December 26th has a long tradition of being intertwined with football in the United Kingdom and with the Premier League games coming thick and fast over the next week, Boxing Day is the marquee day in the festive fixtures.
It is time for the most wonderful day of the year in the Premier League: Boxing Day.
And Boxing Day 2022 is even better as it means the Premier League is back after a six-week break for the 2022 World Cup.
Below are the sides have the best record on the 26th of December.
Arsenal
Played: 8
Win: 5
Draw: 2
Loss: 1
Goals Scored: 16
Goals Conceded: 9
Goal Difference: +7
It took until 2013 for Arsenal to play on Boxing Day and they’ve generally performed well on the day after Christmas – 2020 victory over Chelsea is proof of that.
The only blip was a 4-0 reverse at Southampton in 2015, a result that certainly dented their title chances that season.
Aston Villa
Played: 12
Win: 4
Draw: 2
Loose: 6
Goals Scored : 11
Goals Conceded: 15
Goal Difference: -4
Aston Villa have played Boxing Day fixtures in both the Premier League and Championship since 2010, winning their last two top-flight matches on this date.
Brentford
Played: 11
Win: 5
Draw: 4
Loose: 2
Goals Scored: 20
Goals Conceded: 16
Goal Difference: +4
Brentford have only suffered two defeat in 10 Boxing Day matches since 2010 – but all of them have been below the Premier League.
Brighton
Played: 8
Win: 1
Draw: 3
Loose: 4
Goals Scored: 8
Goals Conceded: 13
Goal Difference: -5
Brighton don’t have much luck on Boxing Day, only a win over brentford last year.
They’ve lost to Charlton and drew with Reading and Brentford in the Championship.
Since promotion, they’ve emerged winless from fixtures against the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.
But, last season 2-0 win over Bretford changed the bad luck
Burnley
Played: 8
Win: 3
Draw: 1
Loose: 4
Goals Scored: 9
Goals Conceded: 10
Goal Difference: -1
Burnley were seconds away from winning at Old Trafford in 2017 before falling to a last-gasp equaliser.
They are yet to win a Premier League fixture on Boxing Day and the postponement of their match with Everton means the wait will continue for another year.
Chelsea
Played: 11
Win: 7
Draw: 2
Loose: 2
Goals Scored: 18
Goals Conceded: 10
Goal Difference: +8
They may have lost their last two Boxing Day clashes but Chelsea are normally pretty ruthless at this time of the season.
West Ham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Watford and Aston Villa are among their victims since 2010.
Crystal Palace
Played: 10
Win: 3
Draw: 3
Loose: 4
Goals Scored: 6
Goals Conceded: 15
Goal Difference: -9
Tottenham thrash them last season by 3-0. They are at home tomorrow to welcoming Fulham.
Everton
Played: 10
Win: 6
Draw: 2
Loose: 2
Goals Scored: 14
Goals Conceded: 5
Goal Difference: +9
Defeats against Stoke and Sunderland earlier in the decade are Everton’s only real Boxing Day blemishes.
Their 5-1 win at Burnley in 2018 was a stand-out performance and their victory over Sheffield United 2020 took them as high as 5th in the Premier League table.
Everton miss out in last year fixtures but they are on tomorrow against Wolverhampton
Leeds United
Played: 9
Win: 3
Draw: 3
Loose: 3
Goals Scored: 15
Goals Conceded: 15
Goal Difference: 0
They won’t be adding to their record in 2021 as their trip to Liverpool has been postponed. Which, considering their recent from, is probably for the best.
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Leicester City
Played: 12
Win: 2
Draw: 4
Loose: 6
Goals Scored: 13
Goals Conceded: 23
Goal Difference: -10
It has been quite a mixed bag in the east Midlands when it comes to Boxing Day luck.
Leicester’s 2-1 victory over eventual champions Manchester City in 2018 ended a run of four straight defeats – even the Premier League champions of 2015-16 lost 1-0 at Anfield.
They’ve scored less than a goal per Boxing Day game since 2010, but they suffered to Pep Guardiola sides last as Man City beat them by 6-3
They are against inform Newcastle tomorrow
Liverpool
Played: 8
Win: 5
Draw: 1
Loose: 2
Goals Scored: 18
Gosls Conceded: 6
Goal Difference: +12
Manchester City
Played: 10
Win: 7
Draw: 1
Loose: 2
Goals Scored: 24
Goals Conceded: 10
Goal Difference: +11
The champions have an impressive record on Boxing Day, with defeats at Sunderland in 2012 and Leicester in 2018 acting as blips in their excellence.
City took a revenge against Leicester last year – as they beat them 6-3 at the Etihad stadium.
Manchester United
Played: 11
Win: 8
Draw: 2
Loose: 1
Goals Scored: 31
Goals Conceded: 15
Goal Difference: +16
Man United have remained consistent on Boxing Day, even after Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013.
Newcastle are their most common victories, with United beating them three times at Old Trafford since 2010.
Their 2-2 draw at Leicester in 2020 was one of only three times United have dropped points over the period.
Newcastle United
Played: 10
Win: 2
Draw: 0
Loose: 8
Goals Scored: 13
Goals Conceded: 23
Goal Difference: -10
Newcastle may not win on Boxing Day very often, but their matches on St. Stephens Day see an average of 3.6 goals scored.
Norwich City
Played: 10
Win: 2
Draw: 1
Loose: 7
Goals Scored: 13
Goals Conceded: 20
Goal Difference: -7
Norwich fans will look back fondly at their 6-1 win over Millwall back in 2014 and 3-3 with Nottingham Forest in the Championship winning season of 2018-19.
Southampton
Played: 9
Win: 6
Draw: 2
Loose: 1
Goals Scored: 20
Goals Conceded: 9
Goal Difference: 11
Southampton are surprisingly prolific on Boxing Day, with their 5-2 defeat at Tottenham in 2017 acting as their only reverse of the decade.
Their 4-0 win over Arsenal was memorable and defeat West Ham 3-2 last season.
Southampton will be looking to score another December 26 victory at Brighton in 2022.
Tottenham
Played: 9
Win: 8
Draw: 1
Loose: 0
Goals Scored: 27
Goals Conceded: 6
Goal Difference: +21
Four past Aston Villa. Five past Southampton. Five past Bournemouth three past Crystal Palace 2021
Watford
Played: 8
Win: 3
Draw: 3
Loose: 2
Goals Scored: 11
Goals Conceded: 7
Goal Difference: +4
Watford players 2020 Boxing Day off, their match with Wolves being postponed due to a COIVD outbreak in their camp.
They don’t usually fare well in their first match after Christmas anyway, their only Premier League win on Boxing Day coming against Leicester in 2017.
West Ham
Played: 9
Win: 2
Draw: 3
Loose: 4
Goals Scored: 16
Goals Conceded: 17
Goal Difference: 1
The Hammers have won just once on Boxing Day since 2011 and that was a 4-1 win at Swansea back in 2016.
West Ham didn’t play on Boxing Day 2020 and their match against Southampton last season ended in defeat 3-2.
David Moyes side will be looking to reverse a poor run of form against Arsenal in 2022.
Wolves
Played: 8
Win: 4
Draw: 2
Loose: 2
Goals Scored: 11
Goals Conceded: 10
Goal Difference : +1
Wolves have played across three divisions since 2010 and have generally been successful on Boxing Day – but all their victories have come in the lower leagues.
Their last defeat came against Peterborough in 2012 but the west Midlands side have not emerged victorious in the Premier League on December 26 since their promotion in 2018.
Wolves will have to wait until 2022 as they will Everton to correct that after their match with Watford was postponed.
