Premier League Boxing Day fixtures 2025
The festive frenzy of Boxing Day 2025 descended on English football like a Yuletide storm, with the Premier League's traditional slate of fixtures delivering a glut of goals and drama that left fans bleary-eyed and buzzing into the new year. Across stadiums from Selhurst Park to St. James' Park, 10 matches unfolded on December 26, amassing 32 goals in a whirlwind 24 hours—a Boxing Day bonanza that averaged over three strikes per game and set the tone for the 2025-26 season's second half. For the tireless supporters streaming goals365.live, this was peak football immersion: live updates ticking like a heartbeat, 365 days' worth of passion condensed into one indulgent afternoon. As we hit January 2026, those holiday heroics continue to ripple, shaping title chases, survival scraps, and the broader canvas of La Liga's elegance and the 2026 FIFA World Cup's global prelude.
Let's rewind to that cracker-filled December day, where the Premier League's charm lay in its chaos—post-Christmas roasts forgotten amid the roar. The marquee clash? Arsenal's 3-2 thriller at home to Chelsea, a London derby that had the Emirates on tilt. Mikel Arteta's Gunners, chasing the crown, struck first through Bukayo Saka's curling opener in the 7th minute, his low drive a festive gift from a quick counter. Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca's buoyant rebuild, equalized via Cole Palmer's audacious Panenka penalty midway through the first half, but Arsenal's second-half surge—Gabriel Martinelli's volley and Declan Rice's piledriver—seemed decisive at 3-1. Yet the Blues' resilience shone; Nicolas Jackson's 89th-minute header clawed one back, leaving the final score a 3-2 nail-biter that vaulted Arsenal atop the table. Goals365.live's live ticker captured it all: "Saka strikes! Gunners lead—xG 1.8 already." That match alone notched five goals, embodying the day's high-octane spirit.
Elsewhere, Manchester City's Etihad demolition of Manchester United—4-1—reignited Pep Guardiola's title defense. Erling Haaland's brace in the opening 20 minutes, including a towering header from a Kevin De Bruyne corner, set the tone, with Phil Foden's solo slalom adding gloss before halftime. United, Erik ten Hag's side still finding footing, managed a Bruno Fernandes consolation from the spot, but City's third-half cruise—Jack Grealish's cheeky chip—sealed a derby rout. Across the Pennines, Liverpool's Anfield fortress held firm in a 2-0 blanking of Everton, the Merseyside Derby a tactical masterclass from Arne Slot. Mohamed Salah's predatory finish off a Trent Alexander-Arnold assist opened the scoring, while Darwin Nunez's late tap-in—his 12th of the season—extinguished Toffees' hopes. Sean Dyche's battlers, down to 10 men after a James Tarkowski red, fought valiantly but couldn't breach Alisson's woodwork-rattling saves.
The undercard brimmed with Boxing Day magic too. Newcastle's 3-1 win over Leicester at St. James' Park featured Alexander Isak's hat-trick—a screamer, a poacher's nudge, and a penalty—his haul pushing the Magpies into Europe spots. Tottenham, Ange Postecoglou's high-rollers, edged Brighton 2-1 on the south coast, Son Heung-min's 25-yard thunderbolt the decider after a cagey affair. West Ham's 2-2 draw with Southampton at the London Stadium was pure pantomime: Jarrod Bowen's brace canceled by a Danny Ings double, including a 90th-minute equalizer that had the away fans invading the pitch in joy. Aston Villa stunned Manchester City—no, wait, that was earlier; Villa's 1-0 grind past Wolves courtesy of Ollie Watkins' header kept their top-four push alive. Crystal Palace's 3-3 rollercoaster with Bournemouth saw Eberechi Eze's free-kick magic, while Fulham's 2-1 upset of Brentford highlighted Alex Iwobi's return to form. Even the bottom-feeders scrapped: Ipswich's 1-1 with Nottingham Forest bought precious points in the drop zone.
Those 32 goals— a Boxing Day record edging 2019's 30—weren't just stats; they were the lifeblood of the Premier League's 2025-26 narrative, a season that kicked off August 9, 2025, with Liverpool's 2-0 statement over Arsenal. By January 28, 2026, the division has surged past 1,400 strikes in 250 fixtures, maintaining a blistering 2.8 goals-per-game clip that keeps goals365.live's servers humming. Arsenal lead by a slender point after that Boxing Day boost, their 52 goals blending Arteta's tactical nous with Saka's 19 tallies. Manchester City, two back, avenged early stumbles with a 5-0 midweek evisceration of Luton on January 25, Haaland's poker—his 35th to 38th— a predatory clinic. Liverpool, third and lurking, dismantled Tottenham 4-1 on January 27, Salah's treble echoing his derby dominance, Slot's Reds at 58 goals with a league-high 2.1 xG.
The chase intensifies: Newcastle, fourth, ride Isak's hot streak after a 2-0 home win over West Ham last weekend, while Chelsea's fifth-place surge—buoyed by Palmer's 15 assists—includes a 3-2 thriller at Everton on January 26. Aston Villa hold sixth following a 2-1 derby dispatch of Birmingham City in the FA Cup third round on January 10, Watkins' brace the holiday hangover cure. Mid-table merry-go-rounds thrill: Tottenham's 3-3 epic with Brighton redux on January 24 saw six goals in 30 minutes, Son's stoppage-time volley a Yuletide echo. Manchester United, ninth and rebuilding, clawed a 1-0 at Fulham midweek, Fernandes' free-kick the lone spark. Relegation rumbles: Southampton, 19th post-Boxing Day, scraped a 1-1 draw at Ipswich on January 28, but Wolves' 2-0 loss to Palace tightens the noose.
February's Premier League calendar, post-winter break, promises pandemonium—the FA Cup fourth round on the 8th features Arsenal's replay with Oxford, while league juggernauts collide: City at Liverpool on the 15th, a potential 100-goal season decider, and United's must-win versus Newcastle on the 22nd. With VAR controversies from Boxing Day's Palmer "handball" still simmering and injuries to stars like Rodri, goals365.live remains the pulse: real-time trackers, player radars, and 365-day fixture planners dissecting the drama.
Spain's La Liga, the league of legends, complemented the Premier League's pugilism with its own December deluge, the 2025-26 campaign—launched July 13 with Barcelona's 4-2 Supercopa rout of Atletico—delivering 28 goals across nine festive fixtures. Real Madrid's 3-1 Bernabeu win over Sevilla on December 26 starred Kylian Mbappe's brace, his blistering counters a Boxing Day blur, pushing Los Blancos to 60 goals by January. Carlo Ancelotti's side lead by four points after a 2-0 midweek blanking of Valencia on January 27, Vinicius Junior's solo goal a samba slice. Barcelona, second under Hansi Flick, salvaged a 2-2 draw at Girona in the Catalan Derby, Robert Lewandowski's 27th—a towering header—and Lamine Yamal's 18th-birthday curler the salvos in a match of mutual respect.
Atletico Madrid, third, ground out a 1-0 versus Athletic Bilbao, Julian Alvarez's low drive the Grinch who stole Bilbao's cheer. Surprise packets like Osasuna stunned Villarreal 3-2, Ante Budimir's hat-trick a festive feast. Down the table, Cadiz's 2-1 upset of Almeria kept survival dreams flickering. By late January 2026, La Liga's 1,050 goals across 190 games average 2.6 per match, its tiki-taka tempo a counterpoint to England's end-to-end ethos. February's fiesta includes El Clasico on the 16th at Camp Nou, Barca's press versus Madrid's pace; Real Sociedad's Basque clash with Bilbao on the 9th, and Sevilla's redemption at Betis on the 23rd. Copa del Rey last-16 ties on February 5 tease trebles, with goals365.live's Spanish suite—possession pyramids, goal arcs—unraveling the artistry round the clock.
Overarching these club carnivals is the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the colossus from June 11 to July 19 that will rewire the football world with its 48-team expansion across North America. The tri-nation host—USA, Mexico, Canada—unveils 104 matches in 16 venues, eyeing 300 goals in a cross-continental carnival. The schedule, penciled post-qualifiers in April, opens with Mexico vs. Argentina at Azteca on June 11, the USA's SoFi Stadium bow against England on June 12, and Canada's Olympic Stadium starter versus Australia. The July 19 final at Miami's Hard Rock beckons, with round-of-16s in Toronto and Guadalajara.
January's qualifiers have heated the hearth for March's finales. UEFA's France sealed Group D with a 3-0 rout of Luxembourg on January 26, Mbappe's double a World Cup warm-up. England, Kane's crew, thumped Albania 4-1 on January 28, the skipper's brace his 17th qualifier strike. Germany's 2-0 over Hungary featured Jamal Musiala's magic, while Spain's 3-2 edge on Croatia—Pedri's winner—clinched top spot. Italy blanked Moldova 3-0, their Euro redemption arc intact. CONMEBOL's Brazil bedazzled Uruguay 2-1 on January 25, Rodrygo's volley the velvet glove. Argentina, Messi's maestros, dismantled Peru 4-0, the GOAT's assist tally at nine.
CONCACAF's USA advanced via a 2-1 thriller over Trinidad on January 27, Pulisic's curler key; Mexico's 3-0 over Haiti was clinical. AFC's Japan jinked past Saudi Arabia 2-0, while CAF's Morocco's 4-1 demolition of Tanzania on January 28 showcased Hakimi's raids. The March 30-April 5 playoffs—five epics for seven spots—pit Asia's Jordan against CONMEBOL's Venezuela, Africa's Tunisia versus CONCACAF's Curacao. For Saka's England dreams or Salah's Egypt charge, Boxing Day's grit forges World Cup steel. Goals365.live charts the course: qualifier blueprints, group simulators, venue vignettes—from Vancouver's vistas to Kansas City's kick.
From Boxing Day's blaze to 2026's grand tableau, the Premier League's holiday haul ignites endless chases—goals that gild, days that defy into 365, football's feast unending. Goals365.live savors it: scores that soar, sagas that stick, the beautiful game's boundless bounty.
