carrick’s first game as interim boss.

While Guardiola may have left, Carrick will be in the dugout again in September having been appointed the Reds’ permanent head coach. Liverpool, with Andoni Iraola in the hot seat, will provide City’s next title test on October 10 at Anfield before their first game against reigning Premier League champions Arsenal takes place on November 28 at the Emirates Stadium.

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City won’t play a potential title rival at home until December 12 when they host Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea. This quirk of the fixture list could play both for and against the Blues with City knowing those big games during the run-in will mostly be played at the Etihad Stadium.

The Blues’ last game against a member of the ‘Big Six’ will be on May 8 when they host Liverpool. Take a look at the big fixtures against City’s possible title rivals below:

• Manchester United (A) – September 12
• Liverpool (A) – October 10
• Arsenal (A) – November 28
• Chelsea (H) – December 12
• Tottenham Hotspur (H) – January 2
• Arsenal (H) – January 30
• Tottenham Hotspur (A) – February 10
• Manchester United (H) – March 20
• Chelsea (A) – April 24
• Liverpool (H) – May 8

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The Location, Location, Location host has welcomed proposals that ministers say could cut around four weeks from the home-buying process by forcing sellers to reveal key information upfront and speeding up transactions through digital technology.

Spencer said the reforms tackle many of the frustrations buyers and sellers have faced for years.

“I welcome these proposals – they address many of the issues consumers have been grappling with for years, from a lack of upfront information to unnecessary delays and last-minute surprises,” he said.

The changes are designed to modernise a system that currently leaves many movers facing months of uncertainty.

According to property portal Rightmove, the average home sale takes around 170 days to complete, while more than one in five transactions falls through before completion.

Under the proposals, sellers and estate agents would have to provide detailed “sales packs” when a property is first listed, setting out information such as the home’s condition, leasehold charges and chain status.

The Government believes giving buyers access to crucial information earlier could reduce the number of deals collapsing after surveys, searches and legal work have already been carried out.

Paper-heavy processes could also be replaced by digital property logbooks, electronic signatures, digital identity checks and AI-assisted conveyancing tools.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the current system too often leaves families “in limbo”.

“We’re turning the page,” he said. “Our reforms will bring this outdated process into the modern age, saving people time and money, and giving them the certainty they deserve.”

Housing Secretary Steve Reed described the current process as a “drawn-out nightmare of delays, hidden costs and failed deals”.

He said the reforms would make transactions “faster, fairer and more secure” while giving buyers and sellers greater certainty.

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Industry leaders have also backed the plans.

Zoopla chief executive Paul Whitehead said homeowners “deserve better than a home-buying process that takes months, falls through too often, and leaves everyone poorer for it”.

The Government intends to roll out the reforms gradually over the rest of this Parliament, with legislation covering sales packs, binding agreements and digital systems expected before the next election.

For first-time buyers especially, supporters believe the changes could mean fewer nasty surprises, less stress and a much faster route to home ownership.

Oliver Johnson says he spent most of the inheritance left by his late father

A man says he blew his dad’s inheritance – and has spoken about the impact of his father’s dying wish to him. Oliver Johnson’s problems first began when he was just 15. But they spiralled out of control and almost destroyed his life.

But he thanks his dad for being a perfect role model. And remembers the words he said that helped him turn his life around.

The 32 year old says by the time he was 18 he was using cocaine and drinking daily, spending an average of £500 per week on his addiction – and sometimes ‘thousands’. Oliver even admits to blowing the majority of the £15,000 inheritance he got from his dad Paul Johnson on drugs – an amount he admits he would ‘kill to have’ now.

The tip worker says he would ‘stay awake for days on end’ sniffing the drug, which resulted in him experiencing drug-induced psychosis. After struggling with the addiction that ‘ruined his life’ for over a decade, Oliver decided to ditch drugs and alcohol for good two months before the birth of his daughter in August 2024.

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He says his dad’s dying wish before he died of cancer had been for him to ‘get sober and be happy’ and he is proud now to be able to be a good role model for his own daughter like his father was for him. The dad of two is now urging other people who struggle with addiction to ‘reach out and get help’. Oliver, from Todmorden, West Yorkshire, said: “I started taking cocaine when I was still in my teens, it wasn’t really a problem until about 18.

“I was using it socially – I didn’t think it was a problem at the time. In 2018 it sort of just spiralled. I was drinking every day and sniffing cocaine – [I was spending] stupid amounts, £400 or £500 a week, some weeks even thousands.”

Oliver says he was constantly in debt and even admits to blowing his dad’s £15,000 inheritance on drugs. Oliver said: “It was costing me £80 per day and I think the most I owed one week was about £1,300.

“I was in debt – it was very rare I wasn’t in debt. I got a bit of inheritance off my dad but a lot of it went on substances and alcohol. I kick myself now because I got quite a lot of it – it was £15,000. Now I would kill for that type of money.”

Oliver says his addiction left him experiencing drug-induced psychosis and even saw him using crack cocaine, an even more dangerous and highly addiction version of the drug. Oliver said: “I used to have drug-induced psychosis – I would constantly hear things.

“I could be with my closest friends and I would hear voices, I thought people were inside my house. I was that paranoid I used to think there were people in the loft and I would go checking in there and things like that. I always felt like there were people coming for me and it was nuts.”

Sadly, Oliver’s dad Paul, 67, was diagnosed with cancer in 2019. Oliver revealed that his father’s dream had been for his son to ‘get sober and be happy’.

Oliver said: “In 2019 my dad got diagnosed with cancer and sadly he passed away in January 2020. My dad’s dream was for me to get sober and be happy. He was the perfect role model. It was because of my own self-inflicted trauma [that I turned to drugs].”

‘It’s the best thing I’ve ever done’

In August 2024, Oliver decided to live a cocaine and alcohol-free life ahead of the birth of his daughter. He says he is now able to do all of the things he missed out on in his 20s, including going abroad for the first time last year.

Oliver said: “Two months before my daughter was born I got sober and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m a better partner – my daughter means the world to me and I’m so grateful to my partner for sticking by me and giving me the chance.

“Being a present father means more than anything to me. I had an amazing dad myself and he never turned his back on me – I just want to be able to pass down what he passed down to me.

“Now I’m working a stable job, I have an income and I’m able to save money. I went abroad last year for the first time in my life – I’d never been abroad. I’m ticking all those things off on my list now and it’s crazy.

“I missed out on a hell of a lot because of my cocaine use. I didn’t really have a 20s – it ruined my 20s, it ruined all of my life really for a very long time. I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it wasn’t for my partner and daughter finally made me see life for what it really is. I’d be lost without them both.”

Oliver is now using his social media accounts to raise awareness and is encouraging other people struggling with addiction to seek support. Oliver said: “Just be honest – be as honest as you can be. Don’t be scared to reach out and get help.

“A problem shared is a problem halved. For many many years I thought hiding away and isolating myself was the answer but it wasn’t.”

Michael Carrick is preparing for his first full season as Man United boss and he could make a dream start to the 2026/27 campaign.

Manchester United have been handed the ‘easiest’ start to the 2026/27 Premier League season with the fixtures computer lining them up against two newly-promoted teams in their first two games.

Michael Carrick’s side could be off to a flier as they face Hull City away in their first game followed by a tie against Ipswich Town at Old Trafford.

United’s third league match is a more challenging trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton, but overall they have by far the easiest opening three fixtures of any team, based on average finishing positions last season.

Fellow Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester City will also be able to ease themselves into the season with fixtures which are, on paper at least, winnable games.

After United, it is Liverpool who have the ‘second-easiest’ start to the season, based on last season’s standings. Their opening games are Newcastle United (A), Nottingham Forest (H) and Ipswich Town (A).

Manchester City are ranked as having the ‘third-easiest’ start as they face Bournemouth at home followed by Crystal Palace away and then another promoted side, Coventry City, at the Etihad.

However, the Manchester clubs will then face a stern test on the fourth match day as they play each other in the first Manchester derby at Old Trafford on 12th September.

Newly-promoted Ipswich Town have the toughest start to the season. The fixtures computer has set up a particularly challenging start to the campaign for the Tractor Boys, who will be embarking on their seventh season in the top division in August.

Ipswich kick off with a home game against Sunderland, followed by the trip to Old Trafford to face United and then it’s back to Portman Road at the start of September to host Liverpool.

All of their first three opponents qualified for European competition by finishing in the top seven places in the Premier League last season.

Chelsea have the ‘second-hardest’ start to the season, with their first three games against Fulham (A), Brighton (H), and Arsenal (A). They are followed by Everton who face Crystal Palace (H), Bournemouth (A) and Manchester United (H).

Here are the ‘easiest’ and ‘toughest’ starts to the season based on the average finishing position of the first 3 opponents in 2025/26:

Manchester United: 19.7

Liverpool: 16.7

Manchester City: 14

Sunderland: 14

Brentford: 12.7

Tottenham Hotspur: 12.3

Nottingham Forest: 12

Arsenal: 11.7

Aston Villa: 11

Leeds United: 11

Fulham: 10.7

Brighton and Hove Albion: 9.3

Hull City: 9.3

Newcastle United: 9.3

Bournemouth: 9

Coventry City: 9

Crystal Palace: 8.7

Everton: 8

Chelsea: 6.7

Ipswich Town: 5

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The prime minister is facing calls to exit Number 10 – but he has insisted he will not ‘walk away’

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has issued a new statement amid calls for him to step aside for a new leader to take control of the party.

On Friday morning, Andy Burnham, a favourite to replace Sir Keir, was declared the winner of the Makerfield parliamentary by-election marking his return to Westminster after serving as Greater Manchester mayor for more than nine years.

Mr Burnham had made his intentions to stand for Labour leader in any upcoming contest known during his campaign. Reports suggest the new Wigan MP is stopping short of formally challenging the PM in the hope that Sir Keir will step down first.

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However, hours after Mr Burnham’s victory, Sir Keir spoke to reporters at an event in north west London, where he insisted that he ‘will not walk away’ from his post.

The prime minister confirmed that he will fight any potential leadership challenge if a contest is triggered.

An election for a new party leader can be triggered if an MP manages to secure 81 nominations from other Labour MPs. If that were to happen, Sir Keir would automatically be entered into the contest, while any other MP wishing to stand would also need to secure the required number of nominations – 20 per cent of the standing MPs according to Labour’s rules.

Speaking to reporters at an event in north London on Friday morning, Sir Keir said: “If there is a contest, then yes, I will stand. I have said repeatedly, I am not going to walk away from that.”

The prime minister congratulated Mr Burnham on the win, before adding: “I think it’s further evidence, actually, if you look at it in the context of other by-elections, that the tide is turning on Reform, that they can’t now win by-elections.

“They’ve reached probably the peak of their support, it is going down. So, very good, congratulations to Andy Burnham, but actually the tide is turning on Reform as well, so this is really important in that respect.”

He told reporters: “There isn’t a leadership contest at the moment, there isn’t one at the moment, but as I’ve said on many, many occasions, I don’t think that’s a good thing for the country, to plunge us into chaos.

“I would also add that now that Andy has won which is really important, really good, he’s a huge asset to us, that now there will inevitably be a Manchester mayoralty by-election starting straight away. It’s important that we pull together for that, but if there is a contest, just to be clear with you, then yes, I will run.”

Earlier today, he posted a message on X congratulating Mr Burnham on his victory. “Voters chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate,” he said.

Mr Burnham defeated Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon by 9,231 votes, up from 5,399 in 2024, and Labour’s vote share increased by 9.61 per cent. In his victory speech he urged his party to act now, saying there would be no second chance.

He said: “Everyone knows that politics isn’t working. Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.”

In a direct message to Labour MPs he said: “I do say to my own party: this is a final chance to change. This is what people said directly to me on the hundreds of doorsteps that I stood on. We must hear it, we must act upon it and we must get it right. There will be no second chance.”

Mr Burnham gave up the Greater Manchester mayoralty by becoming Makerfield MP, winning the seat that was vacated by Josh Simons in order to allow him the chance of returning to Westminster and seek to become prime minister.

Ahead of the by-election, Sir Keir warned Mr Burnham not to throw the country into “chaos” by launching a leadership challenge. Speaking to ITV’s This Morning, he said: “I don’t think we should have a challenge, because I think it’ll throw the country into chaos. If there is a challenge, I will fight. I’m not going to walk away from this.”

He added: “We won a landslide victory just two years ago with a clear mandate to change the country, that’s a five-year mandate.”

Sir Keir’s premiership has been under pressure since Labour’s crushing defeats in May’s local elections, which saw Reform UK make big gains across the country.

Former health secretary Wes Streeting and ex-armed forces minister Al Carns have also signalled they would run in any contest to replace Sir Keir.

We’ve all been there, patiently waiting in the airport for a boarding gate, only to see the dreaded words displayed on the big screen overhead: Delayed.

Usually, the inconvenience isn’t too bad, and you end up at your destination an hour or two late.

The only consolation is that if the plane lands three hours or later than scheduled, at least you might be eligible for some money back.

In 2024, 145 million passengers took off from UK airports — with one in three experiencing a flight delay or cancellation.

Around 3.4 million of these were Brits, who ended up being entitled to up to £520 each in compensation, thanks to the UK’s passenger rights protections.

But what happens if you were initially told your flight was delayed due to ‘technical difficulties’ with the aircraft, only to land and the airline claim it was actually ‘adverse weather conditions’?

This is the very pickle one Reddit user found herself in recently.

While getting ready to board a Ryanair flight from Barcelona to London Stansted, she shared she’d received a notification that her flight was delayed by two hours following ‘”technical difficulties” with an aircraft’.

The plane eventually landed in London three hours and 20 minutes late, meaning all passengers were entitled to claim.

When she went to do so however, she found that Ryanair’s website stated she was now ineligible because the flight ‘was delayed due to adverse weather conditions suffered by the operating aircraft on previous sectors, outside of the control of Ryanair’.

The woman was confused, given the Irish carrier had previously claimed the delay had nothing to do with the weather.

But because the Reddit user forgot to take a screenshot of the original message citing technical difficulties, she’s unsure how to prove it.

What do the experts say?

Allana Wilckens, legal expert on passenger rights at Flightright UK, tells Metro that if airlines can prove the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances — such as genuinely adverse weather — and that it couldn’t have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken, they don’t have to pay out.

Still, she says that the passenger appears to have a properly arguable claim for €250 (£217) compensation because the flight arrived more than three hours late.

Similarly, Tim Riley, Managing Director of True Traveller and Chairman of the UK Travel Industry Association, tells Metro: ‘If passengers believe their flight delay was caused by a technical issue over adverse weather, they can challenge the airline’s decision through the appropriate Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process.’

From a travel insurance perspective though, Tim warns that a delay of just over three hours is unlikely to trigger a payout under most UK policies — even if it is the law.

Rather, he says, delay benefits only typically apply after much longer disruptions, often 12 hours or more.

Allana adds that the early claim of technical difficulties is an important factor here, because ordinary technical problems are generally not regarded as extraordinary circumstances.

Equally, there may have been more than one cause for the delay. For example, weather may have delayed the aircraft on an earlier sector, while a later technical or operational issue caused further delay.

‘If that is the case, Ryanair should explain how much of the delay was caused by each issue rather than attributing the whole delay to weather,’ she explains.

As for the initial screenshot? Allana says that just because the passenger forgot to take a photo, it doesn’t mean the claim should fail.

In fact, she argues Ryanair should retain records of the notifications sent through its app, as well as the operational and technical records relating to the flight, adding: ‘It’s for the airline to prove that the extraordinary circumstances defence applies.’

As such, the travel expert concludes that if Ryanair cannot properly evidence its defence, compensation should be paid.

What has Ryanair had to say?

Metro put the claims to Ryanair, which reiterates that the flight from Barcelona to London Stansted on June 10 was ‘delayed due to adverse weather conditions at London Stansted Airport.’

According to the budget airline, this prevented the inbound aircraft scheduled to operate this flight from departing Barcelona on time.

However, it also adds that the same flight was subsequently delayed ‘ahead of take-off due to a minor technical issue with the aircraft.’

A spokesperson said: ‘Passengers booked on this flight received communications via email, push notifications and received updates via the Ryanair app, and were issued with refreshment vouchers during the delay.’ 

To minimise disruption, Ryanair states that it arranged for a replacement aircraft to operate the flight to London Stansted, which departed at 10.45pm local time.

Ultimately though, it states the passenger is ‘not entitled to compensation’ because the ‘delay was weather-related, which is outside of Ryanair’s control.’

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