Boxing Day comes with a bang with NBC Sports airing Leicester vs Man United, Arsenal vs Chelsea on Saturday
Boxing Day is upon us and as usual, the Premier League is offering several exciting games for fans to watch on the day after Christmas. The English top-flight hits the ground running on Saturday, December 26 with Leicester vs Man United being the early 7:30 AM ET kick-off that ushers in Matchweek 15.
NBC Sports and SiriusXM FC will broadcast this game live for fans in the United States as the third-placed Red Devils look to beat – and subsequently leapfrog – the Foxes. Both sides enter this clash on the back of spectacular wins, with Solskjaer's side putting six past bitter rivals Leeds while Brendan Rodgers' men beat the high-flying Tottenham 2-0 at the north London giants' very-own stadium.
Only one point separates these two clubs, with Bruno Fernandes and Co. sitting behind the Foxes. However, Man United boast a match in-hand, meaning if they were to beat Leicester and win their extra game, they could go top of the table should Liverpool suffer a slip-up.
12:30 PM ET sees another stellar game kick off, with Arsenal taking on London rivals Chelsea live on NBC Sports, UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, and SiriusXM FC. The Blues suffered back-to-back defeat against Everton and Wolves before bouncing back with a win over West Ham, but Lampard's men have, nonetheless, fallen somewhat off in the title race. The Stamford Bridge outfit currently sit in fifth, six points behind Liverpool. However, it should be noted that only two points separate Chelsea from second-placed Leicester, showing that the margins this season are slim.
No time to rest as Chelsea prepare to visit Arsenal on Boxing Day
As for the Gunners, the club are in utter mess. The north London giants sit only four points above the relegation zone and given that they are the favorites to lose in this fixture, Arteta's side could drop to 17th in the table should Burnley and Brighton win their respective fixtures. Aubameyang and Co. are without victory in their last seven league games, with their most recent fixture being an embarrassing 4-1 loss at home to Man City in the Carabao Cup. Calls for Mikel's sacking are at an all-time high. Failure to beat Chelsea would only deepen the club's current crisis.
There are other interesting Premier League games taking place on Boxing Day. Ninth-placed Aston Villa take on a Crystal Palace side that lost 7-0 at home to Liverpool while Man City, having drawn two of their last three league games, host Newcastle with the sole aim of making up ground in the title race. Do not miss the action.
Defending champions Liverpool in action on Sunday while Mourinho's Tottenham look to bounce back in interesting clash vs Wolves
The action continues on Sunday, with Leeds kicking things off against Burnley at 7:00 ET. Bielsa's men will need to bounce back from the 6-2 defeat they suffered at Old Trafford while the Hornets could leapfrog Arsenal with a win should the Gunners lose to Chelsea on Boxing Day.
Defending champions Liverpool will be in action at 11:30 AM ET, taking on West Brom live on NBC Sports, Telemundo, and SiriusXM FC. The league leaders host the second-from-bottom club at Anfield in what could be a straight-forward win for the Reds given that in their most recent fixture, they shipped a whopping seven goals past Crystal Palace without a reply. The Baggies have not won any of their last four games but they did pull off an impressive 1-1 draw away to Man City. Regardless, that run of form cost Slaven Bilic his job, with Sam Allardyce being appointed as his successor. The English gaffer's reign did not get off to an ideal start, losing 3-0 to Aston Villa in his debut game, but victory – or even a point – at Anfield could spark a turnaround.
Sunday's standout game, however, takes place at 2:15 PM ET and that is Wolves vs Tottenham. Having lost their last two league games, Spurs will have one and only one goal in mind when they head to the West Midlands and that is to return to winning ways. The 2-1 loss at Liverpool was a sucker punch for Mourinho's men as they conceded the winning goal with only a few minutes left on the clock. The 2-0 defeat at home to Leicester, on the other hand, was more of a reality check, showing that while the north London giants have exhibited signs of being title challengers, Kane and Co. are still a working progress. As for Wolves, they have lost three of their last four league fixtures, with their sole victory being a 2-1 triumph over Chelsea not so long ago. As a result, Nuno's men sit just outside of the top half, occupying the 11th spot. However, only three points separates them from eighth-placed Man City.
The fun carries throughout the midweek with Everton hosting Man City and Wolves visiting Man United
The fun does not stop once the weekend ends, with Chelsea vs Aston Villa at 12:30 PM ET ushering in the midweek action. This is yet another tricky game for Lampard's men, with the Blues taking on Arsenal over the weekend before hosting Jack Grealish and Co. in a bid to make up ground in the title race. Two-and-a-half hours later, Everton vs Man City kicks off live on Peacock.
Guardiola's men have been inconsistent this season, drawing 1-1 with West Brom at home only to thrash Arsenal on the road a few weeks later. Injuries have not helped, but with the likes of Aguero and Sterling fit and ready to go, the Citizens could click. As for the Toffees, they have shaken off a few bad results and have climbed back into the top five. Who will win this clash? Tune in to find out.
Tuesday is all about the 3 PM ET Man United vs Wolves clash, but it isn't the only interesting Premier League fixture scheduled for December 29 – more on that later. The Red Devils have won only once in their last six encounters with the Midlands side, losing two, but have not suffered a single defeat in any of their last six run-ins at Old Trafford.
As mentioned earlier, there is another intriguing EPL game and that is Brighton vs Arsenal at 1 PM ET. NBC Sports will bring this game live to the US screens as the Gunners aim to distance themselves from the relegation zone. The Seagulls are a club hovering around the same position as the north London giants, making this a must-win tie for both sides.
There will be La Liga action this midweek, with Barcelona taking on Eibar on Tuesday at 2:15 PM ET. The Blaugrana have won three of their last four league games and have seen an improvement in performance, mainly due to the blossoming Messi-Pedri partnership. Next up for the Catalan giants is a home clash with Eibar who are 17th and only a point above the relegation zone. Wednesday is Real Madrid's day, with Los Blancos taking on an Elche side that also sit dangerously close to the danger zone. Zidane's men are level on points with leaders Atletico but have played two extra games, meaning a slip-up could see the title race shift back in favor of Simeone's side.
Messi surpassed Pele as the player with the most goals for a single club (644) thanks to a lovely Pedri assist
That same day, Tottenham host Fulham at 2:00 PM ET live on NBC Sports while Liverpool visit Newcastle at 3:00 PM ET. The latter tie will also be aired by UNIVERSO and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo as Klopp's men look to get the better of the Magpies.
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Top 20 live games to watch live on December 26-31, 2020
Saturday, December 26
Leicester vs Man United (English Premier League)
Match details, result and original broadcast info
Leicester City 2 - 2 Manchester United
December 26, 2020 7:30amKing Power Stadium (Leicester, Leicestershire)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace (English Premier League
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Fulham vs Southampton (English Premier League)
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Arsenal vs Chelsea (English Premier League)
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Man City vs Newcastle (English Premier League)
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Sheffield vs Everton (English Premier League)
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Sunday, December 27
Liverpool vs West Brom (English Premier League)
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Wolves vs Tottenham (English Premier League)
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Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur
December 27, 2020 2:15pmMolineux Stadium (Wolverhampton, West Midlands)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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Monday, December 28
Chelsea vs Aston Villa (English Premier League)
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Everton vs Man City (English Premier League)
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Tuesday, December 29
Sevilla vs Villarreal (La Liga)
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Brighton vs Arsenal (English Premier League)
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Brighton & Hove Albion 0 - 1 Arsenal
December 29, 2020 1:00pmThe American Express Community Stadium (Falmer, East Sussex)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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Southampton vs West Ham (English Premier League)
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Southampton 0 - 0 West Ham United
December 29, 2020 1:00pmSt. Mary's Stadium (Southampton, Hampshire)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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Benfica vs Portimonense (Liga Portugal)
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Benfica 2 - 1 Portimonense
December 29, 2020 1:00pmEstádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (da Luz) (Lisboa)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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Barcelona vs Eibar (La Liga)
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Man United vs Wolves (English Premier League)
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Vitória Guimarães vs Porto (Liga Portugal)
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Wednesday, December 30
Tottenham vs Fulham (English Premier League)
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Newcastle vs Liverpool (English Premier League)
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Elche vs Real Madrid (La Liga)
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