Premier League Festive Schedule and Recent Match Highlights
Sunderland are set to host Leeds United at the Stadium of Light as part of the Premier League's festive schedule. Earlier, AC Milan faced an early Serie A fixture, while AFCON matches also featured on the day's agenda.
Liverpool secured a 2-1 victory over Wolves with Florian Wirtz scoring his first goal for the club. The match included a touching tribute to Diogo Jota, with fans from Liverpool and Wolves applauding each other's songs at the 18th and 20th minutes, memorial visits by Wolves players outside Anfield, and Jota's sons Dinis and Duarte serving as mascots. Liverpool's defense held firm late to maintain the win, elevating them to third place in the league standings behind Manchester City and Arsenal, partly aided by a slip from Chelsea.
Unai Emery commented that Aston Villa, currently third with 20 matches left, are not title contenders amid competition from Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United. Aston Villa extended their winning streak to 11 games with a resilient 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Chelsea, featuring two goals from Ollie Watkins.
Recent weekend matches included Aston Villa's 2-1 win over Manchester United, despite being out-shot and having less possession. Morgan Rogers was influential, and Emery's tactical approach was noted over United's Len Y Yoro. Manchester United's winless run stretched to eight games since their October 25 win over Brighton, hindered by injuries to Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes. Everton narrowly lost 0-1 to Arsenal, who moved to the top of the league but still face challenges in final-third play.
Manchester City emphatically beat West Ham 3-0, with Pep Guardiola managing player recovery and preparation through a strict post-Christmas regimen. Liverpool overcame Tottenham 2-1, though Alexander Isak suffered a fractured leg, threatening Liverpool's top-four ambitions and affecting the impact of their £125m signing.
Newcastle drew 2-2 with Chelsea amid controversy over a non-awarded penalty. Wolves endured a 0-2 defeat to Brentford while facing overwhelming relegation odds, compounded by a missed late penalty from Jørgen Strand Larsen and evident squad difficulties. Leeds secured a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace, with Palace debuting their youngest-ever Premier League player, Joel Drakes-Thomas, at 16 years and 194 days.
Brighton and Sunderland played to a goalless draw, with promising performances from Brighton’s Kostoulas and Hürzeler. Injuries affected key players, and Kostoulas may start his first Premier League match soon. Bournemouth and Burnley played to a 1-1 draw, with Bournemouth’s goal-scoring spread among 12 players but facing some scoring droughts, while Burnley demonstrated scoring efficiency despite limited chances.
