Premier League Reload - Matchday 8
Oct 10The Boxing Day Premier League round of fixtures is where the festive season really kicks in and as ever, BT TV is the only place to watch all 10 games.
19 Premier League games on BT Sport this January
Starting on New Year's Day we've got your start to 2021 covered with a packed agenda.
Read on, or jump to a specific game using the links below, for reports of every clash and highlights from the BT Sport matches.
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Saturday 26 December
Leicester 2-2 Man United
Fulham 0-0 Southampton
Aston Villa 3-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
Man City 2-0 Newcastle
Sheffield United 0-1 Everton
Sunday 27 December
Leeds 1-0 Burnley
West Ham 2-2 Brighton
Liverpool 1-1 West Brom
Wolves v Tottenham
Saturday 26 December
Leicester 2-2 Man United
Jamie Vardy forced a late leveller to rescue a point for Leicester and deny Manchester United what would have been an impressive win.
The striker thought he was leaving the field with an 85th-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw after Bruno Fernandes’ goal looked to have won it for the visitors, but it was quickly deemed United defender Axel Tuanzebe’s deflection was the pivotal touch.
Marcus Rashford’s opener, his 50th in the Premier League, had earlier been cancelled out by Harvey Barnes.
Fulham 0-0 Southampton
Southampton had two goals disallowed by VAR as they were held to a goalless draw at Fulham.
Shane Long and Theo Walcott both looked to have broken the deadlock for the visitors in the second half, only to have their efforts ruled out for offside on review as Saints slipped to eighth in the table.
The Cottagers played out their fourth consecutive draw and did so in the absence of their manager Scott Parker, who remains in self-isolation after a member of his household tested positive for coronavirus.
Aston Villa 3-0 Crystal Palace
Aston Villa continued their fine run of form with a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace despite playing with 10 men for more than half the match.
The hosts led through Bertrand Traore’s early opener and should have been further ahead when Tyrone Mings was shown two yellow cards in quick succession just before half-time.
Palace were unable to take advantage, though, failing to seriously test Emi Martinez in a second half that saw Kortney Hause and Anwar El Ghazi extend Villa’s lead.
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
Arsenal ended a seven-game winless Premier League run with a thrilling Boxing Day London derby victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners went into the game as outsiders having taken just two points from their last seven, but manager Mikel Arteta shuffled his pack and found a winning combination as they secured a 3-1 success.
Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty gave the hosts the lead and ended his eight-game streak without a league goal, with Granit Xhaka – back from a three-match ban – bending home a sublime free-kick to double the advantage before the break.
Bukayo Saka secured the win as he added a third with a mistimed cross but Arsenal were made to sweat in the closing stages, Tammy Abraham pulling one back before Jorginho saw a stoppage-time penalty saved by Bernd Leno.
Man City 2-0 Newcastle
Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres struck in each half as Manchester City claimed a comfortable 2-0 win over Newcastle in the Premier League.
Gundogan put Pep Guardiola’s side ahead on a wet Boxing Day night after fine work from Raheem Sterling with 14 minutes gone at the Etihad Stadium.
Torres added the second early in the second half and Bernardo Silva hit the post as City, who face a trip to Everton on Monday, eased to victory.
Both sides were without key players following positive Covid-19 tests, with City’s Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker following Newcastle pair Allan Saint-Maximin and Jamaal Lascelles into self-isolation.
Sheffield United 0-1 Everton
Gylfi Sigurdsson’s strike propelled Everton to second place in the Premier League table as a 1-0 win for the Blues piled more misery on bottom club Sheffield United.
Sigurdsson scored 10 minutes from time to give Carlo Ancelotti’s team a fourth straight Premier League victory, moving them to within two points of Merseyside rivals and reigning champions Liverpool.
For the Blades, it was yet another defeat. Chris Wilder’s side have lost 13 of their 15 Premier League matches and are only the third club in top flight history to be without a win on Boxing Day, after Burnley in 1889-90 and Bolton in 1902-03.
Sunday 27 December
Leeds 1-0 Burnley
Patrick Bamford’s early penalty proved decisive as Leeds held on to beat Burnley 1-0 at Elland Road.
Bamford converted his 10th league goal of the season from the spot in the fifth minute and that was enough to secure his side their sixth Premier League win of the season.
Burnley, who began the day one place and four points behind Marcelo Bielsa’s side, had a first-half effort from Ashley Barnes controversially ruled out and dominated the second period.
West Ham 2-2 Brighton
Tomas Soucek’s late goal rescued a point for West Ham against bogey side Brighton.
The below-par Hammers trailed twice at the London Stadium with a controversial Lewis Dunk strike looking set to hand Brighton only a second win in 13 matches.
But Soucek struck with eight minutes remaining to snatch a 2-2 draw for David Moyes’ side.
Nevertheless, the result extended Brighton’s hoodoo over the Hammers, who have still never managed to beat them in the Premier League.
Liverpool 1-1 West Brom
Semi Ajayi struck late to deny Premier League champions Liverpool victory and extend West Brom boss Sam Allardyce’s unbeaten run at Anfield.
Ajayi headed home an 82nd-minute equaliser to claim a 1-1 draw at Anfield to make it four league games without defeat on the red half of Merseyside for Allardyce with Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton as well as the Baggies.
The Reds, who would have gone five points clear of the Toffees at the top with victory, took just 12 minutes to force their way in front when Sadio Mane controlled Joel Matip’s pass on his chest before volleying past keeper Sam Johnstone.
Wolves v Tottenham- 7.15pm, NOW TV via BT TV
The 10th and final match of the Premier League Boxing Day weekend sees Tottenham travel north to Wolves as they bid to end a disappointing run of three matches without a win.
Jose Mourinho’s men appeared ready for a title challenge but a draw at Palace and defeats to Liverpool and Leicester have poured cold water on Tottenham fans’ dreams. After last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat to the Foxes, Spurs now sit sixth but only six points off Liverpool in top spot.
In both losses, Mourinho bemoaned the best side losing the match but the Portuguese boss has little time to feel hard done by as he prepares to face his compatriot Nuno Espirito Santo on the touchline.
Wolves are experiencing some problems of their own. A once watertight defence at Molineux has now conceded in each of their last seven league matches and will do well to keep out Tottenham’s sensational strike pairing of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.
