LEEDS MISS OUT ON SHOWPIECE

London from Manchester or Liverpool. At one stage it looked as if Leeds’ Elland Road, which can accommodate 37,792, was in pole position but sources have disclosed that Leicester’s slightly smaller ground is now the favourite. The Premier League will start earlier than usual on August 6 next season, because of the break for the winter World Cup in Qatar. The women’s Euros final will be played at Wembley the previous Sunday. Arsenal and the London Stadium expressed early interest in stepping in, but their offers now seem unlikely to be successful. In 2012, Villa Park hosted the fixture — Manchester City’s 3-2 defeat of Chelsea — when Wembley was being used for the London Olympics, and Villa were keen on a repeat this summer. They, too, are likely to be disappointed. The FA declined to comment.