Who has it hardest?
At a time when players from other major European divisions will be jetting off for warm-weather training or a quick holiday with the family, Premier League stars will be involved in an intense period of domestic action.
Fans may rejoice at the prospect of four rounds of games in the space of 13 days, but managers will be tearing their hair out as they seek to avoid injuries and fatigue. Using data from Sportingbet, this slideshow reveals which clubs have the worst festive fixture congestion by measuring the time between their first match kicking off and their final one ending.
20. West Ham
12 days, 7 hours
More good news for happier Hammers. With seven points from the last nine available, David Moyes’s men have pulled clear of the drop zone in recent weeks. West Ham aren't quite out of the relegation picture just yet, though, and they’ll hope for another positive result when they meet Newcastle on Saturday.
That clash at the London Stadium precedes a Boxing Day trip to Bournemouth, with the Hammers then given a whole week off before their encounter against West Brom. Two days later on January 4, Moyes’s men face London rivals Tottenham.
19. Tottenham
12 days, 4 hours, 30 minutes
Supporters of both sides were left frustrated when Tottenham's clash with West Ham was moved from New Year's Eve to January 4, but Mauricio Pochettino will be quietly delighted at the extra rest it affords his team.
Spurs kick things off with a Saturday teatime game against Burnley this weekend, before facing Southampton on Boxing Day; the north Londoners then benefit from a week-long rest period before duelling with Swansea on January 2. West Ham await two days later.
18. Arsenal
12 days, 1 hour, 30 minutes
Arsene Wenger would ordinarily be irritated at the fact Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool has been moved to Friday night – just three days after their League Cup quarter-final against West Ham – but that decision means the Gunners have more recovery time over the festive period than all but two Premier League teams.
There’s also a six-day gap between the Liverpool game and their next encounter against Crystal Palace on December 28. A trip to West Brom awaits on New Year’s Eve, before a crunch meeting with Chelsea on January 3.
17. Chelsea
11 days, 9 hours
Chelsea’s match against Everton is Saturday’s early kick-off, which is one of several advantages for Antonio Conte and his players over the festive period.
The Blues follow that trip to Goodison Park up with back-to-back home games against Brighton and Stoke, while their subsequent clash with Arsenal – which only involves a short journey across London – has been pushed back from New Year’s Day to January 3. Conte has been frustrated with fixture scheduling at times this term, but he can have few complaints over Christmas.
15.= Man City
10 days, 6 hours, 45 minutes
Manchester City hardly need any favours given their present dominance of the Premier League, but they’ve been handed a relatively kind schedule over Christmas anyway.
Pep Guardiola’s side will almost certainly get into the festive spirit when they welcome out-of-form Bournemouth to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, while their Boxing Day fixture against Newcastle has been moved to December 27. After that, City face Crystal Palace on New Year’s Eve and Watford on January 2.
15.= Watford
10 days, 6 hours, 45 minutes
Before they can tuck into their pigs in blankets, Watford visit the south coast to take on Brighton this Saturday. Their Boxing Day assignment pits Marco Silva’s side against Leicester at Vicarage Road, before Swansea visit the same venue four days later.
The Hornets’ festive period ends on January 2, when they face the daunting task of taking on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Silva will hope to have some more points on the board by then.
11.= Swansea
10 days, 6 hours, 30 minutes
Swansea dispensed of Paul Clement on Wednesday, meaning the search for a new manager is under way ahead of Saturday’s crunch clash with Crystal Palace at the Liberty Stadium.
Swansea’s Boxing Day trip to Liverpool begins at 17:30, and the Welsh outfit then face Watford at Vicarage Road on December 30. They conclude the festive period against Tottenham on January 2.
11.= West Brom
10 days, 6 hours, 30 minutes
West Brom have not yet experienced a bounce under Alan Pardew, with the West Midlanders still awaiting their first Premier League triumph since August. They'll hope to end that 16-match winless run on Saturday, though, when the Baggies do battle with Stoke in the Potteries.
Next up is a Boxing Day assignment against Everton, and Arsenal are scheduled to visit The Hawthorns on New Year’s Eve. By the time of their visit to West Ham on January 2, West Brom will hope to be out of the bottom three.
11.= Southampton
10 days, 6 hours, 30 minutes
Southampton welcome Huddersfield to St Mary’s on Saturday, before an early kick-off against Tottenham at Wembley on Boxing Day. Mauricio Pellegrino’s men then face the daunting task of a trip to Old Trafford on December 30, with their first game of 2018 coming against Crystal Palace two days later.
Southampton lost four matches in a row at this time last year, so Pellegrino will feel confident of improving on predecessor Claude Puel’s festive record.
11.= Crystal Palace
10 days, 6 hours, 30 minutes
Palace lost their first seven matches of the 2017/18 season without scoring a goal, but a seven-game unbeaten run has helped them climb out of the relegation zone. Roy Hodgson will hope his side can extend that streak on Saturday when they face struggling Swansea.
Palace then have a relatively lengthy break of six days before locking horns with Arsenal, and then Manchester City visit Selhurst Park on New Year’s Eve. A clash with Southampton on January 2 is the Eagles’ first of 2018.
10. Liverpool
9 days, 20 hours, 45 minutes
No manager has rotated his side more often than Jurgen Klopp this season, so expect changes aplenty as Liverpool attempt to juggle four games within the space of nine days, 20 hours and 45 minutes.
The Reds’ first task comes at Arsenal on Friday night, with an early kick-off against Swansea on Boxing Day to follow. Klopp’s men then face Leicester on December 30 and Burnley on New Year’s Day.
9. Everton
9 days, 6 hours, 45 minutes
Everton have experienced a revival under Sam Allardyce, with four wins and a draw in five league games lifting them away from danger and into the top half. The Toffees could come unstuck against champions Chelsea on Saturday, though, ahead of a trip to The Hawthorns for their tussle with West Brom on Boxing Day.
Everton will then make the long journey south on December 30, where Bournemouth await, before facing Manchester United at 17:30 on New Year’s Day.
6.= Newcastle
9 days, 1 hours, 45 minutes
Newcastle are woefully out of form – Rafa Benitez’s charges are without a win in nine – and will hope that Santa Claus brings them the invaluable gift of three points against West Ham on Saturday afternoon.
Even the most optimistic of Magpies supporters won’t expect much from their meeting with Manchester City on December 27, but a home clash with Brighton on December 30 looks more promising. Newcastle end the festive period with a trip to fellow strugglers Stoke on New Year’s Day.
6.= Huddersfield
9 days, 1 hours, 45 minutes
Huddersfield’s thumping 4-1 victory over Watford last time out means they head into Saturday’s match against Southampton in 11th place. Back-to-back home games against Stoke and Burnley follow, giving Town a chance to pull further clear of the bottom three.
David Wagner’s side will then lock horns with Leicester on New Year’s Day in their fourth successive 15:00 kick-off – if you’re a traditionalist, the Terriers are the team for you over the festive period.
6.= Stoke
9 days, 1 hours, 45 minutes
It may be the season of goodwill to all men, but Stoke chairman Peter Coates could turn into the Grinch if results don’t turn quickly. Mark Hughes finds himself under significant pressure heading into Saturday’s clash with West Brom, which has become a must-win encounter for the Welshman after three consecutive defeats.
Boxing Day brings a trip to Huddersfield, before the Potters travel to Stamford Bridge on December 30. Hughes’s situation is such that he can’t really afford to look too far ahead, so a New Year’s Day clash with Newcastle won’t be anywhere near the forefront of his mind right now.
5. Man United
8 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes
Second in the Premier League and fifth in this list, United have less recovery time in the next fortnight than any of their big-six rivals.
Part of the reason for that is the rescheduling of Saturday’s game against Leicester, which now gets under way at 19:45. Burnley then await at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, before consecutive 17:30 kick-offs against Southampton (home) and Everton (away).
2.= Bournemouth
8 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes
Only one top-flight team has less recovery time than the Cherries, who fall just short of the nine-day mark. Bournemouth’s festivities begin with a daunting trip to Manchester City at the weekend, with West Ham and Everton then travelling to the Vitality Stadium in the next seven days.
The fact that their south-coast derby with Brighton has been moved to a 12:30 kick-off on New Year’s Day lifts Eddie Howe’s men into joint-second in this list, while a League Cup quarter-final against Chelsea has added further minutes to tired legs.
2.= Burnley
8 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes
Burnley have enjoyed a magnificent first half of the season under Sean Dyche, but their relatively thin squad could be stretched to its limit in coming days.
The Clarets’ pre-Christmas clash comes against Tottenham at Turf Moor this weekend, with Dyche then taking his players to Old Trafford on Boxing Day. After that, Burnley face Huddersfield away and Liverpool at home.
2.= Brighton
8 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes
Watford are visitors to the Amex Stadium on Saturday afternoon, which precedes a Boxing Day trip to Chelsea for Brighton. The seasiders will then make the long journey to Newcastle 96 hours later, before returning to the south coast to face Bournemouth on New Year’s Day.
Chris Hughton has named a settled side for much of the campaign so far, with six players having started 16 or more of Albion’s 18 league encounters. The former Norwich boss will probably have to shuffle his pack more often over the festive period.
1. Leicester
8 days, 21 hours
It’s official: Leicester have been dealt the toughest hand by the fixture computer, with Claude Puel and his players afforded just eight days and 21 hours between the start of their first encounter and the end of their fourth. (Not to mention the 120+ minutes' worth of League Cup quarter-final they duked out on Tuesday night.)
The Foxes’ festive period begins with the visit of Manchester United to the King Power Stadium on Saturday evening, before meetings with Watford (away), Liverpool (away) and Huddersfield (home), by which time even the all-action Shinji Okazaki might be a little jaded.
