The Premier League has confirmed the return of its traditional set of Boxing Day fixtures, with seven matches set to take place on Dec. 26.
Boxing Day last year saw just one Premier League game -- Manchester United against Newcastle -- with the league citing the "expansion of European club competitions" and the need for at least 33 matchweeks to take place on weekends.
But the Premier League announced on Thursday that the traditional host of games would return for 2026-27, with Manchester City's trip to Newcastle the headline match.
The Boxing Day fixtures begin with Aston Villa against Leeds at 12.30 p.m. GMT. That will be followed by four 3 p.m. kickoffs: Everton against Sunderland, Fulham against Brighton, Ipswich against Brentford and Tottenham against Bournemouth.
At 5.30 p.m., Hull will host Liverpool, before City travel to St. James' Park at 8 p.m., with both being broadcast live in the UK.
The remaining three games are scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 27. Coventry will face Chelsea at 2 p.m., Manchester United take on Nottingham Forest at 4.30 p.m., and Arsenal travel to Crystal Palace at 7 p.m.
The following set of fixtures will be held on Dec. 29 and 30.
The Premier League is obligated to have no more than five rounds of midweek fixtures in a single season. Given that Boxing Day this year is a Saturday, the league is able to keep the matches across Dec. 26 and 27 without eating into that set of five rounds.
It remains to be seen whether, in 2028 -- when Boxing Day falls on a Tuesday -- the Premier League will once again move the majority of fixtures to a different date.
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The announcement of the exact times and broadcast information for this year's games comes after the Premier League and its broadcast partners agreed to expedite the selection process for matchweeks 17 to 20, which run across the Christmas period.
"This fixture announcement gives supporters more than three months' notice to plan and make travel arrangements for a particularly busy time of the year and follows consultation with the Football Supporters' Association and representatives from club Fan Advisory Boards," the Premier League said.
The league also committed to keeping at least 60 hours between each club's fixtures during the period "in keeping with commitments made to clubs to address the congested festive schedule."
