Antonelli can clinch F1 title in Mexico City as weekend sports coverage spans Premier League to NFL
Kimi Antonelli can secure his first drivers’ championship in Mexico City this weekend if he finishes ninth or better at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, a scenario that will be followed alongside Premier League and NFL action.
The Guardian’s live coverage across the weekend will include minute-by-minute build-up to Saturday’s Premier League fixtures, lap-by-lap reporting from the F1 weekend, and live updates from cricket, rugby and horse racing events; readers are invited to send breaking news and comments to matchday.live@theguardian.com. Billy Munday will lead Premier League build-up coverage, with Tanya Aldred and James Wallace on over-by-over duty for the tri-series in Lahore and Greg Wood covering the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.
On the F1 front, Antonelli needs to finish ninth or better to clinch the title and has achieved a top-nine finish in 16 of the 18 races so far this season; if he does not manage that placing he could still become champion provided neither Lewis Hamilton nor George Russell wins the race. Philip Cornwall will provide lap-by-lap coverage of qualifying and the race build-up, Giles Richards reports from the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, and Beau Dure will also deliver lap-by-lap updates.
Manchester United visit Stamford Bridge where Michael Carrick faces a difficult week as his side travel to Chelsea; Rob Smyth will supply minute-by-minute coverage while Jacob Steinberg and Barney Ronay report from the ground. Elsewhere in the top flight there is a full set of 3pm kick-offs, with Manchester City hosting Brighton among other fixtures.
Tottenham Hotspur host Crystal Palace in a London derby after Spurs have won their last two league games and Palace have lost back-to-back matches; Scott Murray will follow the live action and Ed Aarons will report from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Tom Bassam will cover action across the grounds including Leeds at Bournemouth, Brentford v Nottingham Forest, Coventry v Sunderland and Ipswich at Hull.
In the women’s game, third-placed London City Lionesses host second-placed Manchester City at midday in a fixture that could influence the title race, while Chelsea lead on goal difference going into the weekend and travel to Charlton for the 2.30pm kick-off; Luke McLaughlin provides live updates and Suzanne Wrack reports from the CopperJax Community Stadium in Bromley. In the EFL Cup, Arsenal were stunned by League Two Fleetwood at Highbury and Liverpool edged Chelsea on penalties in the north-west; Daniel Harris is on minute-by-minute duty and David Hytner with Andy Hunter report from the grounds.
The NFL slate includes the last unbeaten team, the Minnesota Vikings, traveling to Detroit to face the Lions with a 6-0 record at stake; the Buffalo Bills host the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns meet the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game noted for its AFC North implications. Graham Searles will cover NFL plays throughout the weekend. In cricket, with England eliminated the top two in the tri-series meet in Lahore after Pakistan won three of four to reach this stage but lost to Sri Lanka at the same ground on Tuesday when Sri Lanka eased to an eight-wicket victory; Taha Hashim reports from the ground and Tanya Aldred and James Wallace provide ball-by-ball coverage. A Test in Cape Town reaches its final day with the series on the line and Geoff Lemon alongside Daniel Gallan will liveblog the conclusion.
Live coverage will continue across the weekend with lap-by-lap reporting of the Mexico City race, minute-by-minute updates from Stamford Bridge and full matchday reporting of Premier League and NFL fixtures; readers can send breaking news, vibes and queries to matchday.live@theguardian.com.
