Singapore GP, tasty Tests and the Premier League’s return – follow with us

New Zealand’s proud record at Eden Park – a 53-match unbeaten streak against all comers – is under threat as the hosts face in-form Australia at their Auckland fortress. Still shaken by a 3-1 series loss to South Africa, the battered and bruised All Blacks will strive to rebound in the opening Bledisloe Cup Test against a Wallabies side unbeaten in six matches and brimming with energy after a spellbinding victory over the Springboks. Les Kiss has made an impression since succeeding Joe Schmidt in July, racking up four wins and a draw. A 42-38 upset of the world champions in Perth two weeks ago showcased a measured Wallabies gameplan, built on a solid set-piece, careful game management from scrum-half Ryan Lonergan and successful contesting of high kicks. Follow the action with our live blog.

Football

8am (all times BST)Matchday live

After an interminable three-week international break, the Premier League returns with a tremble in its hitherto cocky stride as fallout from the Manchester City scandal continues to spread its toxicity among the elite. Enzo Maresca’s side face the music at Anfield on Sunday but before then there’s plenty of tasty clashes to keep blog host David Tindall on his toes. Manchester United and Tottenham badly need a win when they meet at Old Trafford, while Arsenal aim to bounce back at home to Leeds after a rare defeat. There’s also Aston Villa v Brentford, Chelsea v Bournemouth, Ipswich v Fulham and Sunderland v Brighton brushing off the dust on Saturday. For updates and good vibes, join the conversation by sending your thoughts to matchday.live@theguardian.com. 

Cricket

8.30amSouth Africa v Australia live

Australia began a daunting 12-month stretch with a three-Test series against South Africa at Kingsmead on ⁠Friday, before tours of India and England next year and the defence of their ODI World Cup title. Having not won a Test ⁠series in England since 2001, India since 2004 and South Africa since 2014, the ​Baggy Greens face one of their toughest ‌assignments in recent years. Join us for our live blog, with Geoff Lemon reporting on the second day in Durban. 

Formula One

10am & 2pmSingapore GP sprint race and qualifying live

George Russell needs to throw everything he can at stopping – or just delaying – Kimi Antonelli’s title charge. That won’t be easy from the back of the grid. The Briton was third, with Mercedes teammate Antonelli ahead of him in second, when his power unit packed in during the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, leaving him with a penalty this week for an engine change. He made a good start on Friday by setting the fastest time in practice and must hope to make an impact in the final sprint race of the season as well as qualifying. Russell and his rivals will have an unusual daylight race on the streets of the city state, before the typical night race on Sunday. Philip Cornwall steers the live blog, with Giles Richards reporting.

Horse racing

12pmFuture Champions weekend live

Greg Wood is under starter’s orders to live blog the second day of Newmarket’s big autumn meeting. Top of the bill is the Darley Dewhurst Stakes (3pm), with Godolphin’s Desert Castle pitted against Coolmore’s Darkness Falls. The Charlie Appleby-trained mount made his debut at Newmarket in August when the word was clearly out as he was an odds-on winner. Aidan O’Brien’s Darkness Falls represents a stiffer rival, but his best furlong was his last over a mile-and-one at Leopardstown and Desert Castle should have too much speed. Also the Ian Williams-trained Beylerbeyi is aiming to be the first back-to-back winner of the Cesarewitch Handicap (3.40pm) over two and a quarter miles. Earlier, Boiling Point will seek a second victory of the season for Karl Burke in the Darley Stakes (1.15pm). A Listed winner at Goodwood in May, he should dominate in a small field.

Premier League

12.30pmArsenal v Leeds live

Arsenal are aiming to strike back when Leeds visit the Emirates in Saturday’s early kick-off. A perfect start to the campaign for the defending champions ended dramatically with a 3-0 defeat at Brighton in their last outing. The visitors, fifth in the table, can gauge their progress under Daniel Farke following heavy 5-0 and 4-0 defeats by the Gunners last season. The Yorkshire club sit three points behind Mikel Arteta’s hosts and are one of only five unbeaten clubs after five games. Barry Glendenning helms the blog with Paul MacInnes reporting.

Football

3pmClockwatch

Sarah Rendell keeps the updates flowing from the four mid-afternoon kickoffs, with Chelsea v Bournemouth front and centre of the live blog. Marco Rose’s winless side head to Stamford Bridge lying 17th, with three draws and two defeats from their first five matches. To add to his burden, the Cherries will be missing Alex Scott. Their star midfielder faces up to two months out with a thigh injury he suffered on England duty. Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea, who stand 10th and with the Premier League’s highest goals against total of 12, are looking to end their three-match winless run in all competitions against a side whom they remain unbeaten in their past nine top-flight meetings.

Premier League

5.30pmManchester United v Tottenham Hotspur live

Spurs have had a lamentable start to the season; United not much better. Tottenham sit rock bottom of the table, with just two points. A team assembled for the princely sum of £300m are playing like paupers. Surely the only way is up for Roberto De Zerbi and his torpid team? After keeping clean sheets against Nottingham Forest and Everton, Aston Villa ripped their defence apart last time out. United, meanwhile, have five points from their opening five games – their joint fewest at this stage of a Premier League season and hardly the start expected under Michael Carrick after their barnstorming finish last season. United are without a win in their past three Premier League games. Scott Murray brings the noise, with Jamie Jackson and John Brewin reporting from Old Trafford.

Sunday

Football

8amMatchday live

Tom Bassam expects to be kept busy on Sunday morning, providing all the build up to a day of weighty action. Yes, the 4.30pm Premier League kick-off at Anfield tops the bill, but there’s plenty of intrigue on offer elsewhere as Crystal Palace meet Nottingham Forest and Hull face Everton. There’s a tantalising local match-up in the Championship with the midday Southcoastico as Southampton host Hampshire neighbours Portsmouth. In the Scottish Premiership, Celtic travel to Motherwell’s Fir Park. The Steelmen lost their three matches before the international break against Dundee, Aberdeen and Rangers, while the visitors matched them by losing back-to-back matches against Rangers on either side of a defeat to Ferencvaros in the Europa League. Martin O’Neill’s side are desperately looking over their shoulders with Rangers closing the gap to two points at the top of the table. Email matchday.live@theguardian.com with your views.

Cricket

8.30amSouth Africa v Australia live

Rob Smyth and James Wallace pick up the live blog baton for day three of the first Test.

Formula One

1pmSingapore Grand Prix live

Max Verstappen’s victory from pole, with fastest lap, at last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia came 16 races into F1’s new rules era ⁠and exceeded expectations for those who doubted ⁠the British-based team could match Mercedes and Ferrari by building one of the most complex power units in motorsport history from scratch. Sepang was also the first pole of 2026 achieved by a car not powered by a Mercedes engine. Mercedes have won 11 of the 16 races, Ferrari and McLaren two each. Audi and returning Honda are still far off the pace. There is hope then for the Red Bulls that the corner has been turned after months of frustration. Daniel Harris tracks the action, lap by lap, with Giles Richards reporting.

Premier League

2pmClockwatch

What kind of reception awaits Oliver Glasner on his return to Sellhurst Park – hostile or huggy? The Austrian flounced out of Crystal Palace at the end of last season, only to turn up at a club with a revolving door of managers in Nottingham Forest. After winning the FA Cup, the Community Shield and the Conference League while at the helm in south London, there was bemusement among Eagles fans when his next stop turned out to be the City Ground. After Steve Cooper’s exit in December 2023, Forest churned through four managers before Glasner’s arrival. The hosts have lost both of their Premier League games at Selhurst Park this season while the visitors have only lost one of their last seven away league games. Also on John Brewin’s blog radar is Hull against Everton, an enticing clash of eighth versus seventh, with the visitors unbeaten in their past five games. 

Premier League

4.30pmLiverpool v Manchester City

Batten down the hatches: City’s first game back after an international window dominated by the guilty verdict in the club’s long-running case with the Premier League arrives. It just had to be at Anfield. City have long considered a trip to Liverpool the most fearsome away game of the season. It just got even tougher, with Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and the rest likely entering a cauldron of fury and indignation. Liverpool might consider themselves the team who suffered most from the slew of City’s financial misdemeanours between 2009 and 2018. Under Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool won the Premier League in 2020 but also finished second to Pep Guardiola’s City by one point in both 2019 and 2022. So expect indignant Liverpool fans to be seething inside and outside of Anfield. Rob Smyth helms the blog with David Hytner, Andy Hunter and Will Unwin our reporting team. 

American football

6pmNFL live

Gridiron fanatics are rapidly latching on to Graham Searles’ weekly live blog covering the best of Sunday evening’s NFL action. In addition to the five 6pm kickoffs, he’ll be covering the San Francisco 49ers v Seattle Seahawks later. Games between the Hawks and Niners are typically intense, as the two rivals often compete for NFC West supremacy. The Seahawks came out on top last season, winning a week-18 showdown for the division title and a blowout in the divisional round against the 49ers before winning the Super Bowl on San Francisco’s home field with a raucous celebration in their rival’s locker room. The teams will meet for the first time in the 2026 season when unbeaten San Francisco (4-0) visit Seattle (3-1).