While Spain, Italy, and Germany are all on breaks, the Premier League is kicking into high-gear for the holiday season.
Boxing Day starts a busy stretch of matches, with each team playing three games in less than ten days as we officially reach the midway point of the season.
[ MORE: Premier League schedule ]
With tons of football about to be played, here are three things to look forward to on Boxing Day.
Ten matches with every Premier League team in action
One of the most exciting days in the Premier League is finally upon us. Starting up at the Britannia and ending down at St. Mary’s, all 20 teams are in action on Boxing Day. Make sure you clear your schedule and claim a spot on the couch, because there will be Premier League coverage all day long. A full slate of matches is the perfect excuse to throw on your new slippers, stay warm inside, and feast on leftovers for ten hours straight.
Red-hot players from Leicester to London
Boxing Day marks the three-month anniversary of Leicester City’s only Premier League loss this season, which came on September 26 to Arsenal. Riyad Mahrez has scored six goals in the past three matches, which have all resulted in wins for the Foxes.
Romelu Lukaku has goals in eight straight matches for Everton, a streak he will put on the line when the Toffees travel to face Newcastle. With great service from the likes of Ross Barkley and Gerard Deulofeu, Lukaku is in the best form of his career.
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For Arsenal, Olivier Giroud has scored goals in four straight matches, as the Frenchman has become one of the Premier League’s most reliable stirkers, a main reason the Gunners sit second on the table.
Watford’s partnership of Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney has been brilliant, as the duo have combined for nine goals over the past six matches. The Hornets sit in seventh place just a point out of the top four, and have a tough trip to Guus Hiddink’s Chelsea on Boxing Day. If Ighalo and Deeney can stay hot, Watford could continue their climb.
NBC’s first-ever Premier League doubleheader
Premier League action starts at 7:45 a.m. ET, with the first match of the day between Stoke City and Manchester United on NBCSN. Then, get your TV-laptop-tablet setup ready to roll, because seven more matches kick off at 10 a.m. ET, available across NBCSN, USA, and online via Live Extra.
[ WATCH LIVE: Stream every PL game via Live Extra ]
The final two matches of the day will both be broadcast on NBC, the channel’s first-ever Premier League doubleheader. Everton travels to Newcastle at 12:30 p.m. ET, while Southampton hosts Arsenal at 2:45.