Football
Footballing Saturdays don’t come much bigger: an FA Cup semi-final, key clashes in the Premier League relegation battle, the hunt for European places, and a late game that will have a telling impact on the title race. In the Championship, with Millwall having played on Friday evening, Ipswich and Middlesbrough are running for the second automatic promotion spot. In League Two, MK Dons would be promoted with a win against Tranmere. So there’s no better place to start by joining Emillia Hawkins as she helms our unbeatable rolling football blog, offering breaking news and updates from around the grounds plus readers’ thoughts and queries. Why not join the conversation? Email matchday.live@theguardian.com
Cricket
Tanya Aldred keeps the updates flowing, keeping a keen eye on Jimmy Anderson’s progress as Division Two table-toppers Lancashire face Durham. At Headingley, Yorkshire offer a warm embrace to their returning England luminaries Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow as they seek a first win of the season against Paul Farbrace’s in-form Sussex. Surrey can call on their international teammate as Gus Atkinson appears for the first time this season in their match against Essex at the Oval.
Premier League
With Aston Villa – alongside Manchester United and Liverpool – on course to secure Champions League football next season, the side that finish sixth could still qualify for Europe’s top club competition. This gives extra incentive to a clutch of clubs from Brighton, in sixth spot, all the way down to Fulham, in 12th. For that to happen, Villa would need to win the Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League. That said, the home side have failed to score in four of their past five Premier League matches, while Unai Emery’s visitors are still buzzing from their 4-3 win over Sunderland. Tim de Lisle keeps track of the action, while Ben Bloom reports from Craven Cottage.
Women’s Six Nations
The signs are bleak for visitors Wales at Ashton Gate: last time out, the world champions set aside the absence of 10 players due to injury or pregnancy to run in 12 tries en route to a 35th consecutive Test victory. The 84-7 demolition of Scotland at Murrayfield set an ominous tone for the Red Roses’ title defence. Wales, by stark contrast, are without a win in 10 starts after losing to France 38-7 last weekend at the Arms Park. Daniel Gallan hosts the blog as Sarah Rendell reports from Bristol.
Premier League
Tottenham desperately need a win at relegated Wolves to restore hope that they can avoid dropping down to the second tier for the first time in nearly 50 years. Now under Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs are still winless in the Premier League since December after conceding a late goal in last weekend’s draw with Brighton. At 18th in the table, they are two points from safety with five games left. In 17th spot, West Ham host Everton, whose hopes of booking a European place dealt a blow after losing the derby to Liverpool. There’s the added frisson at the London Stadium as David Moyes returns to his former patch, and the Hammers must wonder how different their outlook would be now had the Scot not departed two years ago. Barry Glendenning keeps the updates flowing.
FA Cup semi-final
In-form Southampton will temporarily set aside their promotion push to upset the Premier League leaders at the national stadium following a shock 2-1 quarter-final success over Arsenal. Southampton’s trip to Wembley comes 50 years after the club lifted the FA Cup thanks to a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the 1976 final. Tonda Eckert has helped propel the Saints to fourth in the Championship after succeeding Will Still in November when the south-coast club were 21st, having won only two of 13 matches. Scott Murray is at the controls of our live blog with Jamie Jackson and John Brewin our reporting team at Wembley.
Premier League
Arsenal can reclaim the Premier League summit this weekend as Manchester City focus on the FA Cup. Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have watched their imposing nine-point lead evaporate, with Pep Guardiola’s City top on goals scored. The sceptics are proclaiming this match as Arsenal’s last chance, with the two frontrunners locked together on 70 points with five games left. City, who have scored three more goals than Arsenal, have never failed to win the title having led after 33 games or more in the Premier League. The Gunners, who lost 2-1 at the Etihad last weekend, can return to the top with a win or a draw at home against Newcastle. Serial runners-up Arsenal have the easier run-in on paper but must shrug off their recent collapse to put the pressure back on City. Newcastle have lost eight of their past 11 top-flight matches. Rob Smyth hosts the live blog with David Hytner reporting from the Emirates Stadium.
Football
Our compelling blog looks forward to another big day of football action, with John Brewin, fresh from Wembley, at the wheel. Top of the bill is the FA Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Leeds (anyone still remember their gigantic, replayed tussle of 1970?). Plus in the Championship, freshly crowned Coventry meet north Wales arrivistes Wrexham. In the Scottish Premiership, there’s the latest instalment in a thrilling title race in the Edinburgh derby as Hibs host Hearts. In the women’s game, the Champions League semi-final first leg pits Arsenal against OL Lyonnes and a full Women’s Super League programme.
Atheltics
Yara El-Shaboury has commentary on the elite races and the rest as more than 59,000 runners lace up for the 46th edition of the race. Besides the established pro athletes, thousands of runners of all shapes and sizes hope to raise funds for charities and post a PB over the gruelling 26.2-mile schlep from Greenwich to the Mall. The oldest athlete in this Sunday’s London Marathon is 88-year-old Harry Newton – whose remarkable running journey only started by chance when he was 57. Sean Ingle reports.
Cricket
Tanya Aldred is back at her post to provide updates on day three of the latest round of County Championship fixtures.
FA Cup semi-final
After a torrid week, Chelsea will be desperate for some uplift after sacking Liam Rosenior just four days before facing Leeds. Yet another head coach was sent packing at Stamford Bridge a day after Tuesday’s 3-0 surrender at Brighton sent them spiralling to a fifth straight Premier League defeat and their worst run without scoring since 1912. The west London club are in disarray, managerless for the second time this season having parted company with the 41-year-old Rosenior less than four months after he signed a six-and-a-half-year contract. The Blues’ first-team coach, Calum McFarlane, will take charge until the end of the seasonthough Leeds’s manager, Daniel Farke, suspects that “it could feel like a fresh start for the players”. The Yorkshire club have fared well against Chelsea this season, beating them 3-1 at Elland Road in December before fighting back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Stamford Bridge in February. Rob Smyth buckles up with minute-by-minute coverage as Ed Aarons and Jonathan Wilson report.
Women’s Champions League
The defending champions – emboldened by their quarter-final victory over Chelsea – meet the eight-times winners in a repeat of last season’s semi-final. The Gunners claimed that with a 5-3 win on aggregate. The French club have not won a trophy since 2022 but are a tougher proposition under Jonatan Giráldez and Arsenal, for all their attacking brio, understand they have to raise their game further against the “Queens of Lyon” to have any chance of repeating last season’s stunning triumph. Will Unwin hosts the live blog with Suzanne Wrack reporting from the Emirates Stadium.
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