Premier League, Boxing Day and beyond – what you can expect from the festive games

It is a fantastic period for footy fans all around the world, and these games often have huge implications for the final outcome of the season, from the title fight to European qualification to relegation battles.

Here’s what you can expect from the 2024 Boxing Day Premier League matches and the fixtures that follow to round out an awesome year of football.

Boxing Day Premier League matches – schedule and betting tips

December 26 Premier League fixtures

• Man City vs. Everton, 13:30
• Bournemouth vs. Crystal Palace, 16:00
• Chelsea vs. Fulham, 16:00
• Newcastle vs. Aston Villa, 16:00
• Nottingham Forest vs. Spurs, 16:00
• Southampton vs. West Ham, 16:00
• Wolves vs. Man Utd, 18:30
• Liverpool vs. Leicester, 21:00

While we sit at home dealing with the wondrous effects of the holiday food coma, the best and brightest of the Premier League are gearing up to battle for three points. The Boxing Day PL fixtures often turn into bona fide showstoppers, and 2024 promises to be no exception to this rule.

Everton could do something extremely funny at the Etihad, but it’s tough to imagine City falling that short. Liverpool’s imperious form has slowed down a bit with recent draws, but they should still be able to easily surpass van Nistelrooy’s Leicester side.

The London derby involving Chelsea and Fulham could be the sixth win in a row for Enzo Maresca’s side, who are unbeaten in the league since October 20 heading into the tail end of December, and they look more and more like genuine title contenders. Somehow, some way, the clash between Nottingham Forest and Tottenham has European qualification implications for both sides, making it a fascinating affair.

Boxing Day also offers us a clash between the nouveau riche of Newcastle and Aston Villa – elsewhere, the quietly high-flying Bournemouth will host the struggling Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, Southampton and Wolves will both be looking for a new manager bounce.

The Premier League never stops, not even after Christmas

December 27 Premier League fixtures

• Brighton vs. Brentford, 20:30
• Arsenal vs. Ipswich, 21:15

The remainder of the round will play out just after Boxing Day, with a tight midtable clash between Brighton and Brentford on the 27th of December where home advantage might just make all the difference, followed by Arsenal hosting Ipswich, which is a must-win layup for the Gunners if they want to stay in the title hunt.

December 29 Premier League fixtures

• Leicester vs. Man City, 15:30
• Crystal Palace vs. Southampton, 16:00
• Everton vs. Nottingham Forest, 16:00
• Fulham vs. Bournemouth, 16:00
• Spurs vs. Wolves, 16:00
• West Ham vs. Liverpool, 18:15

Of course, it isn’t just the Boxing Day round that offers fantastic Premier League action for football enthusiasts at the end of the year. No, the games continue all the way into the waning days of 2024, with yet another round of play to generate excitement.

As much of a tailspin Manchester City find themselves in, it’s tough to imagine them slipping up against either Everton or Leicester, even if the latter fixture is played away from home. Most of the other matches of the day feature fascinating midtable clashes, but you’d be forgiven for focusing on the two games involving the big teams – could the mercurial Spurs finally produce a normal result and secure a comfortable win against Wolves, and can Liverpool pile on the misery for Lopetegui’s men to keep up their lead in the title fight? We’re guessing yes for both – no big spoilers here.

December 30 Premier League fixtures

• Aston Villa vs. Brighton, 20:45
• Ipswich vs. Chelsea, 20:45
• Man Utd vs. Newcastle, 21:00

The final Premier League matches of 2024 will feature two of the heavyweights of the competition, with Chelsea and Manchester United both taking to the pitch. (Spare a thought for Ipswich, who have to play the two biggest London clubs in four days in the footballing equivalent of finding coal in your stockings for Christmas.) Elsewhere, both the points table and the form table suggest a close-fought affair between Aston Villa and Brighton at Villa Park.

January 1 Premier League fixtures

Brentford vs. Arsenal, 18:30

Finally, the Gunners will ring in the footballing new year with a visit to Brentford, who have comfortably established themselves as a midtable club in the league with great upset potential. While all credit goes to Arteta for turning Arsenal into title contenders again, it’s a team that’s historically struggled with the intensity of the holiday season, so the upset potential is definitely there.

The British footy action will continue with a full round on the first weekend of 2025, and we might be looking at a very different standings table by that point. It’s going to be exciting as always – enjoy the action with us!