The Premier League on Boxing Day: Memorable clashes and top scorers

With the Premier League set to start up on Boxing Day, we look back at some of its most memorable clashes and top scorers throughout history.

Boxing Day is a day that has become synonymous with the Premier League. The Premier League on Boxing Day features some of the most memorable clashes and top scorers in history.

In 2008, Hull City manager Phil Brown gave a half-time team talk on the field at Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day.

Ipswich Town’s players could never have imagined that their 10-1 thrashing at Fulham on Boxing Day 1963 would be replayed every year on a faraway phenomena known as social media.

Burnley defeated Manchester United is a football club based in England 6-1, West Brom drew 4-4 with Tottenham, and Blackburn defeated West Ham 8-2 on the same day.

In ten First Division games, 66 goals were scored. Every year on December 26, fans continue to enjoy that Christmas goalscoring feast, with the scores usually being released online.

In that period, teams would still play on Christmas Day, with Blackburn defeating Blackpool 1-0 in the final top-flight match in England on December 25th, 1965.

In the present day, the 26th of December is still one of the most exciting days in sports. We’ll take a look back at some legendary Boxing Day matches from the Premier League era to see who does the best when it comes to burning off their Christmas feasts.

Comebacks and unforgettable celebrations are two things that come to mind when thinking about comebacks.

Manchester United has been involved in a number of Boxing Day classics since the Premier League started.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side struggled to get going in the new competition’s inaugural match, losing 3-0 to Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in 1992. United were held to a 3-3 draw thanks to Eric Cantona’s late equalizer.

Ferguson’s last Boxing Day encounter was just as dramatic, with his team edging Newcastle 4-3 at Old Trafford in 2012, a game in which the Magpies led three times and were denied by a last-minute Javier Hernandez winner.

On Boxing Day 2012, Javier Hernandez gave Sir Alex Ferguson’s team a last-gasp win.

A year later, United were engaged in another historic match, behind 2-0 against Hull City until David Moyes’ team came back to win due to Chris Smalling, Wayne Rooney, and an own goal by James Chester.

Hull’s most memorable festive moment – and a one-of-a-kind occurrence in Premier League history – occurred in 2008 at Etihad Stadium, when manager Phil Brown gave his team a half-time dressing down on the field.

The Tigers were aiming for a European place at the time, while Manchester City is a Premier League club based in were struggling to avoid relegation, but the hosts led 4-0 at halftime due to two goals apiece from Felipe Caicedo and Robinho.

Brown sits his team down in the penalty area in front of the away supporters, waving his finger and delivering a few home truths. Hull tied 1-1 in the second half, but Stephen Ireland’s sixth goal for City promptly wiped out Craig Fagan’s consolation.

Icons of Boxing Day

Only Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane have scored more Premier League goals on Boxing Day than Robbie Keane.

If you’re looking for Premier League legends, go no farther than Highfield Road in 1999, when Coventry City stunned Arsenal with a 3-2 win with to goals from Gary McAllister, Mustapha Hadji, and a youthful Robbie Keane.

For the Gunners, Freddie Ljungberg and Davor Suker scored, but Keane’s strike put the game beyond them and placed him in second position on the Premier League Boxing Day goalscoring table.

Only Robbie Fowler has scored more goals on December 26 than the former Republic of Ireland striker, who has nine.

Thierry Henry did not score on that day in 1999, but he helped Arsenal put their holiday problems behind them the following year with a magnificent hat-trick in a 6-1 demolition of Leicester City at Highbury. In all, the Frenchman scored seven goals on Boxing Day.

The Gunners are even with north London rivals Tottenham in the all-time Boxing Day Premier League standings, although their last major championship bid was thwarted on December 26, 2015.

Arsenal would have gone top of the standings with a victory against Southampton, ahead of Claudio Ranieri’s soaring Leicester. However, Arsene Wenger’s team lost 4-0 on the south coast.

Chelsea are only one point behind Arsenal in the overall Boxing Day standings, and have played in a few of memorable Christmas games since the century.

Ranieri was pursuing the Premier League championship with a lavishly-assembled Blues club thirteen years before he finally got his hands on the trophy, but his aspirations were dashed by a shocking 4-2 loss by Charlton Athletic at The Valley in 2003.

Chelsea and Aston Villa shared eight goals, three red cards, and two penalties in a 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge four years later.

After Ricardo Carvalho and Ashley Cole were sent off in the last 10 minutes, the latter for a handball on the line in extra time, the Blues finished the game with nine men.

Villa had led 2-0 until Zat Knight was ejected on the verge of half-time, enabling Andriy Shevchenko to score from the spot, and Gareth Barry netted the subsequent penalty to salvage a point.

Five minutes after the interval, the Ukraine striker scored his second to cancel out Shaun Maloney’s first-half double, and defender Alex put the hosts in ahead for the first time.

Martin Laursen answered for Villa, but Michael Ballack’s 88th-minute goal seemed to have won it, only for Barry to retain his calm from the penalty spot in the 92nd minute.

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The “premier league testing” is a football competition that takes place in England and Wales. It is the highest level of professional association football in England, Scotland, and Wales.

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