The English premier league remains a big test for teams and most especially the mental strength of the players. While other league goes on holiday during the Christmas festive period and resumes action the following year, the English league stays awoken throughout this period and you can really tell how it goes a long way to affect the players psychologically instead of them enjoying the merriment of the season with family and friends they stay in the pitch fighting for glory.

For many, the December 26th fixture has been a turnaround game for them, they are a lot of talking points attached to these special day of premier league football.

The boxing has always produce epic results for many years, as the premier league team are compelled to play three games in a week before the new year so they are always high tendency of upsets.

My attachment to footballing activities began during the 98’ world cup and more pronounced in Korea/japan four years later, but I have read and watch many historical football games and they were really interesting and dramatic. I will like to share some with you,

Coventry 3-2 Arsenal 1999

What can be more dramatic than a big team especially a title contender failing to win their boxing day game match up, lol. It goes a long way to help decide who the league winner is. They are one funny fact about the boxing day standing “that every team who leads the table on the boxing day goes on to win the league” but I think Liverpool were the ones to break that jinx after being top of the table by 26th but failed to lift the trophy in 2015.

Arsene wenger was poise to win the league from Manchester united who did a treble the previous year, Arsenal were behind united with seven points and were looking to close the gap with what should have been an easy win against a Coventry side battling relegation but the story was not as easy as it sounds Coventry city shocked the gunners with two quick goals, though Freddie ljungberg restored one goal back for the gunners Robbie keane scored again to give his side their earlier two goal lead before Arsenal scored another to finish the match three goals to two in favour of Coventry. Wenger side never recovered from the loss and they lost the league to united that season with a whopping 18 points difference.

Chelsea 4-4 Aston villa 2007

This is one game Chelsea will look back to that season and wished they never dropped the two points they dropped that day as they went on to lose the league two points behind winners Manchester United. A game with lot of twist and turns till the very end, just after pathing ways with Mourinho the blues were learning a new life and definitely a new style of play with their new boss Avram Grant and they were looking positive in taking something at the end.

Aston villa brought their A game with them to the match and they showed it by leading Chelsea with two goal, an awkward moment saw Aston villa’s Zat Knight sent off and Shevchenko scored twice to level the score. Chelsea’s Alex gave his side the lead but villa replied eighteen minutes to go and moments later Ricardo carvalho was shown the red card but that didn’t stop them from taking the lead through Ballack who converted his free kick. The drama continued two minutes to end of time England Asheley cole was the one to be sent off for a handball inside the box and Aston villa Gareth Barry scored from the spot to make the score 4-4.

The 1963 goal festival

The day I saw the score line I couldn’t held back my laughter and I am sure you too gave a surprising look when you saw it too. I doubt if we are ever going to see such a score board soon. what can me more classified as a festival of goals than this.

10 games

66 goals

7 hatricks

4 red cards

The table will explain better as I am short of words to describe the score board.

26th December 2018.

This year’s games will not be different of the past years, they are a lot of games to watch out for on that day. Liverpool are already four points away from city and will be looking to maintain their lead when they host their former boss and his side Newcastle while Manchester city will want to cut the lead the Reds have when they face Leicester city who shocked Chelsea days ago. The blues face a tough task against a determined Watford side. Tottenham hosts Bournemouth at home while arsenal travel to the Amex Stadium.

There are lots of expectations from these fixtures, who knows we might have another festival of goals like the 1963 games.

👉They are bunch of boxing day games which has stood out for you over the years, let us know on the comment session.

And I hope you are not part of those like me who initial thought boxing day is a day to throw punches at anyone without being scolded.😆

Thanks for Reading 👏👏