Weekend sports preview: World Championship darts final, Ashes finale and AFCON knockout ties

The Guardian's weekend sports coverage will run extensive matchday liveblogs, previews and reports across football, rugby, cricket, darts and American football. Saturday's football coverage starts with an international mix of fixtures. Premier League action includes Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest, Wolves v West Ham and Bournemouth v Arsenal.

The Scottish Premiership presents Celtic v Rangers. In rugby, Bath host Exeter in a top-table clash, and the Africa Cup of Nations first knockout round features Mali v Tunisia. The PDC World Championship final at Alexandra Palace is the highlight of the evening, with £1m for the winner.

Luke Littler heads into the weekend as favourite; Ryan Searle and Gian van Veen (against Gary Anderson) are among the challengers. The fifth Test of the Ashes begins in Sydney, with England looking to respond even though Australia have already secured the series. Sunday's schedule includes Leeds United v Manchester United and a 3pm block featuring Fulham v Liverpool, Everton v Brentford, Newcastle v Crystal Palace and Tottenham v Sunderland, alongside AFCON ties including Morocco v Tanzania.

Manchester City v Chelsea is the later Premier League kick-off on Sunday, while the NFL liveblog covers six Week 18 matches as wildcard places remain unsettled.

Key Topics

Pdc World Championship, Luke Littler, The Ashes, Africa Cup Of Nations, Aston Villa, Alexandra Palace