SPORTS PREVIEW Fri 6 – Sun 8 March.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Monday 2 – Thursday 5 March 2026
João Pedro hat-trick lifts Chelsea into top five. Liam Rosenior’s side produced their most complete performance of his tenure on Wednesday, coming from behind to dismantle Aston Villa 4-1 at Villa Park. Douglas Luiz’s second-minute opener unsettled Chelsea but João Pedro levelled before half-time, completed his hat-trick – his first in the Premier League – inside 64 minutes, with Cole Palmer adding a fourth on 55. Chelsea move up to fifth on 48 points, three behind Villa in fourth and very much in the Champions League race.
West Ham body blow for Fulham’s European dream. Crysencio Summerville’s 65th-minute goal – capitalising on a calamitous mix-up between Bernd Leno and Calvin Bassey – condemned Fulham to a 1-0 home defeat on Wednesday that halted their momentum at the worst possible time. Fulham had chances, including a VAR-reversed penalty, but could not find a way through a resolute West Ham rearguard. The defeat leaves Marco Silva’s side tenth on 40 points, three adrift of the European places.
Premier League
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 30 | 67 | 20 | 7 | 3 | +37 | DDWWW |
| 2 | Man City | 29 | 60 | 18 | 6 | 5 | +32 | WWWWD |
| 3 | Man United | 29 | 51 | 14 | 9 | 6 | +11 | WDWWX |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 29 | 51 | 15 | 6 | 8 | +5 | DDWXL |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 5 | Chelsea | 29 | 48 | 13 | 9 | 7 | +19 | WDDLW |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 10 | Fulham | 29 | 40 | 12 | 4 | 13 | -3 | LLWWL |
Arsenal seven points clear at the top with a game in hand on Man City. Chelsea fifth on 48 points, level on points with Man United and Villa. Fulham tenth — three points off the European places after Wednesday’s home defeat to West Ham.
England tear up the script for Rome. Steve Borthwick has made nine personnel changes – the most ever between two Tests by an England coach – for Saturday’s Six Nations clash against Italy at the Stadio Olimpico. The entire backline is new: Fin Smith starts at fly-half, Ben Spencer at nine and a back three of Cadan Murley, Tom Roebuck and Elliot Daly. Ben Earl earns his 50th cap at number eight. Only captain Maro Itoje, Ellis Genge and Joe Heyes survive from the side hammered 42-21 by Ireland.
Six Nations
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PD | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | +89 | 3 | 15 |
| 2 | Scotland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | +11 | 3 | 11 |
| 3 | Ireland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | +6 | 1 | 9 |
| 4 | England | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +9 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -29 | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | Wales | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -86 | 1 | 1 |
France on course for the Grand Slam, four points clear of Scotland. England and Italy level on 5 points with a positive points difference — Saturday’s Stadio Olimpico clash is effectively a must-win for both. Round 4: Saturday 7 March.
Harlequins Women’s top-four fight goes to the wire. Back-to-back PWR defeats have left Quins Women in seventh place and under real pressure heading into the business end of the season. Saturday’s home fixture against Saracens at the Stoop is a direct six-pointer in the playoff race.
COMING UP THIS WEEKEND
Saturday, 7 March:
- Harlequins Women vs Saracens Women: Premiership Women’s Rugby Round 13, 12:15pm (Twickenham Stoop)
- Italy vs England: Six Nations Round 4, 4:40pm GMT (Stadio Olimpico, Rome) – ITV1
- Scotland vs France: Six Nations Round 4, 2:10pm GMT (Scottish Gas Murrayfield) — ITV1
Sunday, 8 March:
- Fulham vs Southampton: FA Cup Fifth Round, noon (Craven Cottage)
- AFC Wimbledon vs Northampton Town: League One, noon (Cherry Red Records Stadium)
- Fulham Women vs Chatham Town — FA WNL Division One South-East, 2pm (Motspur Park)
No fixture this weekend: Chelsea FC (next: vs Newcastle, Sat 14 Mar, Sky Sports), Chelsea Women, Harlequins Men, Fulham Women.
League One
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff City | 34 | 72 | 22 | 6 | 6 | +32 | WWXWW |
| 2 | Lincoln City | 34 | 71 | 21 | 8 | 5 | +32 | WDWWW |
| 3 | Bolton Wanderers | 35 | 61 | 16 | 13 | 6 | +16 | WDDWW |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 14 |  AFC Wimbledon | 33 | 43 | 12 | 7 | 14 | -7 | WWDWD |
AFC Wimbledon comfortably clear of the relegation zone in 14th. Home to Northampton on Sunday.
WHAT TO WATCH
Fulham’s FA Cup match is the standout local fixture of the weekend. A home tie against Championship side Southampton at Craven Cottage is a genuine chance to reach the quarter-finals – the kind of afternoon that comes along rarely. Silva’s side are in good form at home and will be favourites. Kick-off noon, Sunday.
Italy vs England is do-or-die for Borthwick’s side. England have never lost to the Azzurri in 33 previous Tests, but Italy under Gonzalo Quesada are the most dangerous they have been in years. Borthwick’s mass changes are a gamble – whether a tactical masterstroke or stroke of desperation will only be clear after the final whistle in Rome. Kick-off 4:40pm GMT, ITV1.
Harlequins Women vs Saracens at the Stoop (12:15pm Saturday) has genuine playoff significance. Saracens are fifth, Quins seventh – two places and a win’s worth of points separate them. Defeat for Quins would make their top-four ambitions very difficult to sustain.
