Five sporting events to watch this week
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We’re ready to kick-off the week with a few dates to fill your sporting diary over the next seven days. We’ve got some midweek Premier League action, European Tour Golf, plus Horse Racing to take you past the post at the weekend too.
We’ve tried to break it all down for you so that you’ve got your sport all in one place. We’ve hand-picked a few events worth keeping tabs on over the coming days…
Premier League
Teams are moving up and down the table like a yo-yo right now. And the games keep on coming this week with move movement at the top and bottom of the Premier League standings pending with six games to look forward to.
On Monday, the action comes from the Emirates Stadium with Arsenal v Newcastle United as both sides aim to return to winning ways.
The Gunners can sneak into the top half of the table with a win, whereas Steve Bruce’s side can move to within two points of their opponents with victory away from home.
On Tuesday, West Brom will be eying up back-to-back wins when they travel to West Ham United as 24/5 underdogs. Later that evening, the race for the top four takes the stage with Leicester v Chelsea.
Later in the week, it’s Manchester City v Aston Villa, Fulham v Manchester United, before Liverpool v Burnley at Anfield on Thursday.
On Saturday, Aston Villa v Newcastle blows the whistle on our week of Premier League matches.
Abu Dhabi Golf Championship
The European Tour tees off its 2021 campaign with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Friday.
This year, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas headline the field with many of the top Europeans also ready to make their first starts of the new year in the desert.
Rory McIlroy starts as 13/2 favourite having played this event eight times since 2010. He’s finished second or third in seven of them, but he’s still searching for that first win.
Justin Thomas (7/1) and Tyrrell Hatton (12/1) are next in the field with Matthew Fitzpatrick a 14/1 shot having secured a top-three finish in his last two events.
The 2017 and 2018 winner Tommy Fleetwood is 14/1 to win in Abu Dhabi with defending champion Lee Westwood 33/1 to go all the way again this year.
Cricket
The second Test between Sri Lanka and England gets underway on Friday with Joe Root’s tourists aiming to wrap up a series victory in Galle.
England recorded a comfortable seven-wicket win in the first test and will look to build on their solid performance before the ODI series.
Can captain Root shine once again with the bat? Will Dan Lawrence build on his impressive test debut? And can Dom Bess and Jack Leach star with the ball in the second Test? England are 10/11 to win.
That’s not all, we’ve got T20 action from the Big Bash League in Australia too, including a top of the table clash from Adelaide Oval for Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder on Friday.
Clarence House Chase
A new year’s racing at Ascot gets underway on Saturday with a bumper afternoon of jumps featuring the 15:35 Matchbook Clarence House Chase.
This race attracts some of the most elite two-mile chasers to give us an indication to the Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase.
There’s also a bunch of other UK and Irish cards to saddle up to, plus international races from France, USA, South Africa, Australia.
FA Cup
Will there be any shock results in the FA Cup fourth round? There is potential for a lot of lower league clubs to make a name for themselves, plus Manchester United v Liverpool at Old Trafford.
On Saturday, West Ham host Doncaster Rovers from League One and Manchester City travel to Cheltenham Town from League Two. Pep Guardiola’s side kick-off as 5/2 favourites win the FA Cup.
On Sunday, the two most successful clubs in English football go head-to-head with twelve-time winners Manchester United 31/20 favourites to beat Liverpool (13/8).
We’ve got Chelsea v Luton Town and Fulham v Burnley playing for a place in the FA Cup fifth round too.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication.
