There is more good news to come for Chelsea.
Inside Sport understands the club are close to announcing a shirt sponsor, with 'four or five names' on the hunt, sources said.
About three airlines and two technology companies are competing with it.
The west London side, who have defied critics on the pitch so far this season, took the unusual step of starting the campaign without a sponsor.
In the era of strict financial regulations, this was seen as a bold move.
Officials believed they could secure larger sums than were on offer at the time and it appears their actions are about to be rewarded, with on-field performances doing little to them.
United is worried about tickets
Manchester United have contacted the FA to express their concerns after Arsenal failed to provide them with their full allocation for their cup tie at the Emirates next month.
The two Premier League giants meet in the clash of the round on January 12 and under competition rules United are entitled to 15 percent of the stadium's 60,000 capacity.
That means around 9,000 tickets should go to Manchester. However, Mail Sport understands that – much to United's frustration – significantly fewer were actually offered.
Discussions have taken place between the rival clubs, but the current proposed number, believed to be less than 8,000, is not acceptable to Old Trafford officials who have now, as a last resort, escalated their case to the FA.
Insiders have revealed that United feel the Emirates is a large, modern stadium and the match kick-off has been brought forward to 3pm to avoid any crowd issues.
However, they have still faced obstacles and – despite giving the Gunners time to meet their expectations – have now reluctantly taken their case to the authorities.
United declined to comment, but the view within the club is that they feel they have to fight for their fans and for the right allocation. It is not the first time that United have encountered problems with allocations for matches in the capital.
In 2022, the Manchester United Supporters' Trust threatened legal action after reduced numbers were offered for a Premier League match at Chelsea due to police concerns. Arsenal and the FA have been contacted for comment.
IOC's ban on facial brochures
The International Olympic Committee can be proud that more than half the world's population watched the Olympic Games in Paris this year, but none of those billions can be shown in the manifestos of the IOC's presidential candidates, which are released this week.
In what seems a somewhat bizarre move, the IOC has banned candidates from showing recognizable faces in their documents (including those of family members). Instead, only those of the candidates themselves can act.
The result could well be a completely dry series of brochures in which the race's competitors attempt to make their case for taking one of the leading positions in world sport.
Portman Pong probe
Ipswich Town have launched an investigation to determine the source of the 'Portman Pong'. After their recent home match against Bournemouth, a strange smell descended into the press room, which witnesses described as 'sulphurous'.
Those in the room denied responsibility for the smell, which Tractor Boys boss Kieran McKenna commented on as he came in to give his post-match reaction. “It stinks in here,” the manager said, before asking if a pipe had burst.
Officials hope to get to the bottom of the phantom smell before the room's next use, when Ipswich play Newcastle next Saturday.
Chaos in non-competition
An interesting afternoon in the Combined Counties Prem North as Milton United took on Hilltop.
According to the home side's X report, the kick-off in Oxfordshire was delayed by 22 minutes as the opponents turned up without socks.
Both clubs were level at half-time, but the match was then abandoned due to the presence of a spectator who was 'unwilling to leave the field'.
The local FA and police are now investigating what happened, with Milton adding that they will not tolerate 'any form of offensive/life-threatening language directed at match officials, committee members or supporters'.
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