Credits: IMAGO / Visionhaus

Premier League Schedule Confirmed for Christmas: Only Man United vs Newcastle on Boxing Day

Credits: IMAGO / Visionhaus

The Premier League has officially confirmed its 2025 Christmas schedule. And in a rare break from tradition, only one match will take place on Boxing Day. As per the newly released fixtures, Manchester United will host Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Friday, December 26 in the lone fixture for the day.

Why the Break from Tradition?

Boxing Day football has been a cornerstone of the English game for over a century. But this season’s calendar brings a significant change. Since Boxing Day falls on a Friday in 2025, the Premier League has restructured the festive period. It has been done to meet its broadcasting and scheduling obligations.

🚨 BREAKING: Manchester United vs. Newcastle has been selected as the sole Boxing Day fixture with kick-off at 20:00.

The Premier League say they are “bound by how the calendar falls” and have to honour 33 weekends of action. Boxing Day falls on a Friday.

A full programme of… pic.twitter.com/1LbDe9qoEN
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) October 31, 2025

The league’s television contracts stipulate matches across 33 weekends. Only a limited number of midweek rounds had been made available. As a result, the remaining fixtures will be played over the weekend, between December 27 and 28. A Premier League statement explained:

“There are now several challenges to fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions, which led to a revision of our domestic calendar. With fewer weekends to work with, the League is bound by how the calendar falls.” The statement also confirmed that next season’s Boxing Day will see a return to a full round of fixtures.

The Festive Fixtures

The single Boxing Day clash will see Manchester United vs Newcastle United (20:00 GMT, Sky Sports) kick off the festive round. The following day, seven games are scheduled, including high-profile encounters such as Arsenal vs Brighton and Chelsea vs Aston Villa.

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These are the fixtures over the Christmas period include:

Friday, December 26:

Man United vs Newcastle

Saturday, December 27:

Nottingham Forest vs Man City
Arsenal vs Brighton
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
Liverpool vs Wolves
Brentford vs Bournemouth
Burnley vs Everton
West Ham vs Fulham

Sunday, December 28:

Sunderland vs Leeds United
Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur

Tuesday, December 30:

Arsenal vs Aston Villa
Manchester United vs Wolves
Chelsea vs Bournemouth
Burnley vs Newcastle
Nottingham Forest vs Everton
West Ham vs Everton

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Thursday, January 1:

Liverpool vs Leeds
Brentford vs Tottenham
Sunderland vs Manchester City
Crystal Palace vs Fulham

The EFL and National League will still host their full Boxing Day slates. However, the Premier League will have to manage with one fixture. Fans will have to settle for watching just one game which naturally has not been taken well by everyone.

Football historian Gavin Buckland told the BBC that the change represents “the beginning of the end for one of English football’s great traditions.” He added, “It’s part of the festive routine for fans – something families plan their holidays around. This year, the day will feel very different.”

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Moumita Dutta

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Football writer at The Playoffs. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful game since I was a kid.. Eventually, I realized I could combine my passion for writing with my love for football, and I’ve never looked back. My favorite part of the job is everything—when you’re doing what you love, even a late-night deadline feels like extra time in a thrilling cup final. Lastly, Lionel Messi is the GOAT.