Are you doomed if you’re bottom at Christmas? Which Premier League team has the best Boxing Day record? And when was the last English game played on Christmas Day?
Thursday 25 December 2014 08:26, UK
Chelsea top the Premier League table at Christmas, and Leicester prop the rest up... but is it time to celebrate in west London and all doom and gloom in the east Midlands?
There's time yet, but Christmas is still that old landmark time of the season where clubs reflect as we enter the halfway stage.
Three games in seven days for Premier League clubs could rapidly reshape the table, but for now here's a look back at the history of the Christmas period, and whether the facts tell us what we really have in store.
When was the first Boxing Day fixture played?
Sheffield FC v Hallam FC wasn’t just the first game played on December 26… it was the first ever game of association football. Sheffield were 2-0 winners at Sandygate Lane, still the home of Hallam FC. It has since been one of the most highly-anticipated sporting days of the year, sitting alongside King George VI Chase at Kempton Park and, if you’re lucky, the start of an Ashes Test match.
When was the last English game played on Christmas Day?
You may think the Christmas Day fixture is an ancient concept. But you don’t even have to go back half a century for the last game played on December 25.
The last games played on Christmas Day in England were in 1959; Coventry 5-3 Wrexham in the Third Division sounded exciting, Blackburn 1-0 Blackpool in the First Division less so. But even later than that, Scottish League fixtures were last played on Christmas Day in 1976.
Which Premier League team has the best Boxing Day record?
Manchester United are the undisputed kings of Boxing Day. Of their 20 Premier League clashes, they have won 17, drawn two and lost just one, picking up an average 2.65 points per game. Arsenal trail with 11 wins in 17 (2.24 points per game), and Coventry’s stint in the top flight saw them win five of their eight games at 2.13 points per game.
Of the Premier League clubs who have played more than five Boxing Day fixtures, Norwich are the only team without a win, losing four of their five. West Brom, Leicester, Derby and Charlton won just one of their Boxing Day games, and despite playing 19 games, Aston Villa have won just three. They travel to Swansea this time around.
Are you doomed if you’re bottom at Christmas?
Clubs bottom of the table on December 25 beware; of the 22 Premier League seasons, only two have survived.
West Bromwich Albion's Great Escape in 2004/05 was heroic and historic. Bryan Robson's side won five games after Christmas having only won one before, giving a glimmer of hope to Leicester this season.
It took another nine years for a Premier League side to repeat the feat. Gus Poyet's Sunderland won two top flight games before Christmas Day last season, but got their campaign back on track on Boxing Day with a 1-0 win at Everton. They went on to win another seven games and were five points clear of danger by the end of May.
If you're top of the tree at Christmas, it's a mixed bag. Nine times the side top at Christmas has gone on to win the league, including Manchester United on five occasions, Chelsea three times and Blackburn Rovers once.
Which Premier League team has fallen furthest after Christmas?
Norwich were seventh on Christmas Day in 1994 before being relegated, winning just twice after the festive celebrations. But Arsenal had an injection of spirit in 1997, going from sixth on Christmas Day to champions come May 1998.
Aston Villa fans won't need reminding of their slump under John Gregory after Christmas Day 1998, going from top to sixth come May 1999, the biggest drop from top in terms of position in Premier League history.
Newcastle (2001/02) and Liverpool (1996/97) have both dropped from first at Christmas to fourth at the end of the season.
What was the highest-scoring Premier League Boxing Day game?
We all want goals on Boxing Day as we tuck into our leftovers, and Villa’s 4-4 draw at Chelsea in 2007 provided the most from the traditional programme in Premier League history. Gareth Barry’s last-minute equaliser at Stamford Bridge, an early kick-off, secured a point for the visitors after a topsy-turvy 90 minutes.
Five teams have succumbed to the Boxing Day blues with five-goal defeats; Sunderland (0-5 v Everton in 1999), Leicester (1-6 v Arsenal in 2000), Charlton (0-5 v West Ham in 2000), West Brom (0-5 v Liverpool in 2004) and Wigan (0-5 v Manchester United in 2011).
The 35 Premier League goals scored on December 26 1999 is the highest-scoring Boxing Day programme in Premier League history, including Coventry’s 3-2 win over Arsenal at Highfield Road, Everton’s thumping 5-0 defeat of Sunderland and 4-0 wins for Manchester United over Bradford and Tottenham over Watford.
Who has scored the most Premier League goals on Boxing Day?
One player leads the way when it comes to inflicting pain on the opposition on Boxing Day. Robbie Fowler has nine Premier League goals on December 26 fixtures, while Robbie Keane and Alan Shearer have eight. Thierry Henry follows with seven, Jermain Defoe and Dimitar Berbatov have six, and Andy Cole, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have five.
And Lampard isn’t one to hide away after Christmas, playing in every Boxing Day fixture his team has been involved in since his debut in 1996 (16 times), more than any player.
Martin Tyler celebrates the 40th anniversary of his first ever TV commentary on December 28 when you can hear him commentating on Southampton v Chelsea live on Sky Sports 1 from 2pm.
