The festive fixture frenzy: Why the Premier League stands apart
90 matches crammed into just 45 days, running from November 23 to January 6
Roast turkey, Christmas carols, mince pies and mistletoe - these are just a few staples of the festive season.
But for football fans, the holidays bring something even more exciting than Santa’s descent down the chimney: the gift of Premier League festive fixtures.
It’s the one present they truly can’t wait to unwrap.
Unlike many of Europe’s top leagues, the Premier League bucks the trend by skipping a winter break. Instead, it takes centre stage with a jam-packed festive schedule, drawing the eyes of football fans around the globe.
From this weekend’s fixtures, which includes Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur, the action intensifies with 90 matches crammed into just 45 days, running from Saturday, November 23 to Monday, January 6.
During this stretch, fans will have Premier League football on offer for 25 of those days, with six of the nine game weeks featuring matches on three consecutive days.
On four occasions - December 2, 6, 28, and 31 - supporters will face only a single day without action, while the longest gap between matches is a mere four days, happening just twice.
The busiest day of all? The traditional Boxing Day bonanza on December 26, when eight matches will unfold across four time slots - 16:30, 19:00, 21:30, and 00:00 GST. It’s a festive feast of football, perfectly suited to the season’s spirit of indulgence.
Boxing Day and football have been inseparable since the very first season of the Football League in 1888, when Derby County faced Bolton Wanderers and West Brom hosted Preston North End.
Since then, more than 4,000 Boxing Day matches have graced the English Football League, making it a cherished part of the festive season.
The packed holiday schedule often delivers drama, as player rotations and fatigue create opportunities for shock results. Smaller clubs can thrive in the chaos, producing giant-killing moments and unexpected twists in title races and relegation battles alike.
History is rich with such upsets: Leicester City and Sunderland have both stunned Manchester City on December 26, Coventry toppled Arsenal and Charlton hit four past Chelsea.
This year’s lineup promises more excitement, with Liverpool hosting Aston Villa, Chelsea welcoming Fulham in a west London derby and Manchester City entertaining Everton.
One of the most extraordinary Boxing Day goal-fests came in 1963, nearly three decades before the Premier League was born. The English First Division served up a staggering average of 6.6 goals across its ten fixtures.
Fulham ran riot with a 10-1 demolition of Ipswich, while West Brom and Tottenham played out an enthralling 4-4 draw. Blackburn Rovers hammered eight past West Ham, and Burnley delivered a festive humiliation to Manchester United, thrashing them 6-1.
More of the same next month? Yes please.
Before the Boxing Day fixtures, the Premier League serves up a feast of blockbuster fixtures, with battles that could shape the race for the title, European qualification and survival.
The highlight is Liverpool hosting Manchester City on December 1 - a clash that could have massive implications at the top of the table. Just days later, Manchester United travel to Arsenal on December 4, giving new Red Devils boss Rúben Amorim his first major test.
The drama heats up with the Merseyside derby on December 7, as Liverpool and Everton face off, before Tottenham and Chelsea collide a day later. On December 14, Wolves and Crystal Palace square off in a crucial relegation six-pointer.
The action ramps up even further with Manchester United visiting arch-rivals Manchester City on December 15, before Tottenham host Liverpool on December 21 - the final game before Christmas.
Following the Boxing Day fixtures, Manchester United face Newcastle in the year’s final match on December 31, while Brentford v Arsenal will be the first fixture of the New Year on January 1. The festive season will then come to a close on January 5 when Liverpool host Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Managers may grumble about the congested fixture list, but for fans - whether packed into the stands or watching from their sofas - the festive fixtures are as essential to the season as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Just as Rudolph guided Santa’s sleigh through tough conditions, the likes of Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Declan Rice will work to steer their teams towards success during one of the toughest stretches of the football season.