MANCHESTER, England (AP) — It's traditionally one of the most anticipated days of the English soccer calendar. But this year there is a notable lack of Premier League games on Boxing Day, with only one match scheduled: Manchester United vs. Newcastle.
Instead there will be seven games on Saturday and the round of fixtures will be completed with two more on Sunday.
The Premier League said in October that the reason for a reduced Boxing Day schedule was because of the growing pressure expanded European club competitions are having on England's top flight.
A new-look Champions League format was introduced last year. It meant an expansion European club soccer's top tournament from 32 teams to 36, with more games in a league format played through to January and a playoff phase added in February.
In addition to the second-tier Europa League and third-tier Conference League, the Premier League says it has been presented with “several challenges” to fixture scheduling. It said the reduction in Boxing Day games had impacted an “important tradition in English football.”
Last year there were eight games on Boxing Day.
With Boxing Day falling on a Friday and the Premier League ensuring time between games to allow sufficient rest for players over the festive period, games have been spread across Dec. 26-28.
“With fewer weekends to work with, the league is bound by how the calendar falls,” the Premier League said.
It has also given assurance more games would be played on Boxing Day in 2026 because it falls on a Saturday.
Friday Dec. 26
Manchester United vs. Newcastle United
Saturday Dec. 27
Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester City
Arsenal vs, Brighton
Brentford vs. Bournemouth
Burnley vs. Everton
Liverpool vs. Wolverhampton
West Ham vs. Fulham
Chelsea vs. Aston Villa
Sunday Dec. 28
Sunderland vs. Leeds
Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham
Tuesday Dec. 30
Burnley vs. Newcastle
Chelsea vs. Bournemouth
Nottingham Forest vs. Everton
West Ham vs. Brighton
Arsenal vs. Aston Villa
Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton
Thursday Jan. 1
Crystal Palace vs. Fulham
Liverpool vs. Leeds
Brentford vs. Tottenham
Sunderland vs. Manchester City
Saturday Jan. 3
Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest
Brighton vs. Burnley
Wolverhampton vs. West Ham
Bournemouth vs. Arsenal
Sunday Jan. 4
Leeds vs. Manchester United
Everton vs. Brentford
Fulham vs. Liverpool
Newcastle vs. Crystal Palace
Tottenham vs. Sunderland
Manchester City vs. Chelsea
Tuesday Jan. 6
West Ham vs. Nottingham Forest
Wednesday Jan. 7
Bournemouth vs. Tottenham
Brentford vs. Sunderland
Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa
Everton vs. Wolverhampton
Fulham vs. Chelsea
Manchester City vs. Brighton
Burnley vs. Manchester United
Newcastle United vs. Leeds United
Thursday Jan. 8
Arsenal vs. Liverpool
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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