Boxing Day adds flavor to Premier League day

With leadership at stake and the return to Premier League normality of current champions Manchester City, with success at the Club World Cup under their belts, a new edition of what is known as ‘ boxing day’. football.

While the rest of the domestic competitions on the Old Continent are on hold, in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the celebrations take place in the stadiums the day after Christmas.

History shows that December 26 is classified as ‘Boxing Day’ because in feudal times the nobles gave boxes of food to their workers. In any case, it is a gift for the fan, even if the game is no longer played all day that day. The matches will be distributed as they take place on weekends throughout the season.

The last date of the first round will be put on the podium. The honorary winter champion will be determined on Boxing Day. And anything can happen. Recent matches have created a huge parity in the rankings. No one from the top three on the table managed to win, so the top three are only one point away. Leaders Arsenal were unable to increase their lead, while Liverpool and Aston Villa, second and third respectively, took the opportunity to storm into first place.

Beneficiaries of the date were Tottenham, fourth, who won and closed the gap to three and four points, and Manchester City, fifth, who have the match pending that day due to their participation in the Club World Cup. Spanish Pep Guardiola’s team can get back into full action as soon as they adjust their schedule with the postponed match.

The match at St. James Park between Newcastle and Nottingham Forest opens the Boxing Day match which could end with Liverpool or Aston Villa at the top of the table. Both are one point behind Arsenal, who end the session on Thursday.

Visit the team of Jurgen Klopp, which waits to see if it will have Luis Díaz, the Burnley field, penultimate, which was reunited by the victory in London, against Fulham (0-2) and which has the rescue to three points. Liverpool, in turn, have drawn twice in a row, both at Anfield: first against Manchester United and then against Arsenal.

The best goal difference keeps them in second place, despite being level with Aston Villa, the revelation of the campaign. Unai Emery’s team felt excessive pressure in the match against bottom team Sheffield, against whom they could not get further than a draw. The team from Birmingham that ends on Tuesday with the visit to Old Trafford against Manchester United was left without a lead. Two defeats and a draw summed up the Reds’ slump outside Europe and with Erik Ten Hag, their coach, in question. Manchester United has no margin for error as it faces the ‘villains’ in the most striking match of the nineteenth day.

Newcastle is also plagued by poor results, with Nottingham Forest playing an important head-to-head match for both. The Magpies have lost three in their last four games and are outside the European zone, they are seventh. The visiting team marks the save. A mistake and the win of Luton or Burnley, second from last and second from last, could move them into the last positions.

Bournemouth’s growth will also come into play on Tuesday. Three games won in a row reflect the improvement of Andoni Iraola’s team, who face Fulham in their field, in an opposite situation, with defeats in their two recent games.

Two of the bottom three in the standings, two recently promoted, meet at Bramall Lane: Sheffield, bottom, and Luton, third from bottom, separated by just three points in a dramatic clash.

The champion will be in action on Wednesday. Manchester City, successful in Saudi Arabia where they brilliantly won the Club World Cup, visit Goodison Park to take on Everton. Spain’s Pep Guardiola’s side, who have won just one of their last five Premier League games, are six off first place but have one game less.

With the possible return to activity of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne now out of sickbay, he heads to Liverpool to face the Toffees. Everton has improved. They made it four wins in a row before losing to Tottenham last Saturday, but they believe in it.

This is not the case with Chelsea, who were defeated by Wolverhampton on Sunday and where Mauricio Pochettino was questioned. He shines at Stamford Bridge in a London derby against Crystal Palace. The Wolves, enlarged by their reunion with victory, visit Brentford, in crisis, with three defeats in a row and increasingly closer to the bottom of the standings.

The last day of the first round ends on Thursday. Tottenham, clearly improved, winners of their three recent matches, visit the irregular Brighton, far from last year’s version and out of the European zone. The team of Italian Roberto De Zerbi is halfway in the rankings, seven points behind Europe. Seventeen distances from the Spurs, fourth in the Champions zone.

Arsenal complete the session in the Emirates with the visit of West Ham in another London derby. Arteta’s team, leader, is considering entering the European zone. Sixth, they have recorded two wins in a row, the latest against Manchester United. The Gunners, under threat in the standings, have won just one of their last three games.