Newcastle United vs. Nottingham Forest

St. James Park, Tuesday, 12:30pm Local, 7:30am Eastern

Both teams in the Boxing Day curtain raiser are coming off of disappointing defeats over the weekend. Newcastle were undone by a spirited and inspired Luton Town, who rallied behind their ailing captain, Tom Lockyer, and held the Tyneside club 1-0. The Magpies will hope for more offensive spark at St. James Park, feeding off the energy of the home fans. Their attacking triumvirate of Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak, and Callum Wilson should all be available, and - in general - the Newcastle injury crisis may be starting to wane.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s opening match as Forest boss was effectively dead on arrival following Willy Boly’s questionable sending off, but there were some positives to take. The Portuguese manager will need to show off his defensive organizational chops against the Magpies, but even with 10 men his Midlands side was able to find the net twice. Anthony Elanga’s composed finish will hopefully be a harbinger of better finishing from the talented but inconsistent Swedish striker - his scoring will be key as Forest count the days until Taiwo Awoniyi returns.

Bournemouth vs. Fulham

Vitality Stadium, Tuesday, 3pm Local, 10am Eastern

The Cherries continued their hot streak over the weekend, spoiling the new manager bounce in Nottingham. Dominic Solanke was clinical on the day, netting a hat trick and continuing his excellent form. Bournemouth, who looked so dour to start the season, go into this match a place and a point above their opponents, Fulham - which looked far from likely a month ago. Andoni Iraola has silenced many of his critics, and the South Coast side go into this match favorites to continue their 6 match unbeaten run. 

The Cottagers side has been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride, crashing back down to ground with 2 defeats after soaring with consecutive 5-0 victories. They haven’t scored a goal in their recent losses, and they’ll be without Raúl Jiménez for one more match. While their opposition have been winning a lot of contests, it should be noted that the Cherries conceded 2 goals against 10 men, so their defense isn’t exactly water-tight. Alex Iwobi is the most likely man to lead Marco Silva’s side to a positive result, but the West London club’s suddenly sputtering defense has quite a task in keeping out their free-scoring hosts at the Vitality.

Sheffield United vs. Luton Town

Bramall Lane, Tuesday, 3pm Local, 10am Eastern

The last round of matches was a red letter weekend for the promoted sides, and two of those clubs are rewarded with a face-off in Yorkshire. Chris Wilder’s return has had the desired effect, and the Blades have been more resilient defensively and more canny in managing their contests. On paper this seems like a great chance for Sheffield United to follow up their creditable draw against Villa with a win against the Hatters. Cameron Archer finally connected on his string of ever-closer attempts and a follow up effort could see Wilder’s side earn all 3 points at home.

Luton, if results elsewhere go their way, could find themselves out of the relegation places with a victory at Bramall Lane. The Hatters, despite improved play from their bottom of the table compatriots, are still the most likely promoted side to earn a spot in next year’s Premier League. While it’s not a stat that you can quantify, Rob Edwards’ side has galvanized after Tom Lockyer’s terrifying collapse, and their well-earned victory over Newcastle showed grit and determination. Andros Townsend and Ross Barkely have been brilliant veteran signings, and Elijah Adebayo and Jacob Brown have provided valuable goals in the Hatters’ latest performances.

Burnley vs. Liverpool

Turf Moor, Tuesday, 5:30pm Local, 12:30pm Eastern

Burnley put together something we had yet to see from the Lancashire side, a win against a non promoted side, when they downed Fulham 2-0. Vincent Kompany’s men have a somewhat more difficult task in midweek with second place Liverpool making the trip to Turf Moor. Wilson Odobert has stepped up during Luca Koleosho’s absence, and the young Frenchman’s long range shots may prove decisive if the Clarets are to get anything from this clash. Sander Berge was their other goal getter last time out, and - while he has taken some time to show his best at Burnley - a good run from their new signing could be key in lifting Kompany’s side up the table.

Liverpool will be stinging with regret as the goalpost at Anfield might still be rattling after Trent Alexander-Arnold narrowly missed a chance to fire the Merseyside club to the top of the league. If the Scouse side has real title aspirations, this is a must win match, and to win it their front line will need to click more than it has in recent weeks. Mohamed Salah has nabbed a few goals, but it’s been 6 league matches since a forward other than Egyptian has found the back of the net. Jürgen Klopp’s side should have plenty of space in which to attack, but their defense is starting to fray at the edges with backup left back Konstantinos Tsimikas looking set to miss an extended spell. Andy Robertson’s return is on the horizon, but Liverpool will need to hold steady with a thin backline for the foreseeable future. 

Manchester United vs. Aston Villa

Old Trafford, Tuesday, 8pm Local, 3pm Eastern

Manchester United followed up their creditable draw with Liverpool by absolutely crumbling away to West Ham. All the usual problems were there: a lack of scoring chops; conceding in bunches; fragility. Erik Ten Hag could hardly ask for worse opponents in the Red Devils’ next match than Aston Villa, who are looking to rebound from a poor result of their own. Villa’s disciplined high line seems tailor made to frustrate the numb United attack, and their dangerous countering could very well cause problems for Ten Hag’s defense. Supporters of the Manchester side received a Christmas boost in news of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s partial takeover of the club, but that piece of good news doesn’t immediately change their on field prospects, which remain bleak.

Unai Emery’s side snatched a late equalizer against bottom side, Sheffield United, in their last match, so it’s odd to say that the Birmingham side go into this showdown clear favorites. However, that is the case, and Villa remain surprise title contenders even if their last result dimmed their star a tiny bit. Ollie Watkins, Moussa Diaby, and Leon Bailey will be licking their lips scouting out this United backline, and John McGinn is likely already mapping out devastating passes to undo the Red Devils’ defense. Emery has received plenty of praise for his work at Villa Park, but it’s remarkable how quickly this club has leapfrogged last year’s 3rd place finishers.

Brentford vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Gtech Community Stadium, Wednesday, 7:30pm Local, 2:30pm Eastern

The Bees had a round off, and they really needed it - the West London club are hollowed out with injuries and collapsed in a fiery match against Aston Villa. Thomas Frank’s side had some good news though, as Keane Lewis-Potter scored his first goal for Brentford, and any goal is incredibly valuable as long as Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo are missing. Looking forward to January, the Bees may be movers and shakers in the transfer window, as they both need reinforcements and may be getting quite the windfall if Toney ends up being sold. For now, Brentford have lost 3 in a row and they’ll hope to arrest their downward spiral at home to Wolves.

Gary O’Neil’s side stopped a skid of their own, compounding Chelsea’s misery over the weekend. The Midlands side will feel that this is a good time to face off against the Bees, but Wolves have been struggling for consistency of their own. Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha have been covering well for Pedro Neto, who may make his long awaited return on Wednesday. O’Neil has neatly steered Wolves to safety, but periodic positive results are key to keeping up their momentum.

Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace

Stamford Bridge, Wednesday, 7:30pm Local, 2:30pm Eastern

Chelsea are struggling mightily to perform consistently in the Premier League. Their young squad, scattergun recruitment, and injuries woes have combined to create a perfect storm of midtable doldrums. Christopher Nkunku opened his account, which was the only bright spot of their loss to Wolves, and the Frenchman’s arrival at Stamford Bridge could be critical for the Blues’ season. It is perhaps foolhardy to pin too many expectations on a single player, but that’s the reality of Chelsea’s position in the league. Their opponents, Crystal Palace, should be beatable for them - but Roy Hodgson will organize his squad to frustrate Pochettino’s fragile side.

While Palace haven’t exactly caught fire, the Eagles have earned 2 straight draws against favored sides and things look a little less dire than they did earlier this month. The combined availability of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze makes Hodgson’s side exponentially more dangerous, and the South London side will be well drilled to spring counter attacks against Chelsea’s inconsistent defense. The Eagles don’t exactly come into this match as favorites, but they certainly won’t be overawed by their opponents.

Everton vs. Manchester City

Goodison Park, Wednesday, 8:15pm Local, 12:15pm Eastern

The Toffees host the newly crowned world champions at Goodison Park in the night cap on Wednesday. Sean Dyche’s side fell to Tottenham in their last match, but their improved play makes this match more interesting than it may have seemed earlier in the season. André Gomes played a big part in Everton’s (ultimately fruitless) comeback last weekend, and it will be interesting to see if he has a larger part to play against City. While the Merseyside club has been one of the stronger sides in recent weeks, it will take a formidable defensive performance if they want to earn anything at home.

Pep Guardiola’s side are back from Saudi Arabia, full of adrenaline and - just maybe - a little jetlagged. While they were gone, the Champions were given a few Christmas presents, with all of their title rivals dropping points. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa all failed to cement their status as solitary front runners, and City now have a chance to begin to chip away at their points deficit. Erling Haaland still hasn’t returned, but he appears to be nearly ready, as does Kevin De Bruyne. These two talismanic players could turn the tide quickly for City, and the rest of the league will be dreading their arrival.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Amex Stadium, Thursday, 7:30pm Local, 2:30pm Eastern

Brighton’s league form has been bumpy over the past month, and the Seagulls have fallen back to midtable as a result. They host Tottenham, who’ve improved in recent weeks, on Thursday evening. Roberto De Zerbi’s side is still hampered with injuries and will have a difficult task keeping out the Spurs attackers, who’ve been boosted by improved form from Richarlison and a tactical tweak to Dejan Kulusevski’s position. The Seagulls have plenty of firepower, however, and plenty of speed to exploit Ange Postecoglou’s high line. If Brighton can keep their defense tight, they’ll have a chance at surprising Spurs.

After a dreary run of results, Tottenham have won 3 in a row and are in the top 4 due to Manchester City’s trip to the Club World Cup. The North London club is still missing a great deal of their squad, but players - particularly in attack - have stepped up to help turn the tides. As noted above, Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski have been key, but Brennan Johsnon has settled in and is finding his feet primarily as a facilitator. With Brighton’s hollowed out squad, Postecoglou will feel that Spurs should have too much for the Seagulls’ fragile defense - anything less than all 3 points would be a disappointment for the Australian coach.

Arsenal vs. West Ham

Emirates Stadium, Thursday, 8:15pm Local, 12:15pm Eastern

Arsenal have made it to Christmas at the top of the table, but they may have slipped as far as 3rd by the time they kick off. Continuing to win guarantees first place, but Mikel Arteta’s side will have to get past West Ham who have won their last 2 league matches. The Gunners were held by Liverpool in their last match and have the crossbar to thank for protecting their point, but they’ve been resilient defensively and have enough attacking talent to make life difficult for their East London opponents. It will be Declan Rice’s first league match against West Ham since his summer move - can he make the difference against his old side?

While West Ham have emerged victorious from their last 2 league matches, those wins sandwiched a truly dismal display in the Carabao Cup against Liverpool. This is a perfect encapsulation of the Hammers, who are capable of troubling any team but don’t have consistency in their toolbelt. David Moyes won’t be overawed by their opponents, and his side is very comfortable with ceding possession and waiting for ideal attacking opportunities. Their electric duo, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, have been particularly dangerous, and one can imagine a late winner with either player putting the final touch on a counter attack.