The weekend began with an exciting match on Friday night as West Ham faced off against Wolves, a game that could potentially leave Tottenham fans anxious about the relegation zone or leave Hammers supporters disappointed if they fail to triumph against the league’s bottom team. Emillia Hawkins will analyze the match and provide insights as we approach a Saturday filled with crucial promotion and relegation battles as the English Football League season heads toward its conclusion. Your thoughts can be sent to matchday.live@theguardian.com.
The opening round of the Easter games was quite eventful, yielding only three victories due to some impressive defensive performances. Tanya Aldred will be at Old Trafford, observing whether Lancashire, led by Jimmy Anderson, can overcome their recent setback against Northants, where they were denied a win by the opposing team’s last pair surviving 15 overs and three balls. Derbyshire will be their opponents. Tanya will keep an eye on the action across all venues and the weather conditions as well. Feel free to share your thoughts with Tanya or comment in the section below.
The highlight of the racing season has arrived, and Tony Paley will guide you through the happenings at Aintree, with John Brewin covering the main event. Greg Wood and Sean Ingle will provide live updates from the racecourse, and Greg has prepared a comprehensive guide to the Grand National contenders for those looking to place informed bets. Notably, last year’s champion, Nick Rockett, will not be defending his title due to health issues, which may open the door for I Am Maximus, the 2024 winner and last year’s runner-up, to seize the opportunity.
In Premier League news, the current leaders bounced back from recent cup disappointments with a 1-0 victory in Lisbon against Sporting on Tuesday. Despite concerns about their performance, they have the chance to extend their lead to 12 points with a win. Conversely, if Andoni Iraola’s team manages to replicate their 2-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium from last May, Manchester City would find themselves trailing by nine points, albeit with two games in hand and a home match against Mikel Arteta’s squad still to come. Barry Glendenning will cover the live action, while Ed Aarons and Paul MacInnes report from the venue.
If Millwall falters against West Brom on Friday night, it could pave the way for Coventry to secure their return to the Premier League after a 25-year absence. Regardless of the outcome at the Hawthorns, Frank Lampard’s team could almost guarantee their promotion by defeating the already-relegated Sheffield Wednesday in one of the early matches. Bromley, too, has the potential to ascend from League Two, but may need assistance from the 3 PM kickoffs to ensure their promotion, even with a victory at MK Dons. Meanwhile, Northampton faces a dire situation in League One. In the Premier League’s afternoon matches, Burnley must overcome Brighton’s slim chances for European qualification to retain any hope of survival, while Brentford and Everton are vying for a win in their encounter, with Champions League qualification still within reach. In Scotland, Hearts must triumph over Motherwell to maintain their lead, which has dwindled to one point, while Celtic aims to bolster their title aspirations against St Mirren. Andy McGrath will guide you through all the action.
The reigning world champions and Six Nations victors, who have dominated for the past seven years, will kick off their campaign against Ireland at Twickenham. Daniel Gallan will cover all the tries and kicks live, with Sarah Rendell reporting from southwest London. John Mitchell’s squad has undergone significant changes since their World Cup final victory over Canada last September due to retirements, injuries, and other circumstances, but Ellie Kildunne, a runner-up for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award, hopes to maintain her scoring prowess.
Arne Slot’s struggling champions last celebrated a league victory on February 28, marking only three matches without a win, and they have faced a tumultuous week, being eliminated by Manchester City in the FA Cup while narrowly escaping defeat at PSG in the Champions League. Fulham is also on the edge of the European qualification race. Could Harry Wilson score a decisive goal upon his return to Anfield? Rob Smyth will provide minute-by-minute updates, with Andy Hunter reporting from Merseyside.
As the clocks have changed, the arrival of spring in the sporting world is signified by the blooming of Augusta National. While some players may already be heading home after not making the cut by Friday night, the beautiful Georgia weather makes it a pleasant place to be, even for those ending their time there on a disappointing note. Scott Murray will expertly guide you through moving day, joined by Ewan Murray and Andy Bull among the patrons.
Tyson Fury, never one to shy away from the spotlight, returns to the ring for the fifth time, 15 months after his second defeat by Oleksandr Usyk. Thirteen years after his initial retirement announcement, Fury will step back into the ring to face the Russian/Dagestani fighter Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Alex Reid will provide detailed coverage of the match, while Donald McRae reports from ringside.
Regardless of West Ham’s performance against Wolves on Friday night, Tottenham faces a significant challenge on Sunday as they visit Sunderland under the guidance of their new manager, Roberto De Zerbi. The Italian returns to the Premier League after a mixed tenure at Marseille and is now tasked with helping Spurs avoid relegation, having signed a five-year contract. Dominic Booth will cover the buildup to this match and others throughout the day, examining the highs and lows of Saturday’s events. You can share your opinions by emailing matchday.live@theguardian.com.
In the first round of matches, Essex emerged as the sole winner in Division One, securing an innings victory over Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. This week, the early league leaders will host Somerset…
