A jam-packed Premier League festive schedule peaks with a season-defining clash between Man City and Liverpool
The festive holidays are here. A time of overindulgence and mouth-watering treats. And this year’s Premier League definitely delivers, building to a potential title-defining to-of-the-table clash.
EPL
Don't miss out on the headlines from EPL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It is one of the defining features of the festive period — gluttony. The chance to celebrate with loved ones and consume more than you would usually think healthy. And this year, the Premier League is no different.
Spend countless hours watching your most-loved footballers and tuck in to a mouth-watering run of games. Why not? It’s Christmas, after all.
This is the time of year the Premier League title challengers truly announce themselves. And just when you think you’ve recovered from the overindulgence, while you’re still recovering and wondering why the top button on your pants doesn’t work anymore, the EPL schedule will build to a possible season-defining clash early in the new year.
The festive free-to-air EPL TV schedule, live on SBS:
Chelsea v Leicester City, Sunday 23rd December, 2am AEDT
Liverpool v Newcastle United, Thursday 27th December, 2am AEDT
Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sunday 30th December, 2am AEDT
Manchester City v Liverpool, Thursday 4th January, 7am AEDT
It starts this weekend, with Everton-Tottenham the pick of the matches. While he ignores Manchester United fluttering their eyelashes, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino needs his team to take all three points from Goodison Park if they are truly to be considered alongside Liverpool and Manchester City.
The heavy defeat to Arsenal at the start of December was the sort of stumble that appears to as also-rans in this race. Yet Spurs are only six points off the leaders Liverpool — an away win against a tricky but inconsistent Everton would be a statement that they are not done yet.
The Toffees haven’t won since scraping past Cardiff in late November but their home form is good and Goodison is still tough place to visit. Spurs, however, have been a bit of a steamroller on the road, winning eight of their 10 away games, and the pressure from the top two means they know they cannot afford to slip up. Expect Poch’s team to give everything here.
Moving past the big one, the Boxing Day schedule looks like a second Christmas for the big teams — another sack of gifts. Manchester City take on Leicester, Liverpool face Newcastle, Spurs Bournemouth, Arsenal Brighton and Chelsea take on Watford. There are no easy games, right? But it’s tough to see any of the big names slipping up here and we could be in for a glut of goals and a long lazy morning spent watching the highlights.
Now that Christmas is finally out of the way for another year, the EPL kicks of the new year party with some absolute bangers. On New Year’s Eve eve, Arsenal travel to Anfield for a fixture that has so often decided where the silverware will go.
The shock loss to Southampton knocked the wind out of Arsenal’s sails and showed there is still some work for coach Unai Emery to do, most of it in building a squad that can maintain the pace through the gruelling Premier League season.
A few defensive injuries have exposed the Gunners’ lack of strength in depth (Rob Holding is out for the season, Konstantinos Mavropanos battling a groin injury, Shkodran Mustafi’s hammy playing up) compared to City and Liverpool, who boast the players to cover these kinds of problems.
So a trip to Anfield will present the toughest test of the Gunners’ development under Emery.
The Reds are still, at the time of writing, the only unbeaten side in the competition and have conceded just seven goals in 17 games. Whisper it quietly — or scream it as loud as you like, Reds fans — but that looks a championship-winning defence right there.
Liverpool are a daunting prospect right now and although they first-team selection is largely straightforward, Jurgen Klopp can alter his side’s shape, strength or penetration with one or two substitutions. But Arsenal have a history of upsetting them at Anfield, so don’t get carried away just yet.
And the Reds have their own gauntlet to run the following week — down the M62 motorway to face reigning champions Manchester City in a top-of-the-table clash so huge it cannot adequately be described through mere words. And, best of all, it’s on at a reasonable hour — 7am Friday, 4 January.
There are too many fixtures between now and then to preview it properly, so let your imagination run wild. Guardiola v Klopp, blue v red, champions v contenders, nouveau riche v old money … The earth will shake, walls will crumble, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!
There are probably too many games ahead to call this a true title decider but given how close these two fantastically constructed teams have been up this point, a win for either would create a gap that could become a chasm in a season of tiny margins.
The hype around this game will be intense - revel in it, the anticipation is part of the thrill. And know that your Christmas football viewing should leave you full-to-bursting.
Get every match of the 2018/19 Hyundai A-League LIVE. SIGN UP NOW!
Ange cracks over historic embarrassment
A brutal, viral fan video said it all as Ange Postecoglou’s team blundered its way to something only seen four times in history.
Liverpool star’s ‘unbelievable’ goal, PL side stunned: FA Cup Wrap
Manchester City dashed the dreams of Salford’s former Manchester United star owners with an 8-0 FA Cup rout, while Liverpool also cruised into the fourth round with a 4-0 victory over Accrington Stanley.