There is plenty to look forward to this week for all you UAE sports fans. Arsenal and Manchester City round-off this week's Premier League action before a festive feast of football in England on Boxing Day and some of the whackiest fancy dress costumes in production will be on show at the darts in London. Here is The National's guide to the best live action.
Premier League: Arsenal v Man City, midnight, Monday, beIN Sports
Second-place Arsenal face third-place Manchester City in the Premier League with each trying to keep pace with Leicester City, who are five points clear at the top of the table. It is not often we recommend you stay up past your bedtime, especially on a school night, but this is one of the rare occasions we think it is totally fine. Whatever the outcome, it will be Claudi Ranieri's unheralded Leicester who sit at the summit come Christmas Day.
More Premier League
Read more: Richard Jolly on Leicester City and their resolute rejection of realism
Read more: Greg Lea on Yohan Cabaye, Crystal Palace and the rise of the Premier League's middle class
Cricket: New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Second Test, Day 4, Monday, 1.30am, OSN Sports Cricket
Seen as how you are already wide-awake having watched the football, why not flick over to the other side tosee the cricket? The hosts were 142 for five at the close of play on Day 3 at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday, needing another 47 runs to sweep the two match series.
Cricket
Read more: Osman Samiuddin on the West Indies and their shambolic new normal
Read more: MCL Cricket: Osman Samiuddin on the stars aligning with the six MCL club's at the league's first auction in Dubai
Read more: Osman Samiuddin talks with Shoaib Akhtar about whether Mohammad Amir deserves another shot
Darts: PDC Darts World Championship, until January 4, 11pm starts, OSN Sports 1
The finest arrows on the planet battle it out at London’s Alexandra Palace bidding to dethrone Scotland’s 2015 world champion Gary Anderson and claim the £250,000 winner’s cheque. With catchy nicknames like “Bully Boy” (Michael Smith), “The Power” (Phil Taylor), and “Mighty Mike” (Michael van Gerwen) taking aim and a boisterous crowd in some of the finest fancy dress known to man, it will be well worth a watch.
Premier League: Full programme, Saturday (Boxing Day), coverage starts at 4.45pm, BeIN Sports
By now you are probably just coming out of your Turkey coma and the brussel sprouts have just about worked their way through your digestive system. The kids have not been to sleep as they stayed up all night to play with the new toys Santa Claus brought them the day before. It’s time for some much-need “R and R”. Enjoy a festive feast of Premier League football starting from 4.45pm as Manchester United travel to Stoke City with United manager Louis van Gaal confessing fears over his job safety following Saturday’s defeat at home to Manchester United. Other tantalising ties include league leaders Leicester City travelling to Anfield to take on Liverpool (7pm) and Guus Hiddink’s first game in his second caretaker spell in charge of Chelsea pits him against Watford (7pm).
More Premier League
Read more: Can Louis van Gaal go on? Manchester United now ponder a 'confirmation' loss
Read more: Richard Jolly on Leicester City and their resolute rejection of realism
Read more: Greg Lea on Yohan Cabaye, Crystal Palace and the rise of the Premier League's middle class
Cricket: Boxing Day Tests: Australia v West Indies, second Test, 3.30am, OSN Sports 1; South Africa v England, first Test, noon, Ten Cricket
Cricket. Loads and loads of cricket. So much cricket there are barely enough channels in which to watch it all. West Indies probably could not get much worse than their schlacking in the first Test defeat at Hobart this month, going down by an innings and 212 runs to their hosts. The second Test takes place in Melbourne. England look to strike while the iron is hot as they face South Africa in the first Test in Durban with the Proteas having recently suffered a first Test series defeat on the road in over a decade to India.
Read more: Osman Samiuddin on the West Indies and their shambolic new normal
Read more: Osman Samiuddin on the stars aligning with the six MCL club's at the league's first auction in Dubai
Read more: Osman Samiuddin talks with Shoaib Akhtar about whether Mohammad Amir deserves another shot
And don’t forget!
Tennis: Buy tickets for Mubadala World Tennis Championship, December 31 to January 2
What better way to work off that Christmas dinner on Friday than watching six of the world’s top 15 men’s tennis players in action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship at the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City? Rafael Nadal, pictured, and Stanislas Wawrinka are on course to meet in the final after the pair were kept apart in the draw at Yas Mall last month. Taking place from December 31 to January 2, MWTC will see six of the world’s best tennis players contending for the title in Abu Dhabi. Tickets are available and range from Dh50 for children age 2-12 to Dh1,400 for a premier package.
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