Overview
- Only Manchester United vs. Newcastle United is scheduled on 26 December, with the match at Old Trafford in the evening slot.
- UEFA’s expanded club competitions have filled midweeks through the autumn, squeezing domestic calendar options during the festive period.
- FIFA’s 72-hour recovery guidance and a Premier League-FA commitment to stage 33 of 38 rounds on weekends pushed most of Matchweek 18 to Saturday and Sunday.
- The league frames the reduced slate as an exception and signals a return to a fuller Boxing Day program in 2026, when the date falls on a Saturday.
- Clubs adjusted holiday routines, with Pep Guardiola publicly warning he would drop players over weight gains, while Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade prepares to feature in the sole fixture.