Return to the Premier League: EPL Boxing Day Preview
After an oddly placed World Cup, the Premier League is back for your club football needs. Let’s highlight a couple of notable Boxing Day match-ups as the Premier League kicks off again.
Return to the Premier League: EPL Boxing Day Preview
After a magnificent but unusual World Cup, the football world turns its attention back to club football. The Premier League returns on Boxing Day with a seven-game slate of matches that will keep football fans tied to the TV all day.
Given the unusual placement of the World Cup this year, club teams will be rounding into form again as league matches restart. That means we could get some unexpected outcomes in our return to the club pitch.
Let’s look at the seven-game slate to highlight a couple of match-ups that should be entertaining and intriguing.
Early Boxing Day Matches
For the early part of the slate, the two matches that jump out to me are Everton-Wolves and Leicester City-Newcastle.
Everton and Wolves have spent most of the season towards the bottom of the table. The fixture table shows Everton one place above relegation, and Wolves at the bottom of the relegation zone, needing at least four points to get out of the relegation zone.
Both Everton and the Wolves are in a goal deficit. Everton has scored 11 goals but has given up 17 goals. Wolves have scored eight goals and given up 24. The over/under for the match is 2.75, and Everton is a +133 money line favorite. I am looking at Everton and the money line for this match.
The early slate also offers a compelling match-up between Leicester City and Newcastle. Newcastle has surprised to this point in the season. As it stands now, The Magpies would qualify for a spot in the Champions League next year. They won their last five matches before the stoppage for the World Cup.
Leicester struggled at the beginning of the year but has started to turn their squad around. The Foxes won four of their last five matches before the World Cup break.
Later Boxing Day Matches
Later in the day, we’ll get a chance to see some of the top-tier teams in the Premier League back in action. First, Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool will travel to Aston Villa. In the second late game, Arsenal will face off against West Ham in an unofficial London derby.
Liverpool stumbled out of the gate this year, dropping results to less talented teams like Nottingham Forest and Fulham. The World Cup break was advantageous for the Reds – their superstar striker Mohammed Salah did not play in World Cup 2022. Salah will be well-rested and ready to return to top form.
Arsenal and West Ham face off at the Emirates to close out Boxing Day. Gunners fans will be interested to see if their team can maintain the pace they started before the break. Rumors are that the Gunners are looking towards the January transfer window to solidify their squad and push for a return to the Champions League next season.
