Premier League action, Champions Day and Dubois v Wardley II – follow with us

The Wallabies are chasing a first Bledisloe Cup win over the All Blacks in Sydney in more than half a decade, a galling 12-match losing streak against their trans-Tasman rivals highlighting the disparity between the sides. The Wallabies last beat their fierce rivals in 2020, ironically under the coaching of the now All Blacks mentor, Dave Rennie. Last Saturday’s 50-19 drubbing in Auckland illustrates the task facing Les Kiss’s chastened side. The Kangaroos’ thrilling Rugby League World Cup win over New Zealand on Thursday night might serve as inspiration, however. Follow the action with our live blog. 

Football

8amMatchday live

Tom Bassam rises early to set the tone for the day’s action and ease football followers into the weekend. Saturday brings five Premier League clashes: Everton v Chelsea, Fulham v Hull, Brentford v Liverpool, Manchester City v Ipswich and Newcastle v Aston Villa. There will also be updates and breaking news from across the Championship – where the day’s big game is Swansea v West Ham – the Scottish Premiership and European leagues, featuring Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Inter. Why not join the conversation by emailing your thoughts to matchday.live@theguardian.com? 

Horse racing

12pmChampions Day live

Another stellar cast assembles for British Champions Day, with Gstaad front and centre in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Having been second best to Bow Echo for so long, Gstaad flourished at the Curragh in the Irish Guineas and can shine again at Ascot. In the Champion Stakes, Calandagan seeks to defend his crown. No horse has been able to better Kalpana in the last two running of the Fillies and Mares Stakes and it is hard to envisage anything stopping her hat-trick bid. Almeraq must surely be hard to beat in the British Champions Sprint, while in the Long Distance Cup, Caballo De Mar, will have plenty of backers against the St Leger winner Highwayman. Victory Gold has enough form in the book to give him claims in the opening British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes, while Hickory is worth a dart in the lucky last, the Balmoral Handicap. Tony Paley giddy-ups the blog, with Greg Wood reporting from the Berkshire track.

Premier League

12.30pmEverton v Chelsea live

Chelsea head to Hill Dickinson Stadium having responded to the 3-0 defeat at Brentford by bludgeoning Bournemouth 5-1. That marked the return of João Pedro, a key player for Xabi Alonso’s Blues, with five goals and three assists this season, though their poor defensive record is a worry. The hosts will be hoping Thierno Barry continues his hot streak after scoring in his past two games. David Moyes’s side are one of only three unbeaten teams, along with the leaders, Manchester City, and Brentford. Scott Murray helms the blog, with Andy Hunter reporting. 

Premier League

3pmClockwatch

Simon Burnton ringmasters the mid-afternoon kick-offs, with two cracking matches to the fore. Liverpool touch down at Brentford with a different kind of momentum after a spectacular 6-3 Champions League victory at Lask in midweek. The night in Austria belonged to Bradley Barcola, whose hat-trick represented his first goals for Liverpool after going scoreless in his opening six appearances for the club. It was a badly needed breakthrough for the 24-year-old and a welcome response from Liverpool after their humbling home defeat by Manchester City three days earlier. Liverpool are ninth in the league on nine points and face a Brentford side sitting a point above them in fourth. Manchester City will ⁠attempt to keep their perfect start rolling at home to Ipswich, with uncertainty over their punishment for financial rule breaches continuing to cast a dark pall over the leaders. Enzo Maresca’s side have won their opening six league games and sit three points clear of Arsenal while their future remains unresolved. They did lose 4-2 at home to Paris Saint-Germain, the Champions League holders, on Wednesday but return to the Etihad Stadium to face an ⁠Ipswich side sitting 10th on nine points.

Premier League

5.30pmNewcastle v Aston Villa live

Newcastle rebounded from last month’s 4-1 hammering at Leeds by overcoming Hull and Matthias Jaissle, their head coach, will be hoping for a similar response against Villa after his side’s damaging setback at Coventry. But their defensive record is troubling and in 2026 only Tottenham (13) have lost more Premier League games than Newcastle’s 12. Villa are also leaking goals galore but Unai Emery’s side banged six past Fenerbahce without reply in midweek. Rob Smyth brings live coverage of the late game, with Louise Taylor reporting from St James’ Park.

Heavyweight boxing

10pmDubois v Wardley II live

Daniel Dubois was knocked down twice in the early rounds when the British heavyweight rivals clashed for the first time in May but recovered to seize control of the fight and force a brutal late stoppage against Fabio Wardley. They meet again at London’s O₂ Arena for the WBO world title. If Dubois wins this, his 27th professional fight, he will set about unifying the heavyweight division by dethroning his rival champions: Agit Kabayel, Filip Hrgovic and Murat Gassiev. Alex Reid blogs the fight round by round, with Donald McRae reporting. 

Sunday

Football

8amMatchday live

Rob Smyth hosts as we build towards Sunday’s big games. Manchester United’s problems are mounting as they make the short trip to Elland Road to face Leeds, desperate to breathe life into a troubled campaign. Arsenal will be determined to stay on Manchester City’s heels at the summit when they travel to the City Ground for a meeting with Nottingham Forest in the late game. Breaking news and vibes from around grounds, plus readers’ observations – Matchday live is the unbeatable gateway to the day’s big stories. Why not join the conversation by emailing your thoughts to matchday.live@theguardian.com? 

Cricket

8.30amSouth Africa v Australia live

Australia made good use of the reversing ball in the fourth innings in Durban, with a similar wicket expected at St George’s Park for the second Test. Reverse swing was, of course, a major talking point on Australia’s last tour of South Africa in 2018, headlined by the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town. In Durban, it was a matter of conditions and Australia playing a rare five-day Test with a red ball on a more docile wicket. We will be picking the up action with over-by-over coverage of the first day’s play.

Women’s Super League

12pmChelsea v Tottenham live

Spurs’ bright start to the campaign ended before the international break thanks to a 6-1 drubbing by London City Lionesses. By contrast, their London rivals are on a roll under Sonia Bompastor, unbeaten in 13 WSL games and with four wins on the spin. Six consecutive clean sheets in all competitions – their longest such run since December 2021 – underline the Blues’ glowing form. Taha Hashim is on the blog, with Suzanne Wrack reporting from Stamford Bridge.

Premier League

2pmLeeds v Manchester United live

Manchester United travel to old rivals Leeds with pressure mounting on Michael Carrick. United are off to their worst league start in 40 years and were plunged further into chaos by the defender Lisandro Martínez’s attack on the club’s hierarchy over a lack of investment in the squad after Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat by Atlético Madrid. The Argentinian pulled no punches despite being one of those most culpable for a miserable start to the campaign for his part in goals conceded to Fulham and Tottenham in recent weeks. United have won just one of their opening six league games and were also dumped out of the League Cup by Brighton. Leeds last beat the Red Devils at Elland Road back in 2002, but did inflict the only home defeat of Carrick’s interim spell in charge last season when the sides met in April. There is no love lost in this footballing War of the Roses and Michael Butler dons heavy armour at the helm of our live blog while Jamie Jackson and Barney Ronay will file reports and analysis.

American football

2.30pmNFL clockwatch

Graham Searles kicks off his compelling live blog of Sunday’s key NFL action with the week six headliner in London. The Houston Texans fly in to face the Jacksonville ⁠Jaguars, but without two injured starters: the running back David Montgomery (groin) and ⁠safety Jalen Pitre (shoulder) ⁠have been ​ruled out. Still, Houston are seeking a fourth win over Jacksonville in their past five meetings and those seeking omens will note the Texans won the only previous match-up in London 26-3 in 2019.

Premier League

4.30pm Nottingham Forest v Arsenal live

Arsenal demolished Lille 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday, but Mikel Arteta’s side have little wriggle room to surrender points if they are to keep pace in the title race. The Gunners sit second on 15 points and visit Forest knowing any slip could allow Manchester City to open a significant early gap. Forest stand 15th with five points and have a frightful home record. Their last league win at the City Ground came in April, a 4-1 defeat of relegated Burnley. Daniel Harris helms the blog, while David Hytner and Jonathan Wilson watch on at the City Ground.