The Grand National, Premier League, World Snooker Championships and more: Complete TV guide to the weekend sport

A bumper weekend of sport awaits for armchair fans.

Pa Sport Staff
Friday 14 April 2023 13:05 BST
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What is the Grand National 2023 and when is it?

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From the Grand National at Aintree to the start of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible, the live sporting action comes thick and fast this weekend.

The push for the Premier League title also continues with Manchester City and Arsenal both in action, while Newcastle and Manchester United look to stay on course for the top four.

So sit back and relax with the remote as the PA news agency provides the essential guide of what to watch and where to catch all of the action.

Saturday

HORSE RACING

Grand National, Aintree – ITV1 1400

All eyes will be on Aintree at 17:15BST for the world’s most famous horse race.

Delta Work, Corach Rambler and Ain’t That A Shame – ridden by Rachael Blackmore – look set to head off among the favourites.

However, could last year’s winner Noble Yeats pull off another memorable win?

Mr Incredible, Gaillard Du Mesnil and Le Milos have also seen some backing, while Any Second Now will carry top weight.

But, as always, with 41 runners declared, it will be anyone’s race on the day – so pinstickers at the ready!

PREMIER LEAGUE

Aston Villa v Newcastle – BT Sport 1 1130; Manchester City v Leicester – Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Premier League 1700

Erling Haaland continued his scoring streak to take his tally to 45 goals as Manchester City beat Bayern Munich 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

It was another record for the Norway frontman, setting a new mark for the most goals scored in a single season by a Premier League player in all competitions.

City will be looking to cut Arsenal’s six-point lead when they return to domestic action on Saturday afternoon against relegation-battlers Leicester, who will have new interim boss Dean Smith in the dugout following his appointment until the end of the season.

Newcastle, meanwhile, face a stern test of their top-four ambitions at in-form Aston Villa, where Eddie Howe’s men will be targeting a sixth straight league win.

SNOOKER

World Championship – BBC Two 1000 & 1630, BBC One 1315; Eurosport 1 1000, 1430 & 1845.

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will take on debutant Pang Junxu when the first round of the World Snooker Championship gets under way at the Crucible in Sheffield on Saturday.

O’Sullivan is seeking what would be a record eighth world title and his match is set to be played to a conclusion during Saturday’s evening session.

Elsewhere, Stuart Bingham, world champion in 2015, plays David Gilbert while 2010 winner Neil Robertson takes on Wu Yize.

Other Highlights:

FOOTBALL: Women’s FA Cup, Manchester United v Brighton – BBC Two 1700; Championship, Sheffield United v Cardiff – Sky Sports Main Event 1200, Blackburn v Hull – Sky Sports Main Event 1945; Serie A, Napoli v Hellas Verona – BT Sport 1 1715, Inter Milan v Monza – BT Sport 3 1945; Ligue 1, Paris St Germain v Lens – BT Sport 4 1945.

CRICKET: Second T20, Pakistan v New Zealand – Sky Sports Cricket 1700; IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Capitals – Sky Sports Cricket 1050, Lucknow Super Giants v Punjab Kings – Sky Sports Cricket 1450, Sky Sports Main Event 1500.

GOLF: PGA Tour, The RBC Heritage – Sky Sports Golf 1330, Sky Sports Main Event 2215.

RUGBY LEAGUE: NRL, Newcastle Knights v Penrith Panthers – Sky Sports Main Event 0830.

RUGBY UNION: Women’s Six Nations, Wales v England – BBC Two 1400; United Rugby Championship, Connacht v Cardiff – S4C 1930; Super Rugby, Hurricanes v Chiefs – Sky Sports Action 0800, NSW Waratahs v Western Force – Sky Sports Action 1030; Currie Cup, Western Province v Toyota Cheetahs – Sky Sports Action 1500.

BOXING: Fight Night, Joe Joyce v Zhilei Zhang – BT Sport 1 1900.

BASKETBALL: NBA play-offs, Philadelphia 76ers v Brooklyn Nets – Sky Sports Arena 1800; Boston Celtics v Atlanta Hawks – Sky Sports Arena 2030

Sunday

PREMIER LEAGUE

West Ham v Arsenal – Sky Sports Premier League 1300, Sky Sports Main Event 1400, Nottingham Forest v Manchester United – Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event 1600

Arsenal will again play after title rivals City this weekend when they travel to West Ham.

The Gunners failed to hold onto a 2-0 lead at Liverpool last Sunday, and could see their advantage down to just three points when they kick off at the London Stadium.

Sunday’s late kick-off sees Manchester United – who also squandered a two-goal advantage in their Europa League tie with Sevilla on Thursday night – head to Nottingham Forest, who are scrapping for points at the other end of the table.

SNOOKER

World Championship – BBC Two 1000 & 1330, Eurosport 1 1000, 1615 & 1845.

Three-time world champion Mark Williams takes to the table at the Crucible on Sunday when he faces Jimmy Robertson.

In the morning, Bingham is set to complete his match against Gilbert, while in the afternoon Neil Robertson also plays the final session of his first-round game.

Ali Carter will finish off his match against Welshman Jak Jones, while Ricky Walden starts his campaign on Sunday evening against Belgium’s Luca Brecel.

RUGBY UNION

Gallagher Premiership, Leicester v Exeter – BT Sport 1 1400, ITV 1430.

After two weeks of European action, Leicester return to domestic matters when they host Exeter at Welford Road.

Having been on the end of a heavy Champions Cup quarter-final defeat at Leinster, the Tigers have their focus on what would be a sixth-straight Gallagher Premiership win.

Exeter, though, booked their place in the European semi-finals with victory over South African side Stormers and will be out to dent Leicester’s push for the Premiership play-offs.

Other Highlights:

FOOTBALL: Serie A, Lecce v Sampdoria – BT Sport 1 1130, Torino v Salernitana – BT Sport 3 1400, Sassuolo v Juventus – BT Sport 3 1700, Roma v Udinese – BT Sport 1 1945; Ligue 1, Lille v Montpellier – BT Sport 2 1200, Brest v Nice – BT Sport 5 1400, Monaco v Lorient – BT Sport 5 1600, Marseille v Troyes – BT Sport 3 1930.

CRICKET: IPL, Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders – Sky Sports Cricket 1050, Gujarat Titans v Rajasthan Royals – Sky Sports Cricket 1450.

GOLF: PGA Tour, The RBC Heritage – Sky Sports Golf 1330, Sky Sports Main Event 1930.

CYCLING: Amstel Gold Race – Eurosport 1 1200.

BASKETBALL: NBA play-offs, Memphis Grizzlies v Los Angeles Lakers – Sky Sports Arena, Sky Sports Mix 2000

BASEBALL: MLB, Toronto Blue Jays v Tampa Bay Rays – BT Sport 4 1830, Houston Astros v Texas Rangers – BT Sport 1 0000 (Mon).

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