No EPL games on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve will be free of Premier League football after broadcasters agreed not to schedule any games on the day.

Arsenal's home clash with Liverpool had been earmarked for a potential switch from its original Saturday (Dec 23) slot to the Sunday, prompting criticism from Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp and fans groups.

The match will now be on Dec 22 with the other nine games kicking off on Dec 23, starting with Everton v Chelsea at 1230 GMT and finishing with Leicester City v Manchester United at 1945 GMT.

Premier League chairman Richard Scudamore said the timing of the Christmas holiday this year had made scheduling complicated.

"We appreciate this is the peak time for supporters attending and watching the Premier League," he said.

"With matches scheduled on Christmas weekend for the first time in 11 years, the process of selecting games for live broadcast has been a more complex one than usual."

The EPL is the only top European league with games over the Christmas period and it is a tradition deeply ingrained in British football.

Until 1958, matches were played on Christmas Day itself. - REUTERS

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SELECTED EPL GAMES OVER X’MAS PERIOD

*All in Singapore time

Dec 23 (Sat)

• 3.45am: Liverpool v Arsenal
• 8.30pm: Everton v Chelsea
• 11pm: Man City v Bournemouth
• 11pm: West Ham v Newcastle
• 11pm: Burnley v Tottenham

Dec 24 (Sun)

• 3.45am: Leicester v Man United

Dec 26 (Tues)

• 8.30pm: Tottenham v Southampton
• 11pm: Chelsea v Brighton
• 11pm: Man United v Burnley

Dec 27 (Wed)

• 1.30am: Liverpool v Swansea

Dec 28 (Thurs)

• 3.30am: Newcastle v Man City