Andrew McDermott 
The race for the Premier League hots up on Friday night when the top two teams in the Championship meet in south Wales. Norwich lead the way as they seek an immediate return to the Championship but have failed to score in their last three games in all competitions.
Snooker fans were among the first to enjoy a flagship event in 2021 as one of the sport’s prestigious ‘triple crown’ events – the Masters – took place in January. Attention now turns to another: the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in April, where the planet’s best snooker players will go head to head for the final time this season.
Everton are enjoying an impressive season in the Premier League and a favourable draw could also have them dreaming of FA Cup success. The Toffees are again at home to Championship opposition from South Yorkshire and are expected to put out a strong side as they return to action after a 12-day break.
After a challenging 2020 which saw many of the biggest tournaments cancelled or heavily revised to prevent the spread of Covid-19, players and fans alike will be hoping for a return to normality in terms of eSports 2021. We have broken down the main events confirmed for each of the major eSports this year.
Birmingham boss Aitor Karanka could badly do with a positive result to ease the pressure on him as he prepares to return to his former club Middlesbrough on Saturday. Blues have taken just one point from their last six league games and are only four points clear of the relegation zone.
Crawley are in fine form in League Two and will not be short of confidence as they look to cause an FA Cup upset by beating Leeds. The Red Devils have climbed into the play-off places thanks to an eight-match unbeaten run but we’re not convinced they have the quality to get past Marcelo Bielsa’s men.
Chorley may be missing out on a meeting with Wayne Rooney but now have a realistic shot at reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup. A Covid-19 outbreak at Derby this week means the entire first-team squad and coaching staff are self-isolating, with their squad set to feature Under-23 and Under-18 players.
Bournemouth ended 2020 with two successive away games and start the new year on their travels once again as they head to promotion rivals Stoke. The Cherries lost 2-1 at Brentford on Wednesday but are still three points clear of the seventh-placed Potters, plus they have a game in hand.
With the NFL post-season beginning in early January, we have analysed every previous one since the current format was established back in 2002 to understand what might happen this time around on the road to Super Bowl LV.
Celtic are enduring a miserable season and will crash out of the Europa League regardless of how they get on in their final match in Group H. The Hoops have only picked up one point from their first five games and have nothing but pride to play for, although Neil Lennon will be desperate to ease his job worries.
Manchester City have already won their Champions League group and Pep Guardiola will rotate his squad for the visit of Marseille. City have already picked up 13 points from their first five matches, with last week’s goalless draw at Porto ensuring there is nothing at stake for the hosts in their final match.
Tottenham have already qualified for the knockout stage of the Europa League but top spot in Group J is up for grabs when they host Royal Antwerp. However, only a win for Spurs will ensure they finish first and avoid the sides which will drop into the competition from the Champions League.
Second place in Champions League Group A is up for grabs when RB Salzburg host Atletico Madrid in what could be one of the most exciting ties in the final round of matches. Atletico have a two-point advantage over their hosts and will qualify if they avoid defeat in Austria, with Salzburg knowing they must win.
Group E is done and dusted in the Champions League and there is nothing at stake when Chelsea end their impressive campaign by hosting Krasnodar. The Blues have already secured top spot in the group thanks to a four-match winning run, while Krasnodar are guaranteed to finish third.