Premier League Preview: Who’s playing who on Boxing Day?

As always, there is a full program of Premier League action taking place in the immediate aftermath of Christmas, with Gameweek 19 being played out across Boxing Day, the 27th and the 28th.

The pulsating football feast kickstarts with Newcastle and Nottingham Forest doing battle at 12.30 on Boxing Day. Newcastle, fresh from a disappointing 1-0 defeat away at Luton will be looking to return to winning ways as they bid to secure European football again next term and face a Nottingham Forest side fronted by a new face in Nuno Espirito Santo.

The ex-Wolves and Tottenham boss oversaw his side’s first game on Saturday, but it ended in late heartbreak as Dominic Solanke clinched a 3-2 win for Bournemouth with a beautifully taken header in the dying stages. Espirito Santo has a right to feel aggrieved by that result given the fact he lost defender Willy Boly to an extremely dubious red card in the first half – a decision that certainly changed how the game played out.

Despite that narrow defeat there were plenty of positives for the Portuguese to take, though, and the fact that Forest battled right up until the end and almost picked up a point from the game will fill him with optimism heading to St. James’ Park to face an injury-ravaged Magpies side who have now won just one of their last six games in all competitions.

Elsewhere, the Cherries – fresh from their slender win in the East Midlands – welcome Fulham to the Vitality Stadium as in-form front man Dominic Solanke looks to build on his hattrick on Saturday. The Cottagers have endured an inconsistent campaign thus far, recently thumping both Nottingham Forest and West Ham 5-0, but fell to a shock 2-0 defeat against Burnley on Saturday in a result few would have predicted.

Perhaps the game of the day comes from Old Trafford, though, as Manchester United welcome Aston Villa at 8pm. Both teams suffered poor results over the weekend, with Villa – who were the Premier League’s most in-form side prior to their clash against Sheffield United on Saturday – almost falling to a defeat against the basement-dwelling Blades; snatching a late 1-1 draw thanks to a last-gasp goal from Nicolò Zaniolo.

Despite rescuing a point in dramatic circumstances, Villa will definitely view that as two points dropped rather than a point gained, while Manchester United were poor in their 2-0 defeat to West Ham and have subsequently slipped down to eighth place. Villa could move back to top with a victory, should Liverpool and Arsenal fail to win their games against Burnley and West Ham.

This game is almost impossible to predict, making it the perfect curtain-closer for this Boxing Day bonanza. Get the leftover gammon in the oven, pop open a bottle of your favourite drink and strap yourselves in for another scintillating day of festive football. Tremendous.

Premier League Gameweek 19 – Fixtures in full

TUESDAY 26TH DECEMBER

Newcastle United 12:30 Nottingham Forest

AFC Bournemouth 15:00 Fulham

Sheffield United 15:00 Luton Town

Burnley 17:30 Liverpool

Manchester United 20:00 Aston Villa

WEDNESDAY 27TH DECEMBER

Brentford 19:30 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Chelsea 19:30 Crystal Palace

Everton 20:15 Manchester City

THURSDAY 28TH DECEMBER