Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga are all on break for the Christmas holiday, depriving fans of a chance to catch their favorite teams and players in action. However, there's a glimmer of hope: the other member of Europe's "Big 5", the Premier League is still in full swing! So, fortunately, football fans will not have to wait too long without catching their favorite sport on TV, computer, phone, or even in person starting this Monday.
Facts and Stats ahead of Premier League Matchday 18
Here are five things you may or may not know ahead of the upcoming round of fixtures starting on Boxing Day:
Premier League Matchday 18 - U.S. viewing schedule
Below is the full U.S. schedule for round 18 of Premier League action starting this Monday:
Dec. 26: Watford vs Crystal Palace on SiriusXM FC, NBCSN, NBC Sports Live at 04:30 AM PST/07:30 AM EST
Dec. 26: Arsenal vs West Bromwich Albion on NBC Sports Live, Premier League Extra Time at 07:00 AM PST/10:00 AM EST
Dec. 26: Burnley vs Middlesbrough on NBC Sports Live, Directv, Premier League Extra Time at 07:00 AM PST/10:00 AM EST
Dec. 26: Chelsea vs AFC Bournemouth on NBC Sports Live, SiriusXM FC, CNBC at 07:00 AM PST/10:00 AM EST
Dec. 26: Leicester City vs Everton on NBC Sports Live, Premier League Extra Time at 07:00 AM PST/10:00 AM EST
Dec. 26: Manchester United vs Sunderland on NBCSN, NBC Sports Live, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC UNIVERSO, NBC UNIVERSO NOW at 07:00 AM PST/10:00 AM EST
Dec. 26: Swansea City vs West Ham United on NBC Sports Live, Directv, Premier League Extra Time at 07:00 AM PST/10:00 AM EST
Dec. 26: Hull City vs Manchester City on NBCSN, NBC Sports Live, NBC UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC UNIVERSO NOW at 09:15 AM PST/12:15 PM EST
Dec. 27: Liverpool vs Stoke City on NBC Sports Live, SiriusXM FC, NBCSN at 09:15 AM PST/12:15 PM EST
Dec. 28: Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur on NBC Sports Live, SiriusXM FC, NBCSN at 11:45 AM PST/2:45 PM EST
*For more information, please navigate to each match's specific page
Premier League - Matchday 18 overview
As things stand, Chelsea enjoy a massive six point gap over the chasing pack. That means that Antonio Conte's men not only will head into the Christmas holiday as league leaders, but also will remain on top of the pile after the dust settles on Boxing Day. Liverpool will obviously look to close that rapidly growing gap as they take on Stoke City on Tuesday, but the Blues could be nine points clear for 24 hours should they beat Bournemouth on Monday.
Meanwhile, two bad results have seen Arsenal slip down into fourth spot - which, given the Gunners' unfortunate track record - has spawned countless cruel trolls and memes about Arsene Wenger's penchant for fourth spot. Manchester City, by contrast, appear to be slowly getting back on track after a rough patch, albeit Pep Guardiola is still not immune from critics who question his attempt to bring Barcelona-esque football to the Etihad.
Reigning champs Leicester are unfortunately closer to the drop zone than a European football spot, although if anyone can turn a season around, it's definitely Claudio Ranieri. Still, it goes without saying that the Foxes will have to pick up the slack if they want to at least try to push for a Europa League berth for the upcoming season.
And speaking of the Europa League spots, both Tottenham and Manchester United sit in fifth and sixth respectively. They certainly are not out of the running for a Champions League position, and Arsenal will be definitely wary of their cross-town rivals Spurs breathing down their necks as they take on West Brom. Tottenham have a potentially tricky away fixture to Southampton on Wednesday, whilst the Red Devils will hope to pick up another three points against relegation candidates Sunderland.
Premier League - Matchday 18 standings
Here's how things stand so far after 17 rounds in the 2016/2017 Premier League season. How will it look after matchday 18 concludes?
| Pos. | Squadra | PG | V | P | S | GF | GS | DR | Pt | Forma | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 35 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 85 | 28 | +57 | 80 | VVVSV | |
| 2 | Manchester City | 34 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 82 | 32 | +50 | 79 | VVVVV | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 35 | 22 | 9 | 4 | 77 | 36 | +41 | 75 | PSVSP | |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 35 | 20 | 7 | 8 | 73 | 52 | +21 | 67 | PVVPS | |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 33 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 67 | 52 | +15 | 60 | SSVPV | |
| 6 | Manchester United | 34 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 52 | 51 | +1 | 54 | PVPPS | |
| 7 | Newcastle United | 34 | 16 | 5 | 13 | 74 | 55 | +19 | 53 | VSVVP | |
| 8 | West Ham United | 35 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 56 | 65 | -9 | 49 | PSSVP | |
| 9 | Chelsea | 33 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 63 | 59 | +4 | 48 | PSVPV | |
| 10 | AFC Bournemouth | 35 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 52 | 60 | -8 | 48 | VVSPS | |
| 11 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 35 | 13 | 7 | 15 | 48 | 55 | -7 | 46 | VSSPS | |
| 12 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 34 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 52 | 57 | -5 | 44 | SSPSP | |
| 13 | Fulham | 35 | 12 | 7 | 16 | 51 | 55 | -4 | 43 | PSVSS | |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 35 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 45 | 57 | -12 | 40 | PVVVS | |
| 15 | Everton | 35 | 12 | 8 | 15 | 37 | 48 | -11 | 36 | VVVSV | |
| 16 | Brentford | 35 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 52 | 60 | -8 | 35 | SVVPP | |
| 17 | Nottingham Forest | 35 | 7 | 9 | 19 | 42 | 62 | -20 | 26 | SSPSV | |
| 18 | Luton Town | 35 | 6 | 7 | 22 | 48 | 77 | -29 | 25 | SSSVS | |
| 19 | Burnley | 35 | 5 | 9 | 21 | 38 | 70 | -32 | 24 | PVPSP | |
| 20 | Sheffield United | 35 | 3 | 7 | 25 | 34 | 97 | -63 | 16 | SSSSP |
