Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.Read more

The Premier League has announced its fixture schedule for the festive period, with just one game scheduled for the traditional Boxing Day slot due to complications with a congested calendar.

Manchester United will host Newcastle United at 8pm on Friday 26 December, with a further nine fixtures to be played across Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 December.

There were eight Premier League games played on Boxing Day last season, with all a full round of 10 top-flight fixtures played on Boxing Day the last time it fell on a Friday in 2014.

There will then be six matches on Tuesday 30 December, and a further four on Thursday 1 January, with no matches scheduled on New Year’s Eve.

The Premier League must fulfil 33 weekends of fixtures as part of its arrangements with broadcasting partners and following an agreement with the FA over the exclusivity of certain FA Cup weekends.

The Premier League scheduled this season’s midweek rounds for the start of December, January and March, another in mid-February and the fifth from Tuesday December 30.

With FA Cup replays scrapped, the FA Cup has been granted exclusive weekends for the fourth, fifth and quarter-finals rounds, while the expanded Champions League league phase now concludes across two midweeks in late January.

A statement from the Premier League said: “The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season – impacting an important tradition in English football.

“There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup. This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995.

“With fewer weekends to work with, the League is bound by how the calendar falls. The League can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day – as the date falls on a Saturday.”

There will be a full programme of EFL and non-league fixtures on Boxing Day, however, with a further round of games in the lower divisions expected on Monday 29 December.

Premier League festive schedule

Friday 26 December

Manchester United v Newcastle United – 8pm

Saturday 27 December

Nottingham Forest v Manchester City – 12:30pm

Arsenal v Brighton – 3pm

Brentford v Bournemouth – 3pm

Burnley v Everton – 3pm

Liverpool v Wolves – 3pm

West Ham v Fulham – 3pm

Chelsea v Aston Villa – 5:30pm

Sunday 28 December

Sunderland v Leeds – 2pm

Crystal Palace v Tottenham – 4:30pm

Tuesday 30 December

Burnley v Newcastle United – 7:30pm

Chelsea v Bournemouth – 7:30pm

Nottingham Forest v Everton – 7:30pm

West Ham v Brighton – 7:30pm

Arsenal v Aston Villa – 8:15pm

Manchester United v Wolves – 8:15pm

Thursday 1 December

Crystal Palace v Fulham – 5:30pm

Liverpool v Leeds – 5:30pm

Brentford v Tottenham – 8pm

Sunderland v Man City – 8pm