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Saturday
First Ashes Test
2.20am (All times GMT)Australia v England live
Ashes series in Australia mostly unfold through the night for England’s followers at home, meaning keeping up with the series start to finish is strictly for the hardcore. For our Australian readers, though, you’ll be fine. In Perth play begins at 2.30am GMT/10.30am AWST and is scheduled to end at 9.50am/5.50pm, so guiding you through day two’s action over by over in the dark British winter hours are the incomparable Geoff Lemon and Rob Smyth.
Football
8am Matchday live
Yara El-Shaboury helms our essential gateway to all the day’s football action as the Premier League returns in force with seven fixtures on Saturday. There’ll be team news and breaking stories from around the grounds as well as a look ahead to the day’s full Championship and lower-leagues programme, plus anticipating Celtic and Rangers in action in the Scottish Premiership. Why not join the conversation.
Premier League
12.30pmBurnley v Chelsea live
Taha Hashim hosts our live blog, with Burnley hoping their forward Armando Broja is fit to face his former club Chelsea. The 24-year-old suffered an ankle injury against England and he left Albania’s World Cup qualifier on a stretcher on Sunday. But Broja has trained since Wednesday and the prospects for his return are improving. Burnley go into the game hovering above the relegation zone on goal difference, while Enzo Maresca’s side travel to Turf Moor for the early kick-off with renewed vigour after recording back-to-back victories over Tottenham and Wolves. Will Unwin reports.
Premier League
3pmLiverpool v Nottingham Forest and Wolves v Crystal Palace live
Tim de Lisle is at the controls for our 3pm clockwatch, with events at Anfield and Molineux his focus. The defending champions are down at eighth in the table and haven’t been so off the pace since 22 April 2023. Those seeking omens may consider they won 3-2 at home to Forest that day. Rock-bottom Wolves, meanwhile, will be seeking uplift and a first win of the season under their new manager, Rob Edwards. Andy Hunter reports from Anfield while Ben Fisher is at Molineux.
Rugby union
3.10pm and 5.40pmWales v New Zealand and Ireland v South Africa live
Daniel Gallan is our ringmaster for minute-by-minute coverage of Saturday afternoon’s key autumn internationals. In football, Wales demolished North Macedonia 7-1 in Cardiff on Tuesday to secure a home semi-final in the World Cup playoffs. The task facing the national rugby team, who share the same Vale of Glamorgan hotel as their football counterparts, is far more exacting against the All Blacks at the Principality Stadium. Wales head into the Cardiff clash having squeezed past Japan 24-23 last weekend but New Zealand will be hurting from their 33-19 defeat by England. Andy Bull reports. Later, Ireland have their work cut out against the Springboks in Dublin. South Africa have won all three games so far on tour, defeating Japan, Italy and, in a particularly impressive victory, the Six Nations champions, France. Brendan Fanning reports from the Aviva Stadium.
Premier League
5.30pmNewcastle v Manchester City live
The seemingly unstoppable Erling Haaland looms large over Saturday afternoon’s late game, the City striker poised to surpass local hero Alan Shearer’s record for the quickest player to claim 100 goals in the Premier League should he score at St James’ Park. Haaland is in formidable form. He scored twice in 90 seconds as Norway stunned Italy 4-1 during the international break, three days after bagging a rapid double against Estonia. The striker has snared 14 of his 19 goals this season in the Premier League. Eddie Howe’s team, by contrast, are struggling after two league defeats in a row. Scott Murray covers the action minute by minute online, with Louise Taylor reporting.
Sunday
NWSL final
1amWashington Spirit v Gotham FC live
Eighth-placed Gotham FC meet second-placed Washington Spirit for the National Women’s Soccer League trophy. Both US teams have won the NWSL title once: the Spirit in 2021 and Gotham two years later. Beau Dure has minute-by-minute coverage of the final in San Jose.
First Ashes Test
2.20amAustralia v England live
James Wallace and Rob Smyth are on hand to cover all the first Ashes Test action with over-by-over commentary of day three from Perth.
Formula One
4amLas Vegas Grand Prix live
Even if he cannot win the Formula One title in Las Vegas, McLaren’s Lando Norris could end Max Verstappen’s reign on the same floodlit strip where the Red Bull driver celebrated a fourth successive crown last year. If Verstappen falls too far behind the Briton then McLaren, already constructors’ champions for a second year in a row, will be assured of both titles in the same season for the first time since 1998. The Dutch driver is third overall and 49 points adrift of Norris, with 58 remaining to be won in the last two rounds after Las Vegas. Norris needs to stretch his lead over Verstappen by nine points to ensure the final races of the triple header – Qatar and Abu Dhabi – become a straight title duel between him and his second-placed teammate Oscar Piastri, who is 24 points behind. The Australian could equally take back the overall lead if he wins and Norris fails to score. Beau Dure is the host for lap-by-lap coverage. Giles Richards reports.
Football
8am-2pmMatchday live
John Brewin and Billy Munday pick up the baton of our compelling kickstart to the day’s football programme. They will be looking ahead to Sunday’s Premier League fixtures – Leeds v Aston Villa and Arsenal v Tottenham – as well as the Sheffield derby in the Championship plus Aberdeen v Hearts in Scotland. There’s an extra swirl around the 134th Steel City derby, with both teams slumped in the relegation zone. Wednesday are bottom, with just one win from their first 15 games and on minus 4pts after a deduction, while United have 10pts.
Premier League
2pmLeeds v Aston Villa live
Aston Villa are on a roll and seeking a sixth win in seven Premier League games at Elland Road, a happy hunting ground indeed, as they have lost just one of their last 11 league matches there. That said, Daniel Farke’s team have been beaten only once at home in the league this season, but are coming off consecutive defeats to Brighton and Nottingham Forest, shipping six goals across those two fixtures. Billy Munday hosts our clockwatch, with Jonathan Wilson reporting.
Rugby union
4.10pmEngland v Argentina live
England have lost Jamie George, Ollie Lawrence and Tom Roebuck to injury for Sunday’s autumn climax against Argentina. Steve Borthwick is counting the cost of a bruising 33-19 victory over New Zealand that has seen all three starters ruled out of contention for the Pumas’ visit to Allianz Stadium. The additional absence of the lock Ollie Chessum and the wing Tommy Freeman, who had already been ruled out because of respective foot and hamstring damage, means England’s selection options have dwindled significantly as they look to claim an 11th successive win. Daniel Gallan is your liveblog host. Robert Kitson, Gerard Meagher and Michael Aylwin report from Twickenham.
Premier League
4.30pmArsenal v Tottenham live
There’s always a particular fizz about the north London derby that makes it one of the season’s most compelling local collisions. Arsenal are four points clear at the top of the Premier League, unbeaten in any competition in 14 games, in stark contrast to Spurs. Under their new manager, Thomas Frank, the visitors have lost three of their last seven games and have won only three of their last 10. The alarm bells are ringing at Tottenham. Arsenal, despite a clutch of injuries to key players, have won five of their last six league games against Spurs (drawing the other), and have won the last three in a row, their longest winning sequence against Spurs since a five-game run in the late 80s. Daniel Harris hosts our clockwatch, with David Hytner, Barney Ronay and Ed Aarons reporting from the Emirates Stadium.
American football
6pmNFL week 12 liveblog
Graham Searles’ live blog will bring you every touchdown and more from week 12, featuring crunch encounters between the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts. The Bears and Steelers will both be aiming to hold on to top spot in their respective divisions for another week with victory, but Pittsburgh may struggle if their quarterback Aaron Rodgers is unavailable after fracturing a wrist last Sunday. Kansas City are in the unfamiliar position of likely having to aim for a playoff wild card after losing to Denver. A visit from the 8-2 Colts has the potential to make or break their season.
