Boxing Day delivers heated Premier League action

It’s one of the biggest days on the English football calendar. How did the results shake out on Boxing Day in the Premier League?

Games had implications from the top of the table to the bottom, and here’s a rundown of the action from the big day.

Boxing Day 2023 Premier League Results

Newcastle 1-3 Nottingham Forest

A hat trick from Forest at St. James’ Park sent the Toon Army home disappointed in the day’s upset. Newcastle got an expected lead, with an Alexander Isak penalty in at the 23′ mark. But a first-half stoppage time tally from Chris Wood leveled the affair for Forest. He’d add two more early in the second half, in the 53rd and 60th minutes, to put the match out of reach.

The result is a boost for Forest as it keeps them just out of the reach of the relegation zone. Meanwhile, for The Magpies, it’s a disappointing result for them as they remain on the outside looking in when it comes to European places for next season. They sit in eighth at the end of the day’s action, now five points back of fifth-place Manchester City.

Sheffield United 2-3 Luton Town

This one was a relegation zone battle – with both sides hoping to stay in the EPL after earning promotion just this past spring. Luton began the day in 18th, with Sheffield two spots below in last place. Alfie Doughy got the away side on top early, scoring in the 17th minute to put Luton on top 1-0. However, Ali McBurnie leveled things in the 61st, getting the Blades back in it. Just a few minutes later, Anel Ahmedhodžić put Sheffield on top 2-1, but an own goal in the 77th minute tied things back up again.

Remarkably, another goal in the 81st minute saw the Hatters somehow sitting on a late 3-2 lead.

When it was all said and done, the visitors would hold on and steal away from Bramall Lane with all three points. It doesn’t shake up the standings – both sides remain in the drop zone.

However, Luton have inched closer to safety while the Blades remain in dire straits at the bottom.

Bournemouth 3-0 Fulham

A mid-table scrap with the Cottagers visiting the Vitality Stadium on the south coast saw the home side retain their excellent recent form.

Bournemouth had won four of their last five matches heading into this one, and it was the Cherries snatching the lead late in the first half on a strike from Justin Kluivert that was simply too quick and powerful for Fulham keeper Bernd Leno to handle. At the 61′ mark, Bournemouth was awarded their first penalty kick in ages, and Solanke buried the chance to make it 2-0.

Late in the match, Leno gave a light push to a ball boy which drew ire from the crowd, though a later apology appeared to smooth over the incident. The cherry was put on top for the home side with an absolute missile of a hit from the top of the semicircle by Luis Sinisterra to make it 3-0 in stoppage time.

Both sides remain relatively comfortable in the standings, though with the loss Fulham will certainly have one eye looking over their shoulder as the new year begins.

Burnley 0-2 Liverpool

Liverpool was visiting Burnley hoping to keep pace with Arsenal at the top of the Table. Meanwhile, the Clarets came in struggling to stay in the Premiership, sitting at 19th place. The Reds were in the holiday spirit, donning their green and white secondary kits for the occasion.

Things started right as you’d expect, as a fine first-time strike from the top of the box by Darwin Núñez had Liverpool up 0-1 in just the 6th minute. It looked like the lead was doubled twenty minutes later. However, a foul call erased Liverpool’s second goal of the game.

About ten minutes into the second half, Liverpool looked to be up 0-2 again. Harvey Elliott punched home a give-and-go effort at the near post. But it was judged after VAR that Mo Salah was in an offside position and interfered with the line of sight of the goalkeeper, nullifying the goal.

Burnley held out hope for as long as they could, but the dam finally burst in the 91st minute. Diogo Jota snuck a shot through Trafford’s legs to make it 2-0 and seal the result.

For the moment, the win slides Liverpool up to the top of the standings on 42 points. Burnley is at the other end, mired in a relegation fight and just two points ahead of last-place Sheffield.

Man United 3-2 Aston Villa

United haven’t been at their best recently, losing three of their previous five (though a shakeup in ownership has lifted spirits for Red Devils fans). Aston Villa meanwhile has been flying high, in third place and only a few points from the top.

The good times for Villa kept rolling in the 22nd minute. John McGinn whipped in a free kick that nobody on either side touched, and it found its way into the far corner of the net.

Minutes later, disaster struck the Old Trafford faithful. Leander Dendocker doubled the advantage for the visitors, flicking in a headed cross to make it 2-0. Despite some chances from United, that’s how the scoreline would look at the half.

The second half seemed to get off to a brighter start for United, as Alejandro Garnacho broke in around the keeper and slotted one in at the 47′ mark. But after a VAR review, he was offside when receiving the pass, and the goal was disallowed.

Ten minutes later, however, in a near replication of the disallowed goal, Garnacho tapped home a cross and clawed United back into the game.

It was Garnacho to the rescue again in the 70th. The Argentine national team winger collected a loose ball from a broken play and fired it off a defender to level the proceedings.

Old Trafford turned electric when Rasmus Højlund scored off a corner in the 82nd minute to make it 3-2, completing the full comeback.

The loss stings for Villa – keeping them in third place while a victory would have seen them level on points with leaders Liverpool. United is now bumped up to sixth, and within striking distance of a spot in Europe as the calendar turns to 2024.

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