Manchester United failed to make up ground on the Premier League’s top five last night after a 0-0 home draw with bottom of the table Hull City.
After Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur all dropped points on Tuesday night, José Mourinho’s team had a glaring opportunity to close the gap on those above them.
Not for the first time, a frustrated Mourinho cut short his post-match interview - claiming in another that he was treated differently from other managers - after the draw which now leaves his team four points adrift of a Champions League spot.
Meanwhile Manchester City eased to a 4-0 win over West Ham, with new boy Gabriel Jesus shining on his league debut and scoring the first goal in an impressive victory. Already the Brazilian looks the successor in waiting to Sergio Agüero - who was benched for last night's win.
Galway man Gavan Hennigan rowed into English Harbour in Antigua early last night, the fastest Irishman to row across an ocean to finish third overall in the 12-boat Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge and by far the fastest solo rower.
“I’m so proud to have done this. Not many Irish have attempted a solo row across the Atlantic and I feel I’ve done it in style,” said an exhausted Hennigan.
Gerry Thornley has predicted his Irish starting team for this weekend's Six Nations opener, ahead of today's official announcement.
On the presumption that Seán O’Brien has trained fully this week and is fit to go, he expects the Leinster flanker to start at ‘7’, in what should be a familiar looking Joe Schmidt XV - “that said, the replacements bench may reveal a few less familiar names.”
The GAA's top finance officers have expressed concerns about attendance figures despite the association's finances for 2016 being described as "solid" and "steady" and showing a €3 million increase in gate receipts.
Meanwhile in her column this morning Sonia O'Sullivan talks about her involvement in the Great Ocean race - "the perfect way to end the summer holidays in Melbourne."
