Huge UAE clashes, Premier League, Italian GP: The big Gulf News weekend sports preview

Dubai: From cricket in Dubai to big football fixtures and global sporting showdowns, there is no shortage of action to look forward to this weekend.

With plenty happening both at home and abroad, we’ve rounded up all the key events, fixtures and storylines you need to know about in our weekend preview.

The biggest game of the DP World Women’s T20 Asia Cup takes place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday night, with India and Pakistan renewing one of cricket’s fiercest rivalries.

Thousands of fans are expected to pack the stands, with the UAE home to huge Indian and Pakistani expat communities and previous meetings between the sides producing an electric atmosphere in Dubai.

The rivalry has also been heavily tilted in India’s favour, with the two sides having met 17 times in T20 internationals and India winning 14, while India have also won five of their previous six Women’s Asia Cup meetings.

Yet history tends to go out the window when these two neighbours meet, with the occasion, passion and pressure making Saturday’s clash one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the tournament.

We’ve got another weekend of football as the Premier League enters Gameweek 3, with a number of big fixtures on the schedule.

Liverpool kick off the action on Friday night when they travel to Ipswich, but the standout clash comes on Sunday as Arsenal host Chelsea.

Both sides have won their opening two games and are already being tipped as potential title challengers, making this an early test of their credentials.

There is also a top-of-the-table showdown in the UAE, with Shabab Al Ahli hosting Al Jazira on Saturday. Both sides have won their opening three ADNOC Pro League matches and sit level on nine points, setting up a mouth-watering clash at the top of the table.

F1 heads to Monza this weekend for the Italian Grand Prix with the championship race beginning to tighten up.

Kimi Antonelli remains at the top of the standings, but his advantage has been cut short after Lando Norris claimed back-to-back victories in Hungary and the Netherlands, with the McLaren driver now emerging as a serious threat.

Antonelli arrives at his home race with a 59-point lead over George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, but will start from the back of the grid due to an engine penalty, adding another twist to an increasingly fascinating title battle.

Sports fans have plenty to look forward to in tennis as the US Open reaches the business end of the tournament, with the third round taking place across Friday and Saturday before the Round of 16 begins on Sunday.

Carlos Alcaraz faces China’s Wu Yibing, while Aryna Sabalenka takes on Kamilla Rakhimova as both defending champions continue their title defences. Jessica Pegula also faces a tough test against Leylah Fernandez, with Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff among the other big names in action.

One of the weekend’s most intriguing clashes sees fan favourite Alexandra Eala take on American teenager Iva Jovic, with the rising Filipino star looking to continue her impressive run in New York after reaching the third round for the first time.