The Analyst: Where does your team rank in a league table of Boxing Day Premier League matches?

Paul Okey
25 December 2021

Chelsea and Manchester United lead the way for the most matches played on December 26 but are they ahead on points per game? Planet Sport finds out.

This Boxing Day will be the 29th time the Premier League has hosted fixtures on December 26, with 14 of the 20 top-flight teams in action.

For Brentford it will be their first taste of Premier League top-flight action, while for Chelsea it will be their 27th.

But who are the teams who look forward to carrying their celebrations on into Boxing Day and who are ones for whom December 26 means more stuffing.

Planet Sport has analysed the Boxing Day results from the history of the Premier League and compiled a league table based on points per game. Look away now Norwich and Leicester fans.

Manchester United lead the way

There's good and bad news for Manchester United fans. The good news is, on the back of 21 wins from 26 matches, United top the table with an average points per games (ppg) of 2.5. The bad news is that the Red Devils don't actually play on Boxing Day this year, instead travelling to Newcastle on December 27.

Arsenal are second with an average of 2.18 having lost just two of their 22 top-flight matches on December 26. They will be looking to inflict a sixth successive Boxing Day defeat on Norwich City who have scored just once in their previous five outings on the day and are not surprisingly bottom of our table (19th).

Tottenham are surging up the standings and not sit third on 2.05, with 13 wins and six draws from their 22 fixtures.

Spurs go into their home clash with Crystal Palace having gone 14 games without a Boxing Day defeat - a run that dates back to 2003.

Liverpool are the only other team to average over two points per game, with 14 wins and five draws from their 23 games. The Reds have won their last five Boxing Day fixtures without conceding, scoring 15 in the process.

Premier League top two come next

Manchester City are fifth on 1.77, with their figures not helped by a run of just one win in six between 1995 and 2005. They have, however, won five of their last six.

Similarly, Chelsea (1.69, 6th) suffer for results posted pre-Roman Abramovich. Nevertheless, despite an upturn which saw them go 14 unbeaten, they entertain Aston Villa on the back of successive Boxing Day defeats.

Leeds United (1.63) are seventh with four wins and a draw from their eight top-flight games on Boxing Day, with Everton eighth. The Toffees' record (W11, D6, L8) has been helped in recent years thanks to a five wins and a draw from their last six. The Merseyside club have twice leaked four goals on the day after Christmas Day but are otherwise incredibly stingy, having posted 11 clean sheets from their 25 games.

West Ham, Southampton and Palace in the middle of the pack

West Ham average 1.5 points per game having picked up seven wins and six draws from their 18 games, with Southampton (1.31) and Crystal Palace (1.1) next best.

Aston Villa are 12th having won five and drawn five of their 21 Boxing Day fixtures. However, the Villans have won both their December 26 fixtures since returning to the top flight.

Watford (0.86) and Burnley (0.83) have a small sample size to go on, having only played 13 Premier League games between them on Boxing Day.

However, that is not a charge that can be levelled at the next two clubs in our list.

Newcastle are 15th on 0.68 ppg having won just four and drawn three of their 22 qualifying games.

And while, Manchester United fans will be bemoaning the fact their clash with the Magpies takes place on December 27, you won't hear any home fans complaining - Newcastle have lost their last five Boxing Day games.

Leicester also find themselves in the lower reaches of our table despite having racked up 14 Boxing Day results. The Foxes have won just two of them, however, with a further three draws adding up to a ppg of just 0.64.

Norwich again bring up the rear

With Brentford yet to qualify, it is Norwich City who sit bottom of our table, with five defeats from five and a paltry one goal scored.

Just above them are Wolves (0.25) who have lost three and drawn one of their four top-flight December 26 fixtures.

And Brighton (0.33) will be hoping to improve their Boxing Day record when they entertain Thomas Frank's Bees. The Seagulls have picked up just a point from their three December 26 fixtures. Ho, ho, home win? I don't think so.