The Premier League is back, just 34 days after the World Cup final, with champions Arsenal already in action on Friday night against Coventry. Saturday brings five more fixtures, with rolling coverage from Cameron Ponsonby and Barry Glendenning. In Scotland, Rangers and Celtic play, and there is a full programme in the Championship. Readers can join the conversation by emailing matchday.live@theguardian.com.
Saturday's cricket and Premier League action
Tanya Aldred reports from Derby, where Ben Stokes' Durham, Division Two leaders, are playing. Surrey face County Championship leaders Nottinghamshire at the Oval, while Somerset host Essex at Taunton, where New Zealand batter Henry Nicholls has impressed on debut. Yorkshire play Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl, bottom-placed Leicestershire meet Glamorgan at Grace Road, and Sussex take on Warwickshire. Kent's Zak Crawley has been in fine form against Middlesex at Merchant Taylors' School, with Worcestershire against Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire versus Lancashire at Old Trafford also on the card.
Premier League action begins at 12.30pm in Hull, where Manchester United face the newly promoted hosts. United, who signed Belgium international Youri Tielemans in the close season, will aim to show last season's resurgence under Michael Carrick was no one-off. Tim de Lisle leads the live blog, with Will Unwin reporting from the MKM Stadium.
Dutch Grand Prix sprint and qualifying
Max Verstappen, with a fresh Red Bull contract, can give his home Dutch Grand Prix a fitting sendoff by becoming Formula One's sixth different winner in six races. The seaside circuit leaves the calendar after this year's race, and a win on Sunday would be bittersweet for the four-time world champion and his orange-shirted supporters. Verstappen has two second places this season, including Hungary, and has been on the podium – three wins and two second places – since the track returned in 2021. Philip Cornwall covers the sprint race and qualifying lap-by-lap, with Giles Richards reporting.
Afternoon football and rugby union
Barry Glendenning's Clockwatch focuses on two key Premier League fixtures. Everton host Crystal Palace, having lost their opening game in each of the past four seasons, while new Palace manager Pierre Sage arrives from Lens with a hoodoo to shrug off – only two of the previous 16 Palace managers have won their first Premier League match. Oliver Glasner, new Nottingham Forest manager, will hope to cope without Elliot Anderson, sold to Manchester City for £116m during the World Cup, though he has won his first league game with four of his five previous clubs.
In rugby union, the All Blacks face South Africa in a four-Test series billed as the Greatest Rivalry. The Springboks, world champions after beating New Zealand in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, are favourites on home soil, but the All Blacks are never underestimated. Daniel Gallan provides minute-by-minute updates from the first Test in Johannesburg.
At 5.30pm, Tottenham travel to Brentford, hoping to forget last season's 17th-place finish. Roberto De Zerbi, who arrived late last season, has been backed in the transfer market, with Manchester City winger Savinho arriving on Friday for £75m, but a consistent goalscorer is missing with Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert all injured. Brentford's club-record £39m signing Mamadou Sangare from Lens promises to be a breakout player. Scott Murray hosts the MBM, with Jacob Steinberg reporting.
Sunday's fixtures and F1 race
Sunday's Premier League action begins with Manchester City at home to Bournemouth, starting a new post-Pep Guardiola era under Enzo Maresca. Key players Rodri, Bernardo Silva and John Stones have departed, and Marco Rose debuts as Cherries head coach after Andoni Iraola left for Anfield. Jamie Jackson reports.
The Dutch Grand Prix sees Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, 50 points clear of Lewis Hamilton, aiming for the team's first Zandvoort win since Juan Manuel Fangio in 1955. The season started with Mercedes winning six straight races, but the past five have had different winners each weekend. McLaren have won the last two Dutch Grands Prix – Norris in 2024 and Piastri in 2025 – and bring the second part of an upgrade introduced in Hungary. Yara el-Shaboury steers lap-by-lap coverage.
Liverpool begin life after Mohamed Salah with new manager Andoni Iraola, travelling to Newcastle, where Matthias Jaissle replaces Eddie Howe and Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon have departed. Before kick-off, the clubs celebrate the life of Kevin Keegan, a man who meant much to both. Michael Butler hosts the live blog, with Louise Taylor and Sam Dalling reporting from St James' Park.
