The dates, kick-off times and TV coverage for football’s festive season have been confirmed by the Premier League. England’s top-flight resumes on 26 December – just eight days after the Fifa World Cup final – following the unique mid-season winter break to allow for the tournament in Qatar.
Premier League matchweeks 18 and 19 will then see fixtures continue throughout the Christmas and New Year period, with selected games chosen for live coverage on Sky Sports and BT Sport.
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Controversial fixture changes
With TV schedules having not yet been released, fans of Premier League clubs had been “left in limbo” regarding their festive plans, said Daniel Orme in the Daily Mirror. Now that the fixture list has finally been confirmed, and kick-off times moved for live coverage, there could be “post-World Cup chaos” due to travel.
Football fans “reacted with fury” to yesterday’s “festive fixture farce” announcement, which came “13 days after they were due”, said Sami Mokbel in the Daily Mail. Late kick-offs mean fans are set to face “long journeys at absurd times”. Arsenal and West Ham pulled the “Boxing Day short straw” after the clash was moved from 3pm to 8pm. It is “likely to be impacted” by public transport issues given it is a Bank Holiday.
Arsenal’s home clash against Newcastle on Tuesday 3 January is another “controversial fixture change” involving the Gunners, Mokbel added. The 8pm kick-off at the Emirates Stadium in north London leaves Newcastle fans facing the “arduous task of travelling back to the North East later that night when transport options are likely to be limited”.
‘Blind loyalty’
That same evening, on 3 January, Brighton head to Merseyside to play Everton (7.45pm), Fulham are away at Leicester City (7.45pm) and Bournemouth are at Manchester United (8pm).
The Football Supporters’ Association “raised the hoary old issue” of TV scheduling and the Premier League’s “almost total disregard for matchgoing fans”, said Barry Glendenning in The Guardian. Travelling supporters will make it “because they always do”, though some “might not make it back given the last trains home will have long gone”. It is no doubt on this “blind loyalty” that the Premier League and various TV networks count as they “dither over which matches to show and when”.
EPL Boxing Day and New Year fixtures
All times below are GMT
Monday 26 December
- Brentford vs. Tottenham (12.30pm; Amazon Prime Video)
- Crystal Palace vs. Fulham (3pm; Amazon Prime Video)
- Everton vs. Wolves (3pm; Amazon Prime Video)
- Leicester vs. Newcastle (3pm; Amazon Prime Video)
- Southampton vs. Brighton (3pm; Amazon Prime Video)
- Aston Villa vs. Liverpool (5.30pm; Amazon Prime Video)
- Arsenal vs. West Ham (8pm; Amazon Prime Video)
Tuesday 27 December
- Chelsea vs. AFC Bournemouth (5.30pm; Amazon Prime Video)
- Man Utd vs. Nottingham Forest (8pm; Amazon Prime Video)
Wednesday 28 December
- Leeds vs. Man City (8pm; Amazon Prime Video)
Friday 30 December
- West Ham vs. Brentford (7.45pm)
- Liverpool vs. Leicester (8pm; Sky Sports)
Saturday 31 December
- Wolves vs. Man Utd (12.30pm; BT Sport)
- AFC Bournemouth vs. Crystal Palace (3pm)
- Fulham vs. Southampton (3pm)
- Man City vs. Everton (3pm)
- Newcastle vs. Leeds (3pm)
- Brighton vs. Arsenal (5.30pm; Sky Sports)
Sunday 1 January
- Tottenham vs. Aston Villa (2pm; Sky Sports)
- Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea (4.30pm; Sky Sports)
Monday 2 January
- Brentford vs. Liverpool (5.30pm; Sky Sports)
Tuesday 3 January
- Everton vs. Brighton (7.45pm)
- Leicester vs. Fulham (7.45pm)
- Arsenal vs. Newcastle (8pm; Sky Sports)
- Man Utd vs. AFC Bournemouth (8pm)
Wednesday 4 January
- Southampton vs. Nottingham Forest (7.30pm)
- Leeds vs. West Ham (7.45pm)
- Aston Villa vs. Wolves (8pm)
- Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham (8pm; Sky Sports)
Thursday 5 January
- Chelsea vs. Man City (8pm; Sky Sports)
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