The Christmas timetable is fantastic for fans and authors but challenging for players, coaches, and their families. Games take place every other day, along with a few cup competitions for added excitement.
Apologies everyone, but we are truly incredibly thrilled – this is the finest season for being a football enthusiast.
Taking that into account, we have listed the Christmas fixtures of each Premier League team from the least challenging to the most challenging. Everton supporters will find coal and yet another fight against relegation in their stockings, while Chelsea fans might face some surprising expectations.
20) Chelsea
Tottenham (A) – December 8
Astana (A) – December 12
Brentford (H) – December 15
Shamrock Rovers (H) – December 19
Everton (A) – December 22
Fulham (H) – December 26
Ipswich (A) – December 30
Crystal Palace (A) – January 4
Chelsea will be quite pleased with this. The feared Thursday to Sunday timetable isn’t a concern at all due to the size of their team and Cole Palmer being ineligible for the Europa Conference League.
Enzo Maresca asserts that his team is not part of the title competition. We will determine that in a few weeks, thank you.
19) Arsenal
Fulham (A) – December 8
Monaco (H) – December 11
Everton (H) – December 14
Crystal Palace (H) – December 18
Crystal Palace (A) – December 21
Ipswich (H) – December 27
Brentford (A) – January 1
Brighton (A) – January 4
Arsenal has matches every three or four days, starting with their home game against Manchester United on Wednesday, December 4, and continuing with their away game at Crystal Palace on the 21st. Champions League and Carabao Cup games are packed in there too. Midweek matches are definitely considered when assessing the challenge of their Premier League games. Indeed, that’s essentially the idea.
Palace presents one of those consecutive matches against the same rival following/before a cup game, a particular interest of mine, and it will be another challenge if the Eagles perform as we all know they can. Everton at home, on the other hand, should provide an effortless three points for the Gunners, and with no ‘Big Six’ rivals present, it’s fair to say that Arsenal enjoys a rather accommodating Christmas season.
18) Bournemouth
Ipswich (A) – December 8
West Ham (H) – December 16
Manchester United (A) – December 22
Crystal Palace (H) – December 26
Fulham (A) – December 29
Everton (H) – January 4
Being a Bournemouth fan is fantastic right now. Their toughest game is likely against Manchester United – whom they defeated 3-0 at Old Trafford last year.
17) Manchester City
Crystal Palace (A) – December 7
Juventus (A) – December 11
Manchester United (H) – December 15
Aston Villa (A) – December 21
Everton (H) – December 26
Leicester (A) – December 29
West Ham (H) – January 4
It’s hard to overlook a team’s actual capability, and even though Manchester City is experiencing their toughest period under Pep Guardiola, we believe they ought to win most of these games. The last three, in particular, are quite advantageous. Palace will play just days after facing Nottingham Forest, and we believe the streak without a win will conclude in one of these matches.
Juventus away, United at home, and then Villa away seem challenging on paper, but Juve haven’t won in the Champions League since the second matchday, United are themselves, and Villa have been utterly terrible.
We simply believe that once that initial victory happens, the dam will burst, and although United, Villa, and Juventus may present some challenges
16) Liverpool
Everton (A) – December 7
Girona (H) – December 10
Fulham (H) – December 14
Southampton (A) – December 18
Tottenham (A) – December 22
Leicester (H) – December 26
West Ham (A) – December 29
Manchester United (H) – January 5
Liverpool’s performance was expected to decline amid a challenging series of matches from Chelsea at home on October 20 to Everton away on December 7, but they have excelled in every test encountered.
They have confidently defeated Premier League champions Manchester City, European champions Real Madrid, Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, and drawn against Arsenal – the sole match they did not win since the defeat to Nottingham Forest on September 14.
Certainly, Tottenham away might pose challenges, and Man United have shown improvement with Ruben Amorim, but this is a solid schedule for any club, especially one that is nine points ahead of second place in the Premier League standings.
15) Wolves
West Ham (A) – December 9
Ipswich (H) – December 14
Leicester (A) – December 22
Manchester United (H) – December 26
Tottenham (A) – December 29
Nottingham Forest (H) – January 6
Wolves faced the hardest beginning of all, so it’s only fair that December treats them well. They are facing West Ham at the perfect moment and are superior to Ipswich and Leicester. The next three could easily result in losses, but we also wouldn’t be shocked if they earned five or six points from them. Wolves can be quite erratic, but so can Man United and Spurs…
14) Brighton
Leicester (A) – December 8
Crystal Palace (H) – December 15
West Ham (A) – December 21
Brentford (H) – December 27
Aston Villa (A) – December 30
Arsenal (H) – January 4
Title push, anyone?
14) Brighton
Leicester (A) – December 8
Crystal Palace (H) – December 15
West Ham (A) – December 21
Brentford (H) – December 27
Aston Villa (A) – December 30
Arsenal (H) – January 4
Title push, anyone?
13) Newcastle
Brentford (A) – December 7
Leicester (H) – December 14
Brentford (H) – December 18
Ipswich (A) – December 21
Aston Villa (H) – December 26
Manchester United (A) – December 30
Tottenham (A) – January 4
It all hinges on whether you’re someone who sees the glass as half full or half empty. If you support Newcastle, that glass is likely half empty, making journeys to Man United and Tottenham throughout the year seem intimidating.
Facing Brentford away poses a challenge for any team currently, but it should be an enjoyable match at home in the Carabobbins. Regardless of what your metaphorical glass contains, the Toon Army ought to be fairly pleased with their Christmas timetable. At the very least, the ‘Big Six’ opponents they encounter are the two least stable.
12) West Ham
Wolves (H) – December 9
Bournemouth (A) – December 16
Brighton (H) – December 21
Southampton (A) – December 26
Liverpool (H) – December 29
Manchester City (A) – January 4
It is uncertain whether Julen Lopetegui will oversee all of these matches. The New Manager Bounce might boost chances of victories in challenging games against Bournemouth and Brighton, but we have no confidence for the matches against Liverpool and City, even if Jurgen Klopp is taking over for Lopetegui.
11) Crystal Palace
Manchester City (H) – December 7
Brighton (A) – December 15
Arsenal (A) – December 18
Arsenal (H) – December 21
Bournemouth (A) – December 26
Southampton (H) – December 29
Chelsea (H) – January 4
It wouldn’t be shocking if Crystal Palace find themselves in the bottom five and eliminated from the Carabao Cup before the Chelsea game. In reality, the only match we believe they ought to win is versus Southampton.
Selhurst Park isn’t fulfilling the Difficult Place To Go stereotype, but it must be a nightmare for Brighton, Arsenal, Bournemouth, and the Saints if Steve Parish is to fully trust head coach Oliver Glasner heading into 2025.
10) Ipswich Town
Bournemouth (H) – December 8
Wolves (A) – December 14
Newcastle (H) – December 21
Arsenal (H) – December 27
Chelsea (H) – December 30
Fulham (A) – January 5
A couple of winnable fixtures in there for Ipswich but they are four very tricky home games. We fear for them.
9) Brentford
Newcastle (H) – December 7
Chelsea (A) – December 15
Newcastle (A) – December 18
Nottingham Forest (H) – December 21
Brighton (A) – December 27
Arsenal (H) – January 1
Southampton (A) – January 4
This season, away matches seem to be a loss for Brentford. They can defeat anyone on their turf, but no match at the Gtech comes easy. Newcastle and Arsenal emerged victorious there last season, while a questionable free-kick from Ivan Toney made the difference against Forest, who have improved significantly now.
Eighteen points with none would be surprising to us (the cup match is against Newcastle away). Fifteen from eighteen is also not possible; Brentford certainly has the ability.
8) Leicester City
Brighton (H) – December 8
Newcastle (A) – December 14
Wolves (H) – December 22
Liverpool (A) – December 26
Manchester City (H) – December 29
Aston Villa (A) – January 4
Wolves at home is a must-win game for Ruud van Nistelrooy. Brighton could go either way. The other four matches are very tough. What has RvN got himself into?
7) Nottingham Forest
Manchester United (A) – December 7
Aston Villa (H) – December 14
Brentford (A) – December 21
Tottenham (H) – December 26
Everton (A) – December 29
Wolves (A) – January 6
The last two games of Forest’s Christmas lineup are enjoyable, but since they are both away, it diminishes the experience. This is indeed quite challenging, but they will compete fearlessly, just like they have throughout the season. Being the sole team to defeat Liverpool this season shows that anything can happen. However, it’s evident that this will be quite challenging for Nuno Espirito Santo and his team.
6) Aston Villa
Southampton (H) – December 7
RB Leipzig (A) – December 10
Nottingham Forest (A) – December 14
Manchester City (H) – December 21
Newcastle (A) – December 26
Brighton (H) – December 30
Leicester (H) – January 4
Leipzig hasn’t won a match in Europe this season and could lack a manager by December 10, making predictions tough considering Villa’s ongoing struggles. Hosting Southampton is the ideal opportunity to escape the current slump, but if Villa doesn’t secure a win, they’ll find themselves in a crisis. Particularly taking into account the upcoming matches. Each and every match is challenging until the home game versus Leicester, which might serve as another possible catalyst for an improvement in performance.
5) Fulham
Arsenal (H) – December 8
Liverpool (A) – December 14
Southampton (H) – December 22
Chelsea (A) – December 26
Bournemouth (H) – December 29
Ipswich (H) – January 5
Southampton and Ipswich are certainly two pleasant matches to include, but Fulham are an odd side. They transitioned from losing 4-1 at home to Wolves to feeling let down for departing Tottenham with just a single point. Encountering three of the ‘Big Six’ may not be enjoyable, yet they possess a strong recent history against Arsenal. It would astonish us if they earn 10 points from these six games.
4) Tottenham
Chelsea (H) – December 8
Rangers (A) – December 12
Southampton (A) – December 15
Manchester United (H) – December 19
Liverpool (H) – December 22
Nottingham Forest (A) – December 26
Wolves (H) – December 29
Newcastle (H) – January 4
Boys, it’s Tottenham. This indicates victories over Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Newcastle, along with dropped points against Wolves, Southampton (definitely Southampton), and Nottingham Forest.
They host United in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and also face a challenging journey to Ange Postecoglou’s close friends Rangers in the Europa League. Even the games that appear simpler are challenging. Wolves have defeated Spurs on several occasions lately, and playing away at Forest is challenging for any team.
3) Southampton
Aston Villa (A) – December 7
Tottenham (H) – December 15
Liverpool (H) – December 18
Fulham (A) – December 22
West Ham (H) – December 26
Crystal Palace (A) – December 29
Brentford (H) – January 4
It is highly likely that Southampton will be so hurt and worn down by the time their last three matches arrive that the results will be determined in all of them before the start. Heading to West Ham with a pitying mindset won’t yield positive results, even if they haven’t performed well lately. They could also experience a New Manager Bounce!
Liverpool in the Carabao Cup is truly salt in the wounds. It is hoped that Russell Martin can mirror Nathan Jones’ remarkable achievements and secure an unexpected cup victory against the Premier League title contenders pursuing a quadruple.
2) Manchester United
Nottingham Forest (H) – December 7
Viktoria Plzen (A) – December 12
Manchester City (A) – December 15
Tottenham (A) – December 19
Bournemouth (H) – December 22
Wolves (A) – December 26
Newcastle (H) – December 30
Liverpool (A) – January 5
The important matters are approaching, Ruben. City, Spurs, and Liverpool on the road are daunting, whereas Wolves away looks like a potential trap. Add a visit to the Czech Republic for extra effect, and you end up with a lineup packed with uncomfortable away games.
United will find it hard to get relief at Old Trafford. Forest and Bournemouth are both thriving, and Newcastle can be a top team when they choose to be. They don’t perceive it as much, particularly when visiting the larger clubs, which ironically suggests that United’s simplest match…likely. Certainly, the quantity of football they will need to engage in is a crucial element in their ranking.
1) Everton
Liverpool (H) – December 7
Arsenal (A) – December 14
Chelsea (H) – December 22
Manchester City (A) – December 26
Nottingham Forest (H) – December 29
Bournemouth (A) – January 4
Indeed…these individuals are destined for failure. It would be quite shocking to find Everton out of the relegation zone and Sean Dyche still employed by the end of December.
