The Magpies will now play on Boxing Day after all but there are other tweaks to the schedule
Newcastle fans at Old Trafford
Newcastle fans at Old Trafford(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
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Newcastle United will play their clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Boxing Day after a major decision by TV chiefs.
And Eddie Howe's side will also see their New Year encounter at home to Crystal Palace pushed back at St James' Park. The Magpies always felt that their meeting with the Red Devils faced a tweak and that has proved to be the case.
A Newcastle statement read: "Four more of Newcastle United's festive fixtures have been rescheduled in the latest round of Premier League fixture amendments.
"Three December matches had already been moved in the previous set of alterations, and now the rest of the Magpies' Christmas and New Year period has been finalised.
"The trip to Manchester United has been brought forward from Saturday, 27th December to Friday, 26th December, with that Boxing Day kick-off confirmed as 8pm GMT.
"Eddie Howe’s side then travel to the United head coach’s former club Burnley on Tuesday, 30th December at 7:30pm GMT instead of 8pm GMT as initially advertised.
"They kick-off 2026 with a home game against Crystal Palace on Sunday, 4th January, kicking off at 4pm GMT - a day later that first scheduled.
"And they follow that up with the visit of Leeds United on Wednesday, 7th January, which will now kick-off at 8:15pm GMT instead of 8pm GMT.
"All four matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Any further changes to the Magpies' fixture schedule will be communicated at the earliest opportunity."
A Premier League statement read: "The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season – impacting an important tradition in English football.
"There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup. This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995.
"With fewer weekends to work with, the League is bound by how the calendar falls. The League can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day – as the date falls on a Saturday.
"As with previous years, and in keeping with our commitment to clubs, special arrangements have been made to allow more time between games played across the festive period. This will allow greater time for players to recover with the rest periods between rounds 18, 19 and 20 being increased to ensure that no club plays within 60 hours of another match."
United's trip to Sunderland had already been altered earlier this month. The Magpies clash at the Stadium of Light will now kick-off at 2pm on Sunday, December 14, 24 hours later than the original date - a move that arguably favours United just days after their trip to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.
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