It is almost Boxing Day, which only means one thing! A lot of Premier League games! Oh, and maybe opening some Christmas presents, but that is not nearly as important.
Boxing day has a long tradition of being the most anticipated day over the festive period. Having family and friends over, doing what we enjoy the most – watching football. In the beginning, clubs played against local rivals to avoid the inconvenience of teams and fans traveling long distances to away games just a day after Christmas. Not anymore.
This is shaping up to be an unusal Boxing Day. Premier clubs rejected the option of temporarily halting the season earlier this week. As of today, three Premier League fixtures have been postponed. We all know the reason.
Liverpool vs Leeds
Leeds’ game versus Liverpool has been called off after they reported 5 new cases among staff and players. This, plus a long injury list, means that Marcelo Bielsa cannot field a team with the required 13 outfield players and 1 goalkeeper from his registered 25-man squad. Liverpool haven’t reported any new cases.
Wolverhampton vs Watford
The Premier League has confirmed that our Boxing Day trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers has been postponed as a result of COVID-19.#WOLWAT
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) December 23, 2021
Watford, who saw their game against Crystal Palace last Saturday called off, have some good news.
The Premier League states: “Due to players coming out of isolation, it is fully expected Watford will be available for their fixture on Tuesday 28 December, against West Ham United.”
Burnley vs Everton
Everton finally managed to get their game against Burley postponed, with manager Rafael Benitez claiming he only had 9 outfield players available.
“We have six injuries and five players with Covid,” said the Spaniard. “I think it is not fair.” This happens on their second attempt after having the initial request rejected.
Fans in England can still go to matches, unlike fans in Germany, although they have to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test taken in the previous 48 hours.
