The Boxing Day fixtures for the 2022/23 Premier League season have been revealed.
The Premier League gets under way earlier than ever this season to accommodate the Qatar World Cup, with the first match taking place on 5 August when Crystal Palace host Arsenal at Selhurst Park.
The season breaks after the weekend of 12 November, one week ahead of the tournament in Qatar, and returns on 26 December, eight days after the World Cup final.
Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa will face Liverpool on Boxing Day in one of the standout fixtures. Liverpool will travel to Villa Park to take on Gerrard’s side, who came so close to helping his old club win the title when they led Manchester City 2-0 on the final day of last season only to lose 3-2.
Meanwhile the champions City, who have now won four of the past five league titles, take on Leeds United at Elland Road.
Manchester United will play newly promoted Nottingham Forest, the side they famously beat 8-1 in what was then a record Premier League win, as former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came off the bench to score four times in the final 10 minutes. A repeat may be unlikely but new manager Erik ten Hag will at least hope to have United playing his kind of football by the time Boxing Day comes around.
As is traditional, the fixture list has been kind to travelling fans this Christmas serving up three London derbies, with West Ham heading to Arsenal, Spurs travelling to Brentford and Fulham crossing the Thames to face Crystal Palace.
Southampton host Brighton in a south-coast derby of sorts, while Wolves travel to Everton. Newcastle United fans face the longest journey, not for the first time, as they take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Team sheets could be difficult to predict after the World Cup break. Some, like Manchester City’s new Norwegian signing Erling Haland, will be completely rested and fresh from a six-week break after his country failed to qualify, while those players who go far in the tournament could be given the Christmas off club football to recover from their international exertions.
Match dates and kick-off times may be ammended due to TV scheduling.
Boxing Day fixtures
26/12/2022 15:00 Arsenal v West Ham United
26/12/2022 15:00 Aston Villa v Liverpool
26/12/2022 15:00 Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur
26/12/2022 15:00 Chelsea v A.F.C. Bournemouth
26/12/2022 15:00 Crystal Palace v Fulham
26/12/2022 15:00 Everton v Wolverhampton
26/12/2022 15:00 Leeds United v Manchester City
26/12/2022 15:00 Leicester City v Newcastle United
26/12/2022 15:00 Manchester United v Nottingham Forest
26/12/2022 15:00 Southampton v Brighton
