The English Premier League has made its return from a winter hiatus, with a day of fixtures scheduled for Boxing Day, a traditional day of football on the calendar. Despite the rest of Europe taking time to relax in December, the Premier League continues right through the festive winter season. The tradition of the full Boxing Day schedule was established at the start of the 21st century, and it has become an integral part of the Premier League calendar for football fans around the world.
The 20-goal haul of 2010 marked the highest-scoring Boxing Days in Premier League history, with an incredible seven games played on that day. Each contest featured at least two goals, and only three out of the14 teams failed to get on the scoresheet. In 2016, Manchester City secured a 3-0 victory in the evening kick-off, adding to the day’s tally of 21 goals. In 2004 and 2006, there were 22 Boxing Day goals scored, with Liverpool’s 5-0 win over West Brom and Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Reading being the memorable contests of those years.
In 2015, Stoke City stunned Manchester United with a 2-0 victory, while Southampton thrashed Arsenal 4-0 at St. Mary’s. Boxing Day 2001 saw a full complement of Premier League fixtures and an average of just 2.4 goals per game. The day was also marked by one-sided encounters, with six of the games being decided by two or more goals. In 2008, 2012, and 2022, there were 25 goals each, with the latter having only seven fixtures played.
Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Villa Park was a highlight of the Boxing Day of 2008/09, while 2012 was dominated by Manchester United’s 4-3 triumph over Newcastle. In 2014, there were no stalemates, and the day’s haul of 28 goals set a record for the highest number of goals in a Boxing Day in Premier League history. Brighton’s 2-0 victory over Brentford was the tamest of the games, with Leicester being beaten 6-3 by Man City and Arsenal thumping Norwich 5-0.
2005 marked another Boxing Day with 28 goals, but it didn’t quite possess the same excitement. In 2018, Everton thrashed Burnley 5-1 at Turf Moor to mark another 29-goal Boxing Day haul. The first full round of Boxing Day fixtures in 2000 produced some of the most entertaining matches in Premier League history. In 2007, Chelsea and Aston Villa played an eight-goal thriller with late drama. Over the years, Boxing Day has consistently produced entertaining and high-scoring matches, becoming an integral part of British football culture.
