The Premier League has confirmed that seven matches will be played on Boxing Day this year, after releasing its latest set of festive fixtures.
Four games will kick off at 3pm on December 26. Aston Villa face Leeds at 12.30pm, Hull take on Liverpool at 5.30pm, and Newcastle host Manchester City at 8pm.
Full festive fixture list
A triple header follows on Super Sunday on Sky Sports on December 27. Chelsea face Coventry at 2pm, Manchester United host Nottingham Forest at 4.30pm, and Crystal Palace take on champions Arsenal at 7pm.
That kicks off a busy schedule over the festive period, with three further rounds of matches to be played up to January 7. A round of midweek evening fixtures will take place on December 29 and December 30, before Leeds host Everton in the only game on New Year's Day. The rest of that gameweek will be played on January 2 and January 3, before the festive schedule concludes with a round of games falling between January 5 and January 7.
Every fixture from the December 29 to December 30 round, and the round from January 5 to January 7, will be broadcast on Sky Sports.
Last year's Boxing Day backlash
The early confirmation comes after the Premier League faced widespread backlash for hosting just one game on Boxing Day, one of the most popular dates on the football calendar, last season.
Manchester United's match against Newcastle was the only fixture played on Boxing Day last year, with the top flight blaming scheduling issues caused by European football and the Carabao Cup.
At the time, the Premier League said: "There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions, which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup. This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition, fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995. With fewer weekends to work with, the league is bound by how the calendar falls. The league can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day, as the date falls on a Saturday."
Consultation and club welfare
The early announcement follows consultation between the Premier League, its broadcast partners, the Football Supporters' Association and representatives from club Fan Advisory Boards, with a desire to give as much notice as possible to fans travelling to games.
As part of the schedule, each club is guaranteed at least a 60-hour break between matches to help them cope with fixture congestion over the festive period.
The early confirmation is likely to be welcomed by supporters after the Premier League was heavily criticised for arranging just one Boxing Day fixture last season.
