Arsenal are on notice to maintain a comfortable lead in the Premier League title race, but a heavy fixture over the festive period could be set to halt their reign at the top of the table.
The festive season is in full swing and the football fixture is crazier than ever, with over 110 games played across the Premier League, Conference League and Carabao Cup.
Football fans will be able to watch a match almost every day until January 9, with some of the strongest match-ups and fiercest rivalries set to be put on show.
Football’s new home, Stan Sport, is the only place to watch the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, WSL, European World Cup qualifiers, J.League, NSWL and K League
With the transfer window set to open at the conclusion of the festive period, there are several players who will be taking to the field each week with a point to prove.
But for some clubs, like Arsenal, the next month will be crucial to the title hopes.
The Gunners currently sit atop the table, but are closely followed by Manchester City, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Chelsea.
All five teams are well within reach of securing that title, although many pundits are confident Arteta’s squad will lift the Premier League trophy this year.
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However, Arsenal do not have the easiest fixture over the festive period, much to the disappointment of Mikel Arteta, with the ladder leaders set to play five home and away games.
Within that tough run they will face reigning league champions Liverpool, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
Just two points separate Arsenal from second place on the table. Will they be able to hold on to the top spot or will the silly season schedule prove costly?
Who has the heaviest schedule?
The expanded European calendar has done no favours for Crystal Palace over the festive season, leaving the fifth-placed English team with nine scheduled games.
Six of those games are away from Selhurst Park, with Palace set to endure the shortest turnarounds of any team as their longest rest period is five days.
That five day break is not an easy turnaround for the squad as they start with a match against Arsenal before a battle with Spurs.
They also face Manchester United, Manchester City and Newcastle in that period.
Palace are not the only team will a jam-packed away schedule. Newcastle United also won’t receive a full week of rest over the festive period.
Chelsea and Newcastle will start the period with tough challenges in the Champions League before they set off for five away games, respectively.
On the opposite side of the table, Manchester United realistically have the easiest draw as they do not have any tournaments other than the Premier League.
Ruben Amorim’s men also have a relatively spaced out draw, with a minimum of four days rest between games. Burnley and West Ham have three-day gaps in their draw.
Why is there no winter break?
Unlike other leagues, the Premier League has never been fond of stopping for the mid-winter.
France’s Ligue 1 pauses between December 16 and January 3 (AEDT) , while the Bundesliga and La Liga stop play for the week of Christmas and New Years.
As for the women’s game, the Super League has just shy of a month away from competition, with this year’s break spanning between December 15 to January 9.
Past managers in the Premier League have called for a winter break to be introduced. The only attempt at doing so was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even then, there was no real break, with a split round the compromise: five games were played in the first week, and the remaining five games were played the following week.
Must watch Premier League games
There are 110 games to choose from to watch over the festive period, but there are two standout games in the Premier League that will have all eyes on them.
1. Arsenal v Aston Villa on December 31 at the Emirates Stadium, 7.15am (AEDT)
The title was looking very much Arsenal’s to lose – and Aston Villa have slowly emerged as a potential contender who could knock the Gunners off the top spot.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has denied that his side are in fact in the title race, with Champions League qualification front of mind instead.
But they have proven in the past that they have what it takes to defeat the Premier League leaders, with another victory set to narrow the margin between the top four.
2. Manchester City v Chelsea on January 5 at Etihad Stadium, 4.30am (AEDT)
Another match that is going to swing the standings of each team in the top four.
Inconsistency has got the better of Chelsea in recent weeks, recording two wins, two draws and a loss in their past five games.
However, the side still remains hopeful they are within reach of the title.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s powerhouse City team is looking to get one step closer to claiming yet another Premier League title.
Where can I watch all the games?
All games from the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and Conference League will be available to watch live in Australia on Stan Sport.
Fixtures over the festive period – December 11 – January 9
All dates and times listed are in AEDT.
Champions League – Thursday, December 11
Villareal v Copenhagen at 4.45am
Qarabag FK v Ajax at 4.45am
Leverkusen v Newcastle United at 4.45am
Real Madrid v Manchester City at 4.45am
Benfica v Napoli at 7am
Club Brugge v Arsenal at 7am
Athletic Club v PSG at 7am
Juventus v Pafos at 7am
Dortmund v Bodo/Glimt at 7am
Conference League – Friday, December 12
Fiorentina v Dynamo Kyiv at 4.45am
Breoablik v Shamrock Rovers at 4.45am
Shkendija v Slovan Bratislava at 4.45am
Drita v AZ Alkmaar at 4.45am
Jagiellonia v Rayo Vallecano at 4.45am
Samsunspor v AEK Athens at 4.45am
Shkendija v SK Slovan Bratislava at 4.45am
Hacken v AEK Larnaca at 4.45am
CS Universitatea Craiova v Sparta Praha at 4.45am
Noah v Legia Warszawa at 4.45am
SK Rapid v Omonoia at 7am
Lech Poznan v Mainz at 7am
Rijeka v Celje at 7am
Lincoln Red Imps v Sigma Olomouc at 7am
KuPS Kuopio v Lausanne-Sport at 7am
Aberdeen v Strasbourg at 7am
Rakow v Zrinjski at 7am
Hamrun Spartans v Shakhtar at 7am
Shelbourne v Crystal Palace at 7am
Premier League – Sunday December 14
Chelsea v Everton at 2am
Liverpool v Brighton and Hove Albion at 2am
Burnley v Fulham at 4.30am
Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers at 7am
Premier League – Monday December 15
Crystal Palace v Manchester City at 1am
Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Hotspur at 1am
Sunderland v Newcastle United at 1am
West Ham v Aston Villa at 1am
Brentford v Leeds United at 3.30am
Premier League – Tuesday December 16
Manchester United v Bournemouth at 7am
Carabao Cup quarter finals – Wednesday December 17
Cardiff City v Chelsea at 7am
Carabao Cup quarter finals – Thursday December 18
Manchester City v Brentford at 6.30am
Newcastle United v Fulham at 7.15am
Conference League – Friday, December 19
AZ Alkmaar v Jagiellonia at 7am
Shakhtar v Rijeka at 7am
SK Slovan Bratislava v Hacken at 7am
Legia Warszawa v Lincoln Red Imps at 7am
Sparta Praha v Aberdeen at 7am
Dynamo Kyiv v Noah at 7am
Crystal Palace v KuPS Kuopio at 7am
Rayo Vallecano v Drita at 7am
Shamrock Rovers v Hamrun Spartans at 7am
Omonoia v Rakow at 7am
Mainz v Samsunspor at 7am
Strasbourg v Breidablik at 7am
Celje v Shelbourne at 7am
Zrinjski v SK Rapid at 7am
AEK Athens v CS Universitatea Craiova at 7am
Sigma Olomouc v Lech Poznan at 7am
AEK Larnaca v Shkendija at 7am
Lausanne-Sport v Fiorentina at 7am
Premier League – Saturday December 20
Newcastle United v Chelsea at 11.30pm
Premier League – Sunday December 21
Bournemouth v Burnley at 2am
Brighton and Hove Albion v Sunderland at 2am
Manchester City v West Ham at 2am
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brentford at 2am
Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool at 4.30am
Everton v Arsenal at 7am
Leeds United v Crystal Palace at 7am
Premier League – Monday December 22
Aston Villa v Manchester United at 3.30am
Premier League – Tuesday December 23
Fulham v Nottingham Forest at 7am
Carabao Cup quarter finals – Wednesday December 24
Arsenal v Crystal Palace at 7am
Premier League – Saturday December 27
Manchester United v Newcastle United at 7am
Nottingham Forest v Manchester City at 11.30pm
Premier League – Sunday December 28
Arsenal v Brighton and Hove Albion at 2am
Brentford v Bournemouth at 2am
Burnley v Everton at 2am
Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers at 2am
West Ham v Fulham at 2am
Chelsea v Aston Villa at 4.30am
Premier League – Monday December 29
Sunderland v Leeds United at 1am
Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur at 3.30am
Premier League – Friday December 31
Burnley v Newcastle United at 6.30am
Chelsea v Bournemouth at 6.30am
Nottingham Forest v Everton at 6.30am
West Ham v Brighton and Hove Albion at 6.30am
Arsenal v Aston Villa at 7.15am
Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers at 7.15am
Premier League – Friday January 2
Crystal Palace v Fulham at 4.30am
Liverpool v Leeds United at 4.30am
Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur at 7am
Sunderland v Manchester City at 7am
Premier League – Saturday January 3
Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest at 11.30pm
Premier League – Sunday January 4
Brighton and Hove Albion at 2am
Wolverhampton Wanderers v West Ham at 2am
Bournemouth v Arsenal at 4.30am
Leeds United v Manchester United at 11.30pm
Premier League – Monday January 5
Everton v Brentford at 2am
Fulham v Liverpool at 2am
Newcastle United v Crystal Palace at 2am
Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland at 2am
Manchester Untied v Chelsea at 4.30am
Premier League – Wednesday January 7
West Ham v Nottingham Forest at 7am
Premier League – Thursday January 8
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur at 6.30am
Brentford v Sunderland at 6.30am
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa at 6.30am
Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers at 6.30am
Fulham v Chelsea at 6.30am
Burnley v Manchester United at 7.15am
Newcastle United v Leeds United at 7.15am
Premier League – Friday January 9
Arsenal v Liverpool at 7am
