MANCHESTER, England (AP) — It's traditionally one of the most anticipated days of the English soccer calendar. But this year there is a notable lack of Premier League games on Boxing Day, with only one match scheduled: Manchester United vs. Newcastle.
Instead there will be seven games on Saturday and the round of fixtures will be completed with two more on Sunday.
The Premier League said in October that the reason for a reduced Boxing Day schedule was because of the growing pressure expanded European club competitions are having on England's top flight.
A new-look Champions League format was introduced last year. It meant an expansion European club soccer's top tournament from 32 teams to 36, with more games in a league format played through to January and a playoff phase added in February.
In addition to the second-tier Europa League and third-tier Conference League, the Premier League says it has been presented with “several challenges” to fixture scheduling. It said the reduction in Boxing Day games had impacted an “important tradition in English football.”
Last year there were eight games on Boxing Day.
With Boxing Day falling on a Friday and the Premier League ensuring time between games to allow sufficient rest for players over the festive period, games have been spread across Dec. 26-28.
“With fewer weekends to work with, the league is bound by how the calendar falls,” the Premier League said.
It has also given assurance more games would be played on Boxing Day in 2026 because it falls on a Saturday.
Friday Dec. 26
Manchester United vs. Newcastle United
Saturday Dec. 27
Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester City
Arsenal vs, Brighton
Brentford vs. Bournemouth
Burnley vs. Everton
Liverpool vs. Wolverhampton
West Ham vs. Fulham
Chelsea vs. Aston Villa
Sunday Dec. 28
Sunderland vs. Leeds
Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham
Tuesday Dec. 30
Burnley vs. Newcastle
Chelsea vs. Bournemouth
Nottingham Forest vs. Everton
West Ham vs. Brighton
Arsenal vs. Aston Villa
Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton
Thursday Jan. 1
Crystal Palace vs. Fulham
Liverpool vs. Leeds
Brentford vs. Tottenham
Sunderland vs. Manchester City
Saturday Jan. 3
Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest
Brighton vs. Burnley
Wolverhampton vs. West Ham
Bournemouth vs. Arsenal
Sunday Jan. 4
Leeds vs. Manchester United
Everton vs. Brentford
Fulham vs. Liverpool
Newcastle vs. Crystal Palace
Tottenham vs. Sunderland
Manchester City vs. Chelsea
Tuesday Jan. 6
West Ham vs. Nottingham Forest
Wednesday Jan. 7
Bournemouth vs. Tottenham
Brentford vs. Sunderland
Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa
Everton vs. Wolverhampton
Fulham vs. Chelsea
Manchester City vs. Brighton
Burnley vs. Manchester United
Newcastle United vs. Leeds United
Thursday Jan. 8
Arsenal vs. Liverpool
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Manchester United's Matheus Cunha celebrates after scoring during a Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Bournemouth in Manchester, England, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — Medium-pacer Tushar Deshpande held his nerve bowling the last over to give Rajasthan Royals a thrilling six-run win against Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League on Saturday.
Gujarat needed 11 runs from the final over and Deshpande conceded only four for Rajasthan's second win from two matches and top spot in the table on net run-rate from Delhi Capitals, who beat Mumbai Indians earlier.
Rajasthan notched 210-6 thanks to Dhruv Jurel's 75 off 42 balls and Yashasvi Jaiswal's 55 off 36.
Gujarat, on the back of Sai Sudharsan’s 73 off 44 and tailenders Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada, mounted a terrific comeback to reduce the chase to a reachable 15 off the last 12 balls.
But Rajasthan's England pacer Jofra Archer allowed only four runs in the 19th over, and Deshpande, who played two Twenty20s for India in 2024, was given the last over. He also allowed only four and closed with two dot balls and Khan's wicket. With Gujarat stranded at 204-8, Deshpande thumped his chest in jubilation.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals beat Mumbai Indians by six wickets in the national capital and went top of the table for approximately four hours.
Sameer Rizvi blew away Mumbai with 90 runs off 51 balls to help set up Delhi's second win from two matches.
The impact player followed his unbeaten 70 against Lucknow SuperGiants on Wednesday with seven sixes and seven boundaries in his highest IPL score.
Delhi raced to 164-4 and a six-wicket win with 11 balls to spare in reply to Mumbai's 162-6 and a first loss in the young season for the five-time champion.
Rajasthan opted to bat first and Jaiswal and 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi launched 70 runs off 38 balls for the first wicket.
Suryavanshi scored 31 off 18 including five fours and a six before he miscued to deep midwicket.
Jaiswal took over to score 50 off 32 balls including three sixes and six boundaries.
Jaiswal and Jurel combined for 56 into the 12th over before Jaiswal was bowled by Rabada. Jurel carried Rajasthan past 200 in the 19th over before he nicked behind in the 20th. Jurel hit five sixes and five fours.
Gujarat captain Shubman Gill was missing owing to a muscle spasm and Sudharsan led the way with 50 off 33 in an opening stand of 78 with Kumar Kushagra.
When Sudharsan holed out in the 11th over, Gujarat started losing steam.
Impact substitute Ravi Bishnoi, the wrist spinner, picked 4-41 in four overs to reduce Gujarat to 133-5 in the 14th over.
But Khan and Rabada fought hard to take the game into the final overs, where they were trumped by Archer and Deshpande.
Rizvi started his innings conservatively, taking 20 balls to get his eye in. He came in with Delhi in trouble at 7-2 in the second over. Rizvi joined opener Pathum Nissanka, who was the initial aggressor in their 66-run stand.
When Nissanka top-edged a pull straight up on 44 at 73-3, Rizvi took charge of the chase at Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Rizvi hit 50 off 31 balls to lead Delhi to 100 in the 12th over. He appeared set for his maiden IPL hundred and was 10 runs away when he went looking for his eighth six and was caught at long-off off the bowling of Corbin Bosch in the 17th over. Mumbai players applauded Rizvi as he left.
“Rizvi never let us get back into the game,” Mumbai stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav said.
Rizvi said he'd worked on his weaknesses, especially against fast bowlers, before his third IPL. “I took time, got set and then played my shots," he said. "I tried to watch the ball as long as possible. Did the same in the last game.”
Mumbai was made to bat first and finished with a score Yadav felt was 15-20 runs short.
Mukesh Kumar (2-26) struck twice in the third over, bagging Ryan Rickelton on 9 and taking a return catch from Tilak Varma for a two-ball duck.
Yadav and Rohit Sharma combined for 53 off 40 balls but the slowish Delhi pitch didn’t allow the Mumbai stars to run away with the scoring rate.
Delhi skipper Axar Patel got the breakthrough when Sharma slapped him to cover and Nitish Rana took a tough chance above his head in the 10th over.
Yadav got 51 off 36 but was out lbw to Lungi Ngidi and Mumbai faded.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Rajasthan Royals' Yashasvi Jaiswal plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad, India, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Rajasthan Royals' Dhruv Jurel plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad, India, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Rajasthan Royals Tushar Deshpande celebrates the wicket of Gujarat Titans' Rashid Khan during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad, India, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Delhi Capitals' Sameer Rizvi plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in New Delhi, India, Saturday, April. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Delhi Capitals' Sameer Rizvi celebrates his fifty runs during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in New Delhi, India, Saturday, April. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
