WEEK AHEAD: It’s the day that most football fans have been thinking about for weeks now, and the long-awaited return of the Premier League is finally upon us.


There is a tiny bit longer to wait before we get stuck into the Premier League fixtures as the first game doesn’t kick-off until Friday, so we start with Monday’s action that comes from The Hundred. Birmingham Phoenix and Welsh Fire get us underway for the week followed by Manchester Originals and London Spirit on Tuesday.

Wednesday has more action from cricket’s new feature with Southern Brave and Welsh Fire doing battle on Sky Sports, while Champions League holders Chelsea and Europa League winners Villarreal face off in the final of the UEFA Super Cup on BT Sport.

While football fans have the Premier League this week, cricket and golf fans are equally treated as they welcome two Test matches and two tournaments on Thursday. The second Test between England and India begins on Sky Sports while day 1 of the West Indies and Pakistan Test also takes place on BT Sport. In the world of golf there is the Wyndham Championship and the English Open both starting. As ever, all four of these events will be shown in full until Sunday and could prove the perfect escapism if the sporting world is too enthralled in Premier League action for your liking.

Friday is where it all begins then, the start of the next ten months of action. Brentford and Arsenal get things started in the 2021/22 season of the Premier League and the stakes have never been higher. They can be seen on Sky Sports at 20:00.

The weekend will certainly see the action from the cricket and golf heating up, while Manchester United and Leeds take the first lunchtime kick-off honours of the season on Saturday, before Norwich and Liverpool get underway later in the afternoon. Newcastle and West Ham are both in action on Sunday as well as what looks to be a thriller as Tottenham welcome Manchester City at 16:30. All eyes will be on who Harry Kane lines up for and whether Jack Grealish will make his debut for Pep Guardiola’s side. It really is not one to be missed.