The festive season is upon us and while the Christmas period may be about family for most people, it's also about football. The fixture list over the festive period is always jam-packed and things get under way this weekend.
A full round of Premier League fixtures takes place this weekend, with Boxing Day and December 27 fixtures in between another weekend of action that starts on Sunday, December 29.
Fixtures during this period tend to be as regionalised as possible, with attempts made to ensure long-dsitance travel for players, staff and supporters is not required. However, that is not always the case.
For Arsenal, this season, it certainly is though. The Gunners are not playing any matches outside of London, meaning their travel time is minimal. And that could be a huge boost in the title race, particularly when Liverpool, who top the table, are doing the most travelling of any club in the league.
Over the Christmas period - December 20 to December 31 - there are three matchdays in 12 days. In that time, according to research by Grosvenor Sport, Liverpool will be travelling 711.57 miles, with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Sunday and another London visit to face West Ham on December 29. They play at home to Leicester in between those two.
Chelsea sit second in the table and have the fourth longest distance to travel, with a trip to Goodison Park to take on Everton on Saturday and a visit to Ipswich Town on December 30. They are also at home on Boxing Day to west London rivals Fulahm.
On the contrary, Arsenal make the short journey to Crystal Palace this weekend, with a home game against Ipswich Town on December 27 and then another short trip across London to face Brentford on New Year's Eve. That amounts to 45.55 miles.
It is a time in the season where things can change dramatically and Arsenal will be hoping their close fixtures will help them in the long run.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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