Discontent Over Christmas Eve Game: Pochettino Expresses Dissatisfaction
Breaking a 28-year tradition, the Premier League will feature a Christmas Eve match as Wolverhampton Wanderers welcome Chelsea at 1 PM GMT.
From December 21 to January 2, each team, except Manchester City and Brentford, will play three matches. Manchester City’s involvement in the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, culminating on December 22, has led to the postponement of their December 23 game against Brentford.
The festive football kicks off with Crystal Palace hosting Brighton on December 21 at 8 PM, followed by Aston Villa’s clash with Sheffield United on December 22, also at 8 PM.
December 23 is packed with six matches, including a historic event where Rebecca Welch will become the first woman to referee a Premier League match during Fulham’s encounter with Burnley.
The decision to schedule Chelsea’s match at Wolves on Christmas Eve has sparked controversy, with the Football Supporters’ Association labeling it as “an unwelcome gift nobody wanted.” The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has called the move “utterly unacceptable.”
Chelsea faces the tightest recovery window, having only 139.5 hours between their first and third matches, whereas Brighton enjoys the longest, at 283.5 hours – twice as long as Chelsea.
Live coverage of these festive games will be shared by Sky Sports, TNT Sports, and Prime Video, with the BBC providing highlights.
Premier League’s Festive Match Lineup
All kick-off times are GMT; standard time 3 PM unless mentioned otherwise.
December 21, Thursday
- Crystal Palace vs Brighton (20:00)
December 22, Friday
- Aston Villa vs Sheffield United (20:00)
December 23, Saturday
- West Ham vs Manchester United (12:30)
- Fulham vs Burnley
- Luton Town vs Newcastle United
- Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth
- Tottenham vs Everton
- Liverpool vs Arsenal (17:30)
December 24, Sunday
- Wolves vs Chelsea (13:00)
December 26, Tuesday – Boxing Day
- Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest (12:30)
- Bournemouth vs Fulham
- Sheffield United vs Luton Town
- Burnley vs Liverpool (17:30)
- Manchester United vs Aston Villa (20:00)
December 27, Wednesday
- Brentford vs Wolves (19:30)
- Chelsea vs Crystal Palace (19:30)
- Everton vs Manchester City (20:15)
December 28, Thursday
- Brighton vs Tottenham (19:30)
- Arsenal vs West Ham (20:15)
December 30, Saturday
- Luton Town vs Chelsea (12:30)
- Aston Villa vs Burnley
- Crystal Palace vs Brentford
- Manchester City vs Sheffield United
- Wolves vs Everton
- Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United (17:30)
December 31, Sunday
- Fulham vs Arsenal (14:00)
- Tottenham vs Bournemouth (14:00)
January 1, Monday
- Liverpool vs Newcastle United (20:00)
January 2, Tuesday
- West Ham vs Brighton (19:30)
Recovery Time Analysis
The recovery time is calculated assuming a 2-hour duration for each match.
Brighton tops the list with 283.5 hours of total recovery time, followed by West Ham and Newcastle United. Chelsea, on the other hand, has the least recovery time of 139.5 hours.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Premier League Festive Fixtures
What is unique about this year’s Premier League festive schedule?
For the first time in 28 years, a Premier League match will be played on Christmas Eve, with Wolves hosting Chelsea at 1 PM GMT on December 24th.
How many games will each club play during the festive period?
Each club will play three games between December 21st and January 2nd, with the exception of Manchester City and Brentford due to Manchester City’s participation in the Club World Cup.
Why has Manchester City’s match against Brentford been postponed?
Manchester City’s match with Brentford, initially scheduled for December 23rd, has been postponed due to City’s involvement in the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, with the final taking place on December 22nd.
Who will be the first female referee in a Premier League fixture?
Rebecca Welch will become the first female referee in a Premier League fixture during Fulham’s game against Burnley on December 23rd.
Which clubs have the shortest and longest recovery times between matches?
Chelsea has the shortest recovery time with 139.5 hours between their first and third kick-offs. Brighton enjoys the longest recovery period with 283.5 hours.
More about Premier League Festive Fixtures
- Premier League Official Website
- Football Supporters’ Association Reaction
- Rebecca Welch’s Refereeing Milestone
- Manchester City Club World Cup Schedule
- Chelsea Supporters’ Trust Statement
- Sky Sports Festive Football Coverage
- TNT Sports Premier League Broadcast
- Premier League Match Recovery Times Analysis
5 comments
City missing the festive fun for the Club World Cup, sounds like a good trade to me, Go City!
Look at us, Brighton with the most rest time, feels like Christmas came early haha, maybe we’ll snag a few extra points this season.
Wow, a game on Christmas Eve? that’s nuts! never thought I’d see the day. Guess the players won’t be having a quiet one with the family this year lol.
Rebecca Welch making history, that’s awesome! About time we saw more female refs in the big leagues.
this is just unfair, only 139.5 hours recovery for Chelsea? The schedulers need to give their heads a shake, that’s gonna be tough on the players.