The last sporting weekend before football enters its international break is a good one, with three huge domestic clashes in Europe taking place along with high-stakes action in the worlds of baseball and Formula 1.
Here's what our editors will be watching.
Saturday, October 4th
Chelsea vs Liverpool - 18:30 CET
The standout Premier League match of the weekend comes on Saturday evening, as Chelsea welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge in a heavyweight clash between two sides licking their wounds after a difficult couple of weeks.
The Blues are on a three-game winless run in the league (D1, L2), leaving them seven points adrift of Arne Slot’s men at the summit after just six matches of the new season.
However, Enzo Maresca’s side will fancy their chances of getting back on track against an out-of-sorts Liverpool, especially having lost just two of their last 18 home matches across all competitions (W13, D3).
As for the Reds, they’ve fallen to back-to-back defeats for just the second time under Slot, with the nature of their performances against Crystal Palace and Galatasaray just as alarming as the actual results.
Summer signings Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Milos Kerkez have yet to settle at the club, while several key players such as Ibrahima Konate and Alexis Mac Allister continue to look sluggish compared to last season.
Liverpool will be determined to end a run of three straight defeats in London, so make sure you tune in to watch the drama unfold!
Danny Clark
Philadelphia Phillies vs Los Angeles Dodgers
The last time these two met in the MLB Postseason was during the National League Championship Series in 2009 when the Phillies took down the Dodgers in five games (4-1).
Shohei Ohtani will be making his first-ever postseason pitching debut for Game 1 in Philly. He pitched against them once this season on September 16th - he threw five no-hit innings with five strikeouts on 68 pitches.
And with a Dodgers lineup that scored 18 runs in just two games during their Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds, their bats have all the momentum heading into this series.
The Phillies are without their ace Zack Wheeler, but they'll rely on someone just as dangerous in Cristopher Sanchez, who posted a stellar 13-5 record with a 2.35 earned run average and 212 strikeouts this season.
Eric Himmelheber
Sunday, October 5th
Singapore Grand Prix - 14:00 CET
There's plenty at stake heading into the 17th round of the Formula 1 season, and it's taking place at arguably the toughest place on the Formula 1 calendar.
Racing around the narrow streets of Singapore would be one of the biggest tasks of the season if drivers had to do it in mild conditions, so the fact that the race always happens to take place in some of the hottest weather they come across all year makes it seriously gruelling. Oh, and it's even hotter than usual this time around, with the FIA issuing their first-ever Heat Hazard, which will allow drivers to wear cooling vests.
One of many to struggle at the circuit over the years is Max Verstappen, with it being the only track on the current calendar that he's never tasted victory at, but if he can finally master Marina Bay, it could be one of his most important triumphs yet.
Two consecutive wins have brought him closer to Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at the top of the standings, and while he still trails the Aussie by 69 points, both McLaren drivers very much see the Dutchman as a title threat. That seems a little far-fetched heading into the weekend, but that will change if Verstappen can make it three from three.
McLaren should have something to celebrate either way, with the British team able to seal the Constructors' Championship as long as one of their drivers finishes inside the top three, but neither would be happy with such a result if the reigning champion finishes ahead of them.
Finley Crebolder
Juventus vs AC Milan - 20:45 CET
Headlining the matches from Europe’s ‘big five’ league this weekend is a top-of-the-table clash in Italy’s Serie A between Juventus and AC Milan.
Ok, so it’s not strictly ‘top-of-the-table’, but going into the weekend, Milan are top, level on 12 points with Napoli and Roma, with Juvenuts just one point further back in what is a very tight top four.
Massimiliano Allegri appears to be working wonders at Milan, in his second stint at the club. Since their shock opening day defeat to Cremonense, his side have been perfect, winning five on the trot across competitions and conceding just twice.
Allegri also spent years at the helm of Juve, winning the Scudetto an incredible five times in a row. Now, Igor Tudor finds himself in the hot seat in Turin, and he’ building his own impressive side, who are in fact undefeated this season, but coming off two disappointing draws in the league.
The last time the Old Lady lost at home in Serie A was way back in March, so they’ll fancy their chances this weekend of at least another stalemate. What's more, last season, Juve won the corresponding fixture and drew the reverse away.
However, with Christian Pulisic firing on all cylinders and the Rossoneri coming off a big win over reigning champions Napoli, don’t be surprised to see Juve’s proud home record finally spoiled on Sunday evening. This one promises to deliver, no matter how it turns out!
Pat Dempsey
Porto vs Benfica - 22:15 CET
The biggest match outside of the 'big five' leagues will be in Portugal, as the country's two most successful sides - Porto and Benfica - square off.
Of course, there is no love lost between the pair, but the storylines have written themselves of late. That is all the more apparent with Benfica bringing in Jose Mourinho for a second spell last month. The self-proclaimed 'Special One' will return to the venue of the club where he made his first big steps as a manager.
The two teams are the only ones left in the league who are unbeaten after seven rounds of play. However, across all competitions, Porto are a perfect nine for nine.
It will be Mourinho's second big test with the Lisbon-based team, having returned to another stomping ground of his - Stamford Bridge - on Tuesday. Before that defeat, Benfica were unbeaten under his current stint (2-1-0).
Meanwhile, Francesco Farioli has enjoyed an impressive start with Dragoes. After leaving Ajax last season, the Italian tactician has overseen the most ideal start with Porto, conceding just twice in nine games.
Porto have not won the league title since 2021/22, while Benfica's most recent domestic success came the season after. As such, both clubs are desperate to end Sporting CP's reign at the top of Portuguese football of late.
Sunday's contest at the Estadio do Dragao could play a key role in determining who will be champion at season's end.
David Parkes