CHELSEA and Manchester City have been handed a Christmas fixture nightmare.
And while Jurgen Klopp will not be choking on his turkey over Liverpool’s festive games, he is set for another punch-up with broadcasters the weekend before Christmas.
Frank Lampard has a big job to galvanise his troops for two big games in 48 hoursCredit: Reuters
Prem chiefs finally unveiled their December fixtures list today, later than planned, after a series of behind the scenes wrangles.
All 60 Prem matches in the month will be screened live across the four domestic broadcasters, with Amazon Prime have all of two fixtures list and other matches on Sky Sports, BT Sport and the BBC.
But Frank Lampard and Pep Guardiola will be the most angry after their frantic programes were confirmed.
Chelsea make the short trip across London for the crunch clash with capital rivals Arsenal at 5.30pm on Saturday December 26.
Then, exactly 48 hours later, they will kick off against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
The news comes just a day after Spurs boss Jose Mourinho suggested Lampard and his team were ‘lucky’ to get an extra 48 hours to prepare for Sunday’s clash between the two teams.
And Guardiola will be equally infuriated with an 8pm kick-off against Newcastle the day after Christmas followed 48 hours later by a visit to Everton.
Pep Guardiola will not be a happy chappyCredit: Reuters
Liverpool, who lobbied strongly against the draft fixtures list when it was presented to clubs at the start of the week, avoided the same fate.
They will play West Brom at 4.30pm on December 27 before travelling to face Newcastle at 8pm three days later.
But Klopp, angry at having to face Brighton on Saturday lunchtime after meeting Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday night, will face a similar situation next month despute the end of the first stage of European football.
Liverpool meet Spurs in a top of the table battle on Wednesday December 16, in the first round of midweek Prem games this season, before travelling to Crystal Palace for an early start on December 19.
Premier League fixtures in December
Friday 4 December
20:00 Aston Villa v Newcastle Utd (Sky Sports)
Saturday 5 December
12:30 Burnley v Everton (BT Sport)
15:00 Man City v Fulham (BT Sport)
17:30 West Ham v Man Utd (Sky Sports)
20:00 Chelsea v Leeds Utd (Sky Sports)
Sunday 6 December
12:00 West Brom v Crystal Palace (Sky Sports)
14:15 Sheffield Utd v Leicester City (Sky Sports)
16:30 Spurs v Arsenal (Sky Sports)
19:15 Liverpool v Wolves (Amazon Prime Video)
Monday 7 December
20:00 Brighton v Southampton (Sky Sports)
Friday 11 December
20:00 Leeds Utd v West Ham (Sky Sports)
Saturday 12 December
12:30 Wolves v Aston Villa (BT Sport)
15:00 Newcastle Utd v West Brom (Sky Sports)
17:30 Man Utd v Man City (Sky Sports)
20:00 Everton v Chelsea (BT Sport)
Sunday 13 December
12:00 Southampton v Sheff Utd (Sky Sports)
14:15 Crystal Palace v Spurs (Sky Sports)
16:30 Fulham v Liverpool (Sky Sports)
19:15 Arsenal v Burnley (Sky Sports)
19:15 Leicester City v Brighton (Amazon Prime Video)
Tuesday 15 December
18:00 Wolves v Chelsea (Amazon Prime Video)
20:00 Man City v West Brom (Amazon Prime Video)
Wednesday 16 December
18:00 Arsenal v Southampton (Amazon Prime Video)
18:00 Leeds Utd v Newcastle Utd (Amazon Prime Video)
18:00 Leicester City v Everton (Amazon Prime Video)
20:00 Fulham v Brighton (Amazon Prime Video)
20:00 Liverpool v Spurs (Amazon Prime Video)
20:00 West Ham v Crystal Palace (Amazon Prime Video)
Thursday 17 December
18:00 Aston Villa v Burnley (Amazon Prime Video)
20:00 Sheffield Utd v Man Utd (Amazon Prime Video)
Saturday 19 December
12:30 Crystal Palace v Liverpool (BT Sport)
15:00 Southampton v Man City (Amazon Prime Video)
17:30 Everton v Arsenal (Sky Sports)
20:00 Newcastle Utd v Fulham (Sky Sports)
Sunday 20 December
12:00 Brighton v Sheffield Utd (Sky Sports)
14:15 Spurs v Leicester City (Sky Sports)
16:30 Man Utd v Leeds Utd (Sky Sports)
19:15 West Brom v Aston Villa (BT Sport)
Monday 21 December
17:30 Burnley v Wolves (Sky Sports)
20:00 Chelsea v West Ham (Sky Sports)
Saturday 26 December
12:30 Leicester City v Man Utd (BT Sport)
15:00 Aston Villa v Crystal Palace (BBC)
15:00 Fulham v Southampton (Sky Sports)
17:30 Arsenal v Chelsea (Sky Sports)
20:00 Man City v Newcastle Utd (BT Sport)
20:00 Sheffield Utd v Everton (BT Sport)
Sunday 27 December
12:00 Leeds Utd v Burnley (Sky Sports)
14:15 West Ham v Brighton (Sky Sports)
16:30 Liverpool v West Brom (Sky Sports)
19:15 Wolves v Spurs (Sky Sports)
Monday 28 December
15:00 Crystal Palace v Leicester City (Amazon Prime Video)
17:30 Chelsea v Aston Villa (Amazon Prime Video)
20:00 Everton v Man City (Amazon Prime Video)
Tuesday 29 December
18:00 Brighton v Arsenal (Amazon Prime Video)
18:00 Burnley v Sheffield Utd (Amazon Prime Video)
18:00 Southampton v West Ham (Amazon Prime Video)
18:00 West Brom v Leeds Utd (Amazon Prime Video)
20:00 Man Utd v Wolves (Amazon Prime Video)
Wednesday 30 December
18:00 Spurs v Fulham (Amazon Prime Video)
20:00 Newcastle Utd v Liverpool (Amazon Prime Video)
Prem chiefs, whio have yet to agree the schedule for the first weekend of 2021, insist this season’s festive programme is less onerous than last term.
League bosses point out that no clubs will have less than 48 hours between kick-off times, whereas five did last year, with four having exactly 48 hours.
They also say the average spacing between games across the 20 clubs is 62 hours.
That, though, is unlikely to make lampard or Guardiola any happier as they gear up for the most testing set of games in an already congested season.
Sport fans to return to live matches from December 2 with Premier League stadiums back open as rules relax
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
