On the Boxing Christmas Express Day, a soccer feast was held as scheduled, with eight exciting Premier League matches taking place. Players celebrated the festive season with high spirits and the pace of the game fluctuated. Last year, for example, in the 10 Premier League matches on Gift Unwrapping Day, players scored a total of 39 goals, of which 8 matches scored more than 2 goals, and 6 matches scored more than 4 goals.
Among the top performers, Manchester United has shown a resurgence of momentum. Known as the "Red Devils", they lead the Premier League with 22 wins in 28 Boxing Day matches, a 79% win rate. Despite last season's dreary performance under Tannhäuser, they came back from a 0-2 half-time deficit at Aston Villa to win 3-2 on Boxing Day. The Wolves are expected to continue that glorious tradition on this year's Gift Unwrapping Day.
However, the worst team on Boxing Day is Newcastle. Known as the Magpies, they have lost 16 of their 25 Boxing Day matches, giving them a win rate of just 36%. One wonders if this low win rate has anything to do with the bitterly cold weather in the North East. Newcastle lost 1-3 at home to Nottingham Forest last season, and will face Ashton Villa again at home this season, which will certainly be a tough challenge for them.
