Football writer Alex Keble analyses where Festive Fixtures could be won and lost, including:
- Can Man City capitalise on simpler fixtures to go top?
- Will tired-looking Arsenal struggle with matches against Villa & Liverpool?
- If some huge six-pointers will decide Villa’s and Chelsea’s fate?
- Can Man Utd or Newcastle capitalise on kind fixtures to emerge as European contenders?
- Are West Ham the likeliest team to pull out of the relegation zone?
- Are Leeds in the most danger among those hovering above the dotted line?
- Does the congested schedule make things even tougher for Frank’s Spurs?
- Can Sunderland & Everton can stay in the top 10 during AFCON exodus?
- Is this the time for Brighton and Palace to prove they can last the distance?
- Will Salah’s absence boost Liverpool ahead of an enticing run?
The Festive Fixtures are upon us. Get ready for chaos, and for the Premier League table to be thrown wildly off kilter in the weeks ahead.
Starting Saturday, there are four rounds of Premier League matches played across 20 days, meaning a full set of 10 games once every four days between 20 December and 8 January.
It promises to be a lot of fun. Bookended by Newcastle United against Chelsea and Arsenal v Liverpool, the Festive Fixtures this year have thrown up lots of big matches at the top.
The battle against relegation should also take a significant turn over the next 20 days, while an unusually congested middle of the table suggests this flurry of winter activity might finally see some clubs rising above others.
Can Man City capitalise on simpler fixtures to go top?
Starting at the top, it is certainly possible that we will have a new league leader by the time we come up for air in early January.
Put simply, Manchester City have easier fixtures than Arsenal. Starting with a home game against West Ham United, three of Man City’s five Premier League matches are at the Etihad Stadium (also playing Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion), with their away games against Nottingham Forest and a Sunderland side hit hard by the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
But there is more to it than that. Man City have kept consecutive clean sheets, suggesting they are finally stabilising, while Pep Guardiola’s rotations mean his players are likely to be fitter than any of the clubs they will face in this exhausting period.
Phil Foden is in form, Rayan Cherki has arrived, and Erling Haaland can’t stop scoring. All of a sudden Man City look capable of winning all of their Festive Fixtures.
Will tired-looking Arsenal struggle with matches against Villa & Liverpool?
The same can’t be said for Arsenal. The late winner against Wolverhampton Wanderers was a huge relief, but the jadedness of the performance from Mikel Arteta’s team was not exactly encouraging ahead of a spell of five league games in 20 days.
Injuries across the backline are perhaps most concerning, especially with Brighton (H), Aston Villa (H), AFC Bournemouth (A) and Liverpool (H) all capable of piercing a shaky defence on the counter-attack.
That set of games - plus Everton (A) this weekend – is notably tougher than Man City’s, and with only two points separating the sides it won’t take much of a slip for a fresher-looking City to catch Arsenal.
In particular, the run of Villa, Bournemouth and Liverpool in nine days could really take it out of them.
Will some huge six-pointers decide Villa’s and Chelsea’s fate?
Man City and Arsenal are the clear favourites to battle it out for the title, but if Aston Villa or Chelsea are to keep the pace they will need to have an exceptional festive period – especially taking into account just how many big games both teams are playing.
Villa’s run of 10 wins in 11 Premier League games means they fear nobody – except maybe Manchester United, the team they just never seem to be able to beat no matter how either club is performing at the time, and Crystal Palace, Villa’s bogey team.
After hosting Man Utd this Sunday, Villa play Chelsea (A), Arsenal (A), Forest (H), and Palace (A). Villa supporters could hardly have handpicked a worse set of games for these exhausting weeks.
Chelsea, too, have it tough. They travel to St James' Park and the Etihad Stadium before hosting Fulham in a west London derby, with homes games against Villa and Bournemouth thrown in.
Enzo Maresca’s side have won just two of their last six matches, so it will take some superb performances to avoid even worse times over the next five rounds, given the calibre of opposition.
All things considered, it looks unlikely both Villa and Chelsea will stay in the title race come January. With that in mind, a lot will rest on their head-to-head on 27 December.
Can Man Utd or Newcastle capitalise on kind fixtures to emerge as European contenders?
Just four points separates fourth from 12th. Never before has the Premier League table looked so condensed at this stage of the season, which is why the winter period is a make-or-break time for so many mid-table clubs.
The kind fixture lists of Man Utd and Newcastle stand out. Both expect to break away from the pack eventually. Both have the chance to do so here.
Man Utd host Newcastle on Boxing Day, but otherwise will be looking forward to travelling to Villa Park – a game they rarely lose – and to playing Wolves (H), Leeds United (A), and Burnley (A).
Newcastle’s games are only slightly more difficult: Chelsea (H), Burnley (A), Palace (H), and Leeds (H).
Eddie Howe and Ruben Amorim have a real chance to accelerate here; to put their teams back in serious contention for UEFA Champions League football.
Are West Ham the likeliest to pull out of the relegation zone?
Focusing on the bottom three, the Festive Fixtures are working in West Ham’s favour.
Nuno Espirito Santo is quietly putting together sturdy performances and although the Hammers haven’t quite had the results to match so far (although two defeats from six matches is not bad) it feels as though they are on the brink of a change in fortunes.
It is good timing, then, to enter this hectic period with one of the most straightforward looking set of games anywhere.
Get this weekend’s trip to the Etihad Stadium out of the way, then West Ham have three out of four at home, the highest-ranked of those currently in 10th (Brighton). Fulham and Forest are winnable opponents, as are Wolves at Molineux.
Burnley are only three points behind West Ham and although this period is no less important for their hopes of safety (after seven consecutive defeats, their chances get slimmer the longer this confidence-sapping run goes on), Scott Parker’s side don’t have easy games.
Everton, Man Utd, and Newcastle are very difficult games at Turf Moor, suggesting Burnley won’t win many points.
Wolves’ chances of staying up are reducing, although it was around this time last season that Vitor Pereira came in and turned their fortunes around. More likely, they are playing for pride and, at the very least, for more than the 11 points Derby County won in 2007/08.
Anfield, Old Trafford, Hill Dickinson Stadium, the festive period looks relentless for Rob Edwards’ team.
Are Leeds in the most danger among those hovering above the dotted line?
In the pack of clubs hovering above West Ham – and looking down rather than up – are Forest, Fulham, Brentford, and Leeds.
Forest have won four of their last six under Sean Dyche, and although they play Man City (H) and Villa (A) over Christmas, one suspects they will not fear Fulham (A), Everton (H), or West Ham (A). Fresh air come January is likely.
Four of Brentford’s five games are against clubs in the bottom half while Fulham, already seven points clear of the drop zone, play Forest (H) and West Ham (A) before their festive games get tougher.
Of these four clubs, then, only Leeds look in danger of dropping down. After playing Palace at home they have a very difficult set of games, with a trip to the Stadium of Light – where Sunderland are unbeaten – followed by Liverpool (A), Man Utd (H), and Newcastle (A).
Daniel Farke’s side have an uphill battle to get enough points from those games to stay above West Ham.
Does the congested schedule make things even tougher for Frank’s Spurs?
One of the most interesting teams in the Premier League at the moment, and perhaps the one most in a sliding doors moment, are Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur.
Five games in 19 days could make or break their season, then. Unfortunately for Spurs fans, the fragility and passivity of recent performances seems to suggest there is mental or physical fatigue playing a role, which makes a congested fixture list all the more difficult to handle.
They begin with Liverpool at home and Palace away, before playing at Brentford, where only three clubs have taken any points this season. Sunderland (H) and Bournemouth (A) round off a thorny period – and one that seems likely to define Frank’s tenure.
Can Sunderland & Everton can stay in the top 10 during AFCON exodus?
There are 32 players off to AFCON, which is held between 21 December 2025 and 18 January 2026, although only three clubs have more than two players absent.
Of these, two clubs in particular could face a harsh winter.
Everton lose Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye, who has four Premier League goals and two assists already this season. When you add to that injuries to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish, all of a sudden Everton’s attack looks decimated.
Fortunately they have a kind fixture list, however, with Burnley (A), Brentford (H), and Wolves (A) among their five games.
Sunderland’s problems are considerably larger. Six players are going: Bertrand Traore, Habib Diarra, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandava, and Arthur Masuaku. Those six have played in a combined 61 Premier League appearances this season.
This coincides with some hard games over the festive period, when the games come so thick and fast every club is reliant on their squad depth. Brighton (A), Man City (H), and Spurs (A) are among the matches Regis Le Bris will be calling upon players who have spent most of the season on the bench.
It is a huge test. Sunderland, only six points above 15th, could crash back down to earth this winter.
Is this the time for Brighton and Palace to prove they can last the distance?
With Sunderland’s and Everton’s AFCON departures putting them in danger of falling, that leaves two rivals, Palace and Brighton, as the only other two members of the current top 10 who do not form part of that core expected to be in a lofty position; who are not either members of the ‘‘big six’’ or Villa.
Brighton and Palace have inviting fixture lists and therefore will be hoping the festive period is when they consolidate their place in the top half and show they are capable of at least repeating the achievements of last season.
Palace will fancy their chances of beating Leeds (A), Spurs (H) and Fulham (H), and although it gets tougher from here, after Newcastle (A) they host Villa, a team they always seem to beat.
Brighton will expect nine points from Sunderland (H), West Ham (A) and Burnley (H), ensuring a solid Christmas period even if they lose at Arsenal and Man City.
Will Salah’s absence boost Liverpool ahead of an enticing run?
Although Mohamed Salah assisted Liverpool’s second goal on his return to the first team last weekend, many have been quick to point out that Liverpool’s improved recent form coincided exactly with Arne Slot benching Salah.
Even if that analysis is unfair, having Salah away with Egypt will at least put the saga out of everybody’s minds, help Liverpool and Salah focus on their respective tasks this winter.
For Liverpool, that means stringing together wins from a favourable set of games and moving back into the Champions League places. Leaving aside their visit to Arsenal, Liverpool will hope to beat Spurs (A), Wolves (H), Leeds (H) and Fulham (A).
If they can pick up 12 points from these five matches without Salah, Liverpool will not only substantially recover from their poor start to 2025/26 – they will also prove that, should the Brighton game prove to be his goodbye, there is life after Salah.