WEEK AHEAD: We look ahead to another busy week of sporting action including the Australian Open tennis, midweek Premier League and plenty for golf fans!
It’s Wildcard Weekend as the NFL play-offs begin with 14 teams still in with a chance of making the Super Bowl. Early on Tuesday morning catch the final tie of the round, with the Los Angeles Rams on the road to face the Arizona Cardinals, live from 01:00 on Sky Sports. Let the live action carry you through the morning with the final day of the fifth Ashes Test from Hobart (03:30, BT Sport), where England will be looking to salvage some positives from what has been a pretty dismal series for the visitors.
The Premier League gets underway on Tuesday evening, with Burnley v Watford at 19:30, before Chelsea travel to the south coast to take on Brighton at 20:00. Both games are live on BT Sport.
There’s more football on Wednesday evening too. Tottenham will be looking to bounce back from their Carabao Cup exit last week when they face Leicester at the King Power (19:30, BT Sport). Man United take on Brentford for the first time since 1975, a fixture they won 2-1, and Ralf Rangnick will be hoping for another positive result against the Bees (20:00, BT Sport).
The first event of 2022 on the DP World Tour begins at 03:30 (Sky Sports) on Thursday morning, with the players teeing up in the $8 million Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Golf takes centre stage again, as The American Express on the PGA Tour begins, a tournament won last year by South Korean Si Woo Kim. Catch the action live from 17:00 on Sky Sports.
A 10-man Arsenal side held out against Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, meaning we could be set up for fireworks in the reverse fixture, which kicks-off at 19:45 on Sky Sports.
Friday begins with day two of the golf from Abu Dhabi at 03:30, while The American Express continues at 17:00. At 20:00 (Sky Sports) Watford take on Norwich, in what looks likely to be a real relegation scrap.
Golf fans can afford a small lie-in on Saturday, as day three from Abu Dhabi begins at the slightly later time of 05:00. The early kick-off (12:30, BT Sport) in the Premier League looks an interesting clash with Steven Gerrard taking on his old Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, as Villa face Everton. Then there’s an Anglo-Irish class between Bath and Leinster in the European Champions Cup from 13:00, also on BT Sport.
Switch over to Sky Sports for round three from The American Express in California at 16:30, and an hour later Man City are in action against Southampton.
More live European rugby rounds off the day, with Bristol taking on Llanelli-based side Scarlets from 17:30 on BT Sport.
The winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (05:00, Sky Sports) will already be crowned by the time the main sporting program gets started on Sunday afternoon. High-flying Sale take on the Ospreys in the European Champions Cup at 13:00 (BT Sport). In the Premier League there’s Crystal Palace v Liverpool from 14:00 on Sky Sports and then in a re-run of the League Cup semi-final Chelsea host Tottenham at 16:30.
The completion of The American Express (16:30, Sky Sports) from sunny California brings the weekend to a close.
