With 2010 in the memory bank, thoughts are already turning to the sporting treats that lie in wait in 2011. Assistant Editor Scott Wilson previews ten of the events that should not be missed.

ARSENAL VS BARCELONA
(February 16 and March 8)

THE most attractive team in England take on one of the greatest club sides of all time in the knockout phase of the Champions League.

Twelve months ago, Barcelona trounced Arsenal 6-3 on aggregate before suffering a surprise semifinal defeat to Inter Milan.

The Spaniards have arguably improved since then, and will start as strong favourites for the two-legged tie that kicks off at the Emirates and finishes in the Nou Camp.

Arsenal can be a match for anybody on their day, though, and neutrals should be able to enjoy a feast of free-flowing football.

CRICKET WORLD CUP
(February 19 - April 2)

THE world’s leading cricket nations converge on India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh next spring for the tenth World Cup.

Australia are the reigning champions, having won the trophy in the West Indies four years ago, but with their form having dipped in the last couple of years, the tournament looks more wide open than ever.

England will fancy their chances after claiming the World Twenty20 this spring, but India and Sri Lanka should both be strong on home soil.

As ever, the tournament has a convoluted format, and early group games like Kenya v Canada will hardly set the pulse racing. By the time the knock-out rounds start, however, excitement should be pretty much guaranteed.

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL
(March 15-18)

THE Cheltenham Festival is an annual highlight of the racing calendar, and this year’s line-up looks sure to be as strong as ever.

Friday’s Cheltenham Gold Cup is shaping up to be a cracker, with last year’s winner, Imperial Commander, set to renew rivalries with former champions Kauto Star and Denman.

Master Minded will be back for another crack at the Queen Mother Champion Chase, while Big Buck’s is already an odds-on favourite to claim another World Hurdle.

The traditional Irish influx might be restricted by the state of the Irish economy, but more than 50,000 spectators a day will still flock to Prestbury Park.

WALES VS ENGLAND
(March 26)

GARY Speed’s first competitive match as Wales manager could hardly be tougher, with England due to visit the Millennium Stadium at the end of March.

However, England’s players will hardly be relishing a trip to the Valleys as they look to make up some of the ground that was lost as a result of October’s goalless draw with Montenegro.

Having briefly rallied after their World Cup failure, England went back to square one in their last two outings.

They should beat a Wales side who have already lost their chance of qualifying for Euro 2012. So if things go wrong, Fabio Capello’s job will surely be on the line.

WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIPS
(June 20 - July 3)

WITH tennis going through something of a golden period, next year’s Wimbledon Championships should be special.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal go head-to-head again, with Nadal having eclipsed his great rival during the last 12 months.

The domestic focus will inevitably be centred on Andy Murray, who is still to break his Grand Slam duck, even though the Scot has still to produce a totally convincing series of matches on grass.

The women’s tournament will be dominated by the Williams sisters again, with Serena having claimed her fourth Wimbledon title last summer.

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
(July 14-17)

Royal St George’s, in Sandwich, hosts the Open Championship for the first time since 2003.

Back then, Ben Curtis produced one of the biggest shocks in the tournament’s history as he defied odds of 300-1 to beat Thomas Bjorn and Vijay Singh by a stroke.

Louis Oosthuizen was a surprise winner of last year’s championship, and will be determined to defend the Claret Jug in style.

With a host of British players in the world’s top 20, though, hopes will be high for a first domestic winner since Paul Lawrie in 1999.

BRITISH GRAND PRIX
(July 10)

One of the staples of the British sporting summer, Silverstone hosts the British Grand Prix in the middle of July.

While Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have both won world titles in recent years, the race has only had one British winner in the last decade.

That was Hamilton in 2008, and the McLaren driver will be desperate to have a competitive car when the Formula One circus rolls into Europe at the start of the summer.

Mark Webber was victorious in July, but it remains to be seen whether the Red Bull is as dominant next season.

ENGLAND VS INDIA
(July 21 - August 22)

Sri Lanka are England’s opponents for the first series of the summer, but in the eyes of many, it will be the visit of India that really sets the pulse racing.

Lord’s, Trent Bridge, Edgbaston and the Oval host the four-Test series, with England looking to continue their recent home dominance in the longer form of the game.

India will provide stiff opposition, and next year’s series could be the last opportunity for English crowds to see the mercurial Sachin Tendulkar in the flesh.

If nothing else, there should be none of the anguish and controversy that accompanied this year’s matches with Pakistan.

WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
(August 27 - September 4)

The South Korean city of Daegu hosts the World Athletics Championships at the end of summer.

Most eyes will be trained on Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who will be looking to lower the world 100m record he set in the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

Domestic gold medal hopes are likely to rest on the shoulders of heptathlete Jessica Ennis and triple jumper Phillips Idowu, although an emerging generation of young British athletes will also be hoping to make their mark on the world stage.

Expect plenty of mentions of the future too. Once the World Championships are finished, the next major event will be London 2012.

RUGBY WORLD CUP
(September 9 - October 23)

New Zealand stages the Rugby World Cup through September and October, and hopes for a home victory will be high.

The All Blacks will start the tournament as the best team in the world, but their reputation for bottling it on the big occasion will be at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

England provided a glimpse of their potential when they beat Australia this autumn, but Martin Johnson’s side remain infuriatingly inconsistent.

Inevitably, the early stages of the tournament will contain a host of one-sided mismatches. From the quarter-finals onwards, though, the intensity should gradually increase.