This Week in Sport: 9th – 15th December 2019
There is plenty of exciting sport to enjoy this week from around the world. Arsenal face a crucial week in the Premier League, facing both West Ham and Manchester City. Ajax and Valencia play to decide their group in the Champions League. The Toronto Raptors face the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA, where they will face their old star, Kawhi Leonard. The USA takes on the World at the Presidents Cup. The always thrilling World Darts Championships gets underway. The imposing Leinster will host Northampton Saints in the European Rugby Champions Cup in a battle between the top team in the Pro14 and the leading team in the Premiership.
Monday 9th December 8:00PM GMT – Football: West Ham United v Arsenal
In the Premier League, West Ham United host Arsenal at the London Stadium as both teams look for a crucial win.
With one win in the last nine matches, West Ham find themselves hovering just above the relegation zone. Facing a tough schedule to end the year, West Ham need to repeat their upset against Chelsea two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Arsenal are winless since October 6th. Interim manager Freddie Ljungberg will look for his first win following a draw and a loss. Arsenal desperately need a win if they are to stop their decline. This is a vital, unmissable match.
Tuesday 10th December 8:00PM GMT – Football: Ajax v Valencia
Ajax and Valencia face off in a group-deciding match in the Champions League at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.
With Ajax holding a slim two-point lead, it’s all to play for tonight. Ajax wins the group with a victory, or a draw if Chelsea can’t beat Lille. Valencia can take the group with a win, as long as they finish with a better goal difference than Chelsea. Ajax are hoping to match their Semi-final finish from last season. Meanwhile, Valencia look to progress past the group stage for the first time since 2012. Don’t miss this exciting match.
Wednesday 11th December 12:00AM GMT (Thursday 12th) – Basketball: Toronto Raptors v Los Angeles Clippers
Toronto Raptors host the Los Angeles Clippers at Scotiabank Arena for a must-watch NBA clash.
For the second time this season, Kawhi Leonard will face his former team. Both teams go into the fixture as strong contenders in their respective conferences. This will be a gruelling match for Los Angeles, their fourth consecutive on the road. They have also slightly under-performed on the road, adding an extra challenge to this big game. Meanwhile, Toronto have been strong at home, going 9-2 before this game with the Clippers. The Raptors will look to avenge their 98-88 loss to the Clippers last month but can they pull it off?
Thursday 12th December 10:30PM GMT (Wednesday 11th) – Golf: Presidents Cup Day 1
The prestigious biennial Presidents Cup begins at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne.
Tiger Woods will look to lead Team USA to an eighth consecutive title against a team of non-European international golfers. The Presidents Cup pits American golfers against the Rest of the World in a format similar to the Ryder Cup. Woods’ will lead his team from the fairway, a team that includes former world number one Justin Thomas. The International team is captained by legend Ernie Els and features talent like Im Sung-jae and Hideki Matsuyama. With world-class rosters, you won’t want to miss day one which starts with the foursomes.
Friday 13th December 7:00PM GMT – Darts: William Hill World Darts Championship Day 1
The exciting William Hill World Championships get underway at London’s Alexandra Palace.
Get ready for a monumental edition of the PDC World Championships. Five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld, one of the greats of the game, will retire at the tournament’s conclusion. Defending champion Michael van Gerwen begins his title defence in the opening day’s final match. He will face either Jelle Klaasen or Kevin Burness. Van Gerwen comes off his fifth victory at the Players Championship. Also playing on the opening day are Kim Huybrechts and Geert Nentjes as well as Luke Humphries and Devon Petersen. Don’t miss today’s action.
Saturday 14th December 5:15PM GMT – Rugby Union: Leinster Rugby v Northampton Saints
Leinster look to stay perfect in the European Rugby Champions Cup as they welcome Northampton to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
Leinster will aim to go 4-0 as they play their reverse pool stage fixture with Northampton. Last weekend, the Irish giants dominated the English side 43-16. Leinster have remained one of the best clubs in European rugby, a challenge for any side. Northampton are 2-1 in the competition and will look for a reversal of fortune following last week. The Saints will turn to Daniel Biggar, whose kicking has been near perfect. Northampton will have to show a marked improvement to make this the tense, must-watch match that everyone is hoping for.
Sunday 15th December 4:30PM GMT – Football: Arsenal v Manchester City
Arsenal and Manchester City face off in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium in London.
Arsenal will look to end the week strong against Manchester City after matches against West Ham and Standard Liège. Arsenal is a team looking for stability following a poor start to the season and a coaching change. Meanwhile, Manchester City look to bounce back after a tough 2-1 loss in the Manchester Derby. However, City can focus on Arsenal, having already won their Champions League group with a game to spare. Both teams need this domestic win, making for a fantastic end to the week.
Other sports highlights from around the globe
Honourable mentions around the globe go to The Varsity Match. Oxford University face rivals Cambridge for their annual rugby match. Another rivalry match comes in college football. Army and Navy play the 120th edition of the Army-Navy Game. There is a lot of NBA action to enjoy - the Philadelphia 76ers face both the Denver Nuggets and rivals the Boston Celtics. Lebron meets his former team as the Miami Heat meet the Los Angeles Lakers. For cricket fans, Pakistan and Sri Lanka begin the first Test in their series in Rawalpindi and Australia and New Zealand start their series with the first Test in Perth. Additionally, India and the West Indies play their third T20I and the first ODI. The World Rugby Sevens Series moves to Cape Town for the South Africa Sevens. Elsewhere, Saracens are set to face Munster in the European Rugby Champions Cup and Exeter will host Sale in the same competition. In the Champions League, Chelsea face Lille with a chance to progress to the knockout stages. In the NFL, there are vital games as the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans face the Houston Texans.
A week of world class sport awaits. Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Premier League, UEFA, NBA, President Cup, PDC Darts, Leinster Rugby, Manchester City
Written and information correct on 8th December at 10pm GMT