Premier League champions Liverpool return to action; IRFU and players stalemate continues

Andriy Yarmolenko's last-gasp strike secured relegation-threatened West Ham a vital 3-2 Premier League win over Chelsea last night. The Hammers are now three points clear of the relegation zone, while Chelsea missed the chance to leapfrog Leicester into third place. Brendan Rodgers' Leicester side were beaten 2-1 by Everton at Goodison Park, Newcastle were 4-1 winners over Bournemouth and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored two in Arsenal's 4-0 victory over Norwich. Tonight Liverpool play their first match as Premier League champions as Manchester City host them at the Etihad Stadium at 8.15pm, and the European and world champions are taking inspiration from the All Blacks as they aim to finish the season off in style. City's Catalan manager Pep Guardiola has also confirmed his team will give Liverpool a guard of honour as they eneter the pitch tonight. Back here in Ireland and the FAI board will meet again this evening to consider the basis on which it was announced on Tuesday that the Airtricity League was to return. Emmet Malone has all the latest on those talks here.

Round four of salary talks between the IRFU and Rugby Players Ireland (RPI) has ended without an agreement. "Both parties are still working towards a solution," read a joint statement on Wednesday. If a stalemate remains come the end of this month the current pay deferral scheme, ranging from 10 to 50 per cent of current salaries, with the highest earners taking the biggest cuts, would have to remain in place. The English Rugby Football Union changed its ticketing policy to reserve the first 28,000 for corporate contracts, meaning that unless the UK government allows for crowds of nearly 30,000 or more in the autumn, they will not be able to sell match tickets to supporters. A major blow for fans hoping to attend this year's autumn internationals.

Séamus Power is the only Irish player in the field at this week's PGA Tour event, the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The Waterford golfer is grouped with Australian Cameron Percy and South Africa's Erik Van Rooyen in the first round (with a 5.20pm Irish time start). The fourth tournament of the PGA Tour's restart will again be played behind-closed-doors with no spectators. Our Best Of Times series continues this morning as Philip Reid looks back on the epic Claret Jug battle at Carnoustie in 2007, when Pádraig Harrington stared down Sergio Garcia: "On a day of drama, of twists and turns and yet more twists and turns, it all came down to a duel between two men – one an Irishman, the son of a Garda, the other a Spaniard, the son of a golfer – in a battle of battles for the great prize and each intent on claiming their destiny."

Meanwhile the Gaelic Players' Association (GPA) have claimed there is a "sustained negative discourse surrounding inter-county players", and presented an apparently conflicting message to Croke Park on the issue of club players returning to intercounty training ahead of the agreed date of September 14th. The Players' body believes the GAA's injury benefit scheme must cover sessions if counties decide on an early return.