Premier League confirms seven-game Boxing Day schedule for 2026/27
The Premier League has confirmed a seven-match Boxing Day programme for 2026/27, restoring a fuller December 26 schedule after last season produced only one top-flight fixture.
Aston Villa will begin the action against Leeds United at Villa Park, with the 12:30pm kick-off live on TNT Sports. Four games will then be played simultaneously at 3pm after the usual blackout is suspended for Boxing Day, including Tottenham’s home meeting with Bournemouth and Everton’s clash with Sunderland.
Liverpool’s trip to Hull City follows later in the day before Manchester City face Newcastle United at St James’ Park in the final fixture. The previous Boxing Day schedule had been restricted to Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Newcastle, with player recovery time prioritised during a demanding winter run.
Festive schedule stretches into January
The league has released the fixtures early to give travelling supporters more than three months to prepare for one of the busiest periods of the campaign. The schedule was set following discussions with the Football Supporters’ Association and club Fan Advisory Boards.
Clubs will have a minimum 60-hour gap between matches across Christmas and New Year, a protection introduced amid an increasingly crowded European and international calendar. The league said the spacing honours commitments to clubs while still allowing the festive programme to be staged over nearly two weeks.
Three more matches are scheduled for Sunday, December 27. Frank Lampard’s Coventry City host Chelsea at 2pm on Sky Sports, setting up a reunion with his former club, before Manchester United welcome Nottingham Forest to Old Trafford. Arsenal then travel across London to play Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The next round is spread across December 29 and 30, with Manchester City visiting Everton at Goodison Park and Liverpool heading to Villa Park. City then host Tottenham on Sunday, January 3, in another major fixture during the holiday sequence.
Matches continue between January 5 and 7, including Chelsea’s away game against Crystal Palace and Fulham’s London derby with Spurs. The intensive run ends on Thursday, January 7, when Manchester United host Newcastle United.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca will be among those expected to rely heavily on squad rotation as the compressed festive spell tests depth across the division.
