- Premier League chiefs are finalizing the festive football schedule
- It’s possible that Christmas Day will be the only day without live action
- Listen to the latest episode of the Mail Sport podcast ‘It all begins!’
Premier League clubs are preparing for a rearranged festive fixture list, which could mean Christmas Day is the only day without a televised match.
Top chefs are working on changes to the competition schedule for the remainder of December and January and aim to confirm their final plans early this week.
On Friday they announced changes to the first round of games in December.
Scheduling a first Premier League match on Christmas Eve since 1995 is on the agenda, with Wolves v Chelsea booked for the controversial slot, although it remains to be seen whether that suggestion will be approved following a fierce backlash from supporters against the idea last year. week.
Clubs are also aware that further changes have also been discussed for match rounds 18, 19 and 20, which will allow fans to watch at least one match on TV every day except December 25.
Arsenal vs West Ham could be postponed by two days to December 28 when the Premier League wraps up its festive football schedule
Chelsea’s Premier League trip to Wolves will take place on Christmas Eve but a fierce backlash from supporters could force a rethink
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Although they were waiting for official confirmation on exactly how the matches would be changed during that period, taking into account factors such as broadcaster, police and local authority demands, plus travel issues.
Last season’s matches around Christmas and New Year didn’t start until Boxing Day due to the mid-season World Cup in Qatar.
From then until January 5 – a period of eleven days – there was only one day, Thursday December 29, when there was no live Premier League TV match.
Game week 18 of this season is the last before Christmas and takes place on the weekend of Saturday 23 December.
In addition to Christmas Eve, a match could be moved to Friday, December 22, to kick off the festive football.
Gameweek 19 is the traditional list of Boxing Day matches. One possible change could be moving Arsenal’s home match against West Ham to Thursday, December 28, giving both clubs a longer break after Christmas and their previous fixtures.
Another round of festive games will take place around the weekend of Saturday, December 30.
And with the FA Cup third round not starting until the following weekend, there is scope for more matches to be moved to later that week for the benefit of TV audiences.
The Premier League is putting the finishing touches to its Christmas and New Year programme, which could be confirmed this week
Mail Sport understands that at least one match is on the cards to be postponed until Tuesday, January 2.
Although last season Premier League matches were played until the day before the FA Cup third round started.