A disappointing opening weekend for both Leicester City and Arsenal sets the two sides up for an early clash this Saturday.
After the Foxes dropped a 2-1 decision at Hull City to open their title defense last week, they will return home to King Power Stadium to host a Gunners squad that trailed 4-1 at one point to Liverpool last week before finishing with a 4-3 scoreline. Riyad Mahrez, who just signed a four-year extension with Leicester City earlier this week, will look to lead the reigning champions in a bounce-back effort against Arsene Wenger’s squad that hopes to display a more cohesive defensive effort this time around.
Before that match takes place, however, Manchester United — the lone Premier League side that won its match by more than one goal last weekend — welcomes back Paul Pogba in a home fixture against Southampton on Friday afternoon. The player with the world’s most expensive transfer tag is expected to start for the Red Devils, who picked up 3-1 win at Bournemouth to open their 2016-17 campaign.
Meanwhile, three other European league champions begin their respective title defenses this weekend.
The Spanish winners Barcelona will kick off their new La Liga season at home against Real Betis, while Juventus will begin their fourth consecutive season as reigning Serie A champions with a test against Fiorentina. Paris Saint-Germain, on the other hand, will welcome new Ligue 1 side Metz at Parc de Princes after winning the past four league titles.
Stateside, New York City FC looks to avenge a 5-1 loss at Carson, Calif., last season at the hands of LA Galaxy when the club plays hosts on Saturday at Yankee Stadium.The Western Conference-leading FC Dallas will travel to Rio Tinto Stadium to take on Real Salt Lake while rivals D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls square off in the nation’s capital.
Here is a rundown of all the soccer action on TV this weekend, with all times Eastern:
FRIDAY
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
11 p.m. — UniMás/Univision Deportes/MLS Live — San Jose Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
3 p.m. — USA Network/NBC Sports Live Extra — Manchester United vs. Southampton
SPANISH LA LIGA
2:45 p.m. — beIN Sports en Español/beIN Sports Connect — Málaga vs. Osasuna
4 p.m. — beIN Sports en Español/beIN Sports Connect — Deportivo La Coruña vs. Eibar
FRENCH LIGUE 1
2:45 p.m. — beIN Sports USA/beIN Sports Connect — Lyon vs. Caen
WOMEN’S OLYMPICS
Noon — NBC Sports Live Extra/NBCOlympics.com — Brazil vs. Canada (Third-place match)
4:30 p.m. — Telemundo/NBC Sports Live Extra/NBCOlympics.com/NBC Universo — Sweden vs. Germany (Final)
NCAA WOMEN
7 p.m. — SEC Network + — Southeast Missouri State vs. Tennessee
7 p.m. — SEC Network + — Oklahoma State vs. Georgia
7 p.m. — SEC Network + — Iowa State vs. Florida
7 p.m. — SEC Network + — La.-Lafayette vs. Ole Miss
7:30 p.m. — Big Ten Network — Penn State vs. West Virginia
7:30 p.m. — SEC Network + — Central Arkansas vs. Missouri
8 p.m. — Longhorn Network — Texas vs. Seattle
8 p.m. — SEC Network + — Sam Houston State vs. Alabama
8 p.m. — SEC Network + — Clemson vs. Auburn
8:30 p.m. — SEC Network + — Florida State vs. Texas A&M
10 p.m. — Pac-12 Network — Washington State vs. BYU
MEXICAN LIGA MX
10 p.m. — Azteca America — Veracruz vs. Toluca
SATURDAY
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
7:30 a.m. — NBCSN/NBC Sports Live Extra — Stoke City vs. Manchester City
10 a.m. — NBCSN/NBC Sports Live Extra — Burnley vs. Liverpool
10 a.m. — NBC Sports Live Extra — Swansea City vs. Hull City
10 a.m. — NBC Sports Live Extra — Tottenham vs. Crystal Palace
10 a.m. — NBC/NBC Sports Live Extra — Watford vs. Chelsea
10 a.m. — NBC Sports Live Extra — West Bromwich Albion vs. Everton
12:30 p.m. — NBC/NBC Sports Live Extra — Leicester City vs. Arsenal
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
3 p.m. — ESPN/MLS Live — New York City FC vs. LA Galaxy
7 p.m. — MLS Live — Philadelphia Union vs. Toronto FC
7:30 p.m. — MLS Live — Montreal Impact vs. Chicago Fire
7:30 p.m. — MLS Live — New England Revolution vs. Columbus Crew
9 p.m. — MLS Live — Colorado Rapids vs. Orlando City SC
10 p.m. — MLS Live — Sporting Kansas City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
10 p.m. — MLS Live — Real Salt Lake vs. FC Dallas
MEN’S OLYMPICS
Noon — NBC Sports Live Extra/NBCOlympics.com/Telemundo/Telemundo Deportes en Vivo — Honduras vs. Nigeria (Third-place match)
4:30 p.m. — NBC Sports Live Extra/NBCOlympics.com/Telemundo/Telemundo Deportes en Vivo — Brazil vs. Germany (Final)
SPANISH LA LIGA
12:15 p.m. — beIN Sports USA/beIN Sports en Español/beIN Sports Connect — Barcelona vs. Real Betis
2:15 p.m. — beIN Sports en Español/beIN Sports Connect — Granada vs. Villarreal
4:15 p.m. — beIN Sports en Español/beIN Sports Connect — Sevilla vs. Espanyol
ITALIAN SERIE A
Noon — beIN Sports Connect — AS Roma vs. Udinese
2:45 p.m. — beIN Sports USA/beIN Sports Connect — Juventus vs. Fiorentina
FRENCH LIGUE 1
11 a.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Nantes vs. AS Monaco
2 p.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Angers vs. Nice
NASL
2:30 p.m. — NASL Live — Jacksonville Armada vs. Minnesota United
7 p.m. — NASL Live — Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Ottawa Fury
7:30 p.m. — beIN Sports USA/beIN Sports Connect/NASL Live — Carolina RailHawks vs. Indy Eleven
7:30 p.m. — One World Sports/NASL Live — Puerto Rico vs. New York Cosmos
7:30 p.m. — NASL Live — Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. FC Edmonton
9 p.m. — NASL Live — Rayo OKC vs. Miami FC
MEXICAN LIGA MX
6 p.m. — Univision Deportes — Cruz Azul vs. Santos Laguna
8 p.m. — Univision/Univision Deportes — Tigres UANL vs. Pachuca
8 p.m. — Azteca America — Morelia vs. Chiapas
10 p.m. — Univision/Univision Deportes — Guadalajara vs. Atlas
ENGLISH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
10 a.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Birmingham City vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
12:30 p.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Derby County vs. Aston Villa
DUTCH EREDIVISIE
1:45 p.m. — Univision Deportes — PEC Zwolle vs. PSV Eindhoven
SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE
7:15 a.m. — Fox Soccer Plus/Fox Soccer 2Go — St. Johnstone vs. Celtic
SUNDAY
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
3 p.m. — ESPN/ESPN Deportes/MLS Live — D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls
9:30 p.m. — Fox Sports 1/Fox Sports Go/Fox Deportes/Fox Soccer 2Go/MLS Live — Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
8:30 a.m. — NBCSN/NBC Sports Live Extra — Sunderland vs. Middlesbrough
11 a.m. — NBC/NBC Sports Live Extra — West Ham United vs. Bournemouth
SPANISH LA LIGA
12:15 p.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Sportin Gijón vs. Athletic Bilbao
2:15 p.m. — beIN Sports USA/beIN Sports en Español/beIN Sports Connect — Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid
4:15 p.m. — beIN Sports USA/beIN Sports en Español/beIN Sports Connect — Atlético Madrid vs. Deportivo Alavés
ITALIAN SERIE A
Noon — beIN Sports USA/beIN Sports Connect — Milan vs. Torino
2:45 p.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Atalanta vs. Lazio
2:45 p.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Bologna vs. Crotone
2:45 p.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Chievo Verona vs. Inter
2:45 p.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Pescara vs. Napoli
FRENCH LIGUE 1
9 a.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Guingamp vs. Marseille
11 a.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Saint-Étienne vs. Montpellier
2:45 p.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Paris Saint-Germain vs. Metz
MEXICAN LIGA MX
1 p.m. — Univision/Univision Deportes — Pumas UNAM — Monterrey
7 p.m. — Univision Deportes — Puebla vs. Club América
NCAA WOMEN
1 p.m. — SEC Network + — Florida Atlantic vs. Florida
2 p.m. — SEC Network + — Iowa vs. Missouri
5 p.m. — Pac-12 Network — Colorado vs. Colorado State
7 p.m. — Pac-12 Network — USC vs. Beijing Normal
7 p.m. — SEC Network + — Murray State vs. Alabama
7 p.m. — SEC Network + — Rice vs. Texas A&M
8 p.m. — SEC Network + — Northwestern State vs. Ole Miss
ENGLISH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
7 p.m. — beIN Sports Connect — Ipswich Town vs. Norwich City
GERMAN DFB POKAL
9:30 a.m. — ESPN Deportes — Hauenstein vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Leicester is mid table at best this season. I bet Arsenal pound them