In many countries, no matches are played during the Christmas holidays, but in England, football continues unabated. On December 26, also known as Boxing Day—a day many associate with shopping—various teams compete for crucial points in the league. Read all about Boxing Day 2024 here.
What is Boxing Day?
Boxing Day is a holiday originating in the United Kingdom, celebrated on the day after Christmas. In most other European leagues, there is usually a short two-week winter break, but in the Premier League, the matches continue as normal. Other British sports leagues also schedule several matches on this day.
Over the years, more than 4,000 matches have been played on Boxing Day. The team with the most appearances is West Brom, short for West Bromwich Albion FC, having played 106 matches to date. The club that has accumulated the most points on this day is Manchester United, earning 171 points across 96 matches.
Premier League Matches
This year, Manchester City and Everton kick off Boxing Day. Pep Guardiola’s men are still chasing points, as they reflect on a disappointing record of nine losses in twelve matches. However, Everton, sitting in 15th place with only 16 points, will also be determined to fight hard.
Aston Villa and Newcastle both have the opportunity to claim a spot in the top 5 this week, but this will undoubtedly come at the expense of the other. The Villans managed a victory over Manchester City last week, which isn’t much of a surprise during this period, but they lost to Nottingham Forest the week before. Newcastle, on the other hand, is riding a streak of three consecutive wins.
That same Nottingham Forest faces Tottenham this week. Forest’s high position in the standings is a bit surprising, as the Tricky Trees finished in 17th place last year. Now, they have only failed to win once in their last five matches. With three points against Tottenham, they could even break into the top 3. The Spurs, however, are struggling at the moment, sitting in 11th place.
Bournemouth might have as many points as Aston Villa, but thanks to scoring more goals, they currently hold 5th place. This week, they’ll need to defend that spot against Crystal Palace, which is just two places above the relegation zone—a danger zone no team wants to enter.
Chelsea is having an exceptional season, sitting in second place, with only Liverpool ahead of them. The Reds hold a four-point lead, so The Blues aren’t poised to take the top spot just yet. Still, they’ll be eager to narrow the gap. On Boxing Day, Cole Palmer and company take on Fulham, a mid-table team.
For Southampton, it’s high time to climb the ranks. The team is at the bottom of the table with just 6 points from 17 matches, with only one win against Everton. Perhaps they’ll have better luck against West Ham, which sits in 14th place with 20 points. A loss would make it even harder for Southampton to recover, as the next team above them, Ipswich, already has double their points.
Like Southampton, Wolverhampton is also in the relegation zone. The Wolves might have an exceptional opportunity to grab points this week: their opponent is Manchester United, who are underperforming this season. Former coach Erik ten Hag was sacked in October after a string of poor results, but his replacement, Ruben Amorim, has also been unable to get the team back on track.
Liverpool and Leicester City will close out Boxing Day. With a four-point lead at the top of the table, Liverpool is likely to start the new year in the same position, as Leicester isn’t exactly a major threat. The Foxes, who won their first English championship in 2016, now sit just outside the relegation zone with 14 points. They’ll be eager to take home three points, but against an in-form Liverpool, that’s a tall order.
Magic Betting Live
Want to make the matches on Boxing Day even more exciting? Check out the Magic Betting App or visit the website www.magicbetting.be for the best online sports betting options. Be sure to check out the various promotional offers. Take your chance and win!
