Manchester United have discovered their fixture dates over Christmas ahead of schedule after the Premier League confirmed dates
Manchester United's Christmas fixtures for the 2026/27 season have been confirmed
Manchester United's Christmas fixtures for the 2026/27 season have been confirmed(Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Manchester United's Premier League Christmas schedule has been confirmed. The Reds will play four games over the festive period. The highlight of the calendar will be their home clash with Nottingham Forest, which will take place on Sunday, December 27, at 4.30pm.
United will then host Sunderland three days later on Wednesday, December 30, at 7.30pm. Michael Carrick's side will then welcome in 2027 with a long trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, January 2, at 12.30pm, before facing Newcastle at home on Thursday, January 7, at 8pm.
The Reds have discovered their festive schedule far earlier than previously anticipated. According to the Mail, United were one of several clubs to put pressure on the top flight to release their Christmas fixtures weeks earlier than planned to allow supporters more time to book travel and accomodation.
Traditionally, Boxing Day has seen a packed schedule of matches across the Premier League, EFL and National Leagues. However, last season the Premier League received a backlash for scheduling just one match on Boxing Day - United's home game against Newcastle - for 8pm that evening.
Explaining that decision, the Premier League said in a statement: "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 season continues tonight when they host Sabah FK in the Champions League. Take a look at the full list of Boxing Day fixtures in the Premier League, below:
Aston Villa vs Leeds United (12.30pm kick off)
Everton vs Sunderland
Fulham vs Brighton and Hove Albion
Ipswich Town vs Brentford
Tottenham Hotspur vs AFC Bournemouth
Hull City vs Liverpool (5.30pm kick off)