Premier League Pre-Match Buzz and Latest Football News

That remark feels a bit too relatable personally. Christmas time is consistently prioritizing the beautiful game, decorations later.

This can be a difficult time for football supporters. Can we manage to maintain the required focus on our team while displaying suitable excitement for gift choices, wrapping, food shopping and preparation, table decorations, joining in family get-togethers....? We'll give it a damned good try! Sorry, what was that you were saying...?

Man Utd Pursue Neves and Gallagher

The Red Devils are searching for midfield reinforcements. This can’t be good news for Kobbie Mainoo… as a pair of former Premier League stars are on the radar of Ruben Amorim’s side.

Chelsea's Trip to Newcastle Fixture Analysis

The clash at St. James' Park in the early Saturday slot provides a fantastic start to start the day’s action. The Magpies are down in 12th and Enzo Maresca’s men are in fourth. A mere six-point gap lies between them, given Newcastle's strong home form likely to make it tough for the Blues.

The home side could be hindered, though, by their sheer number of current defensive absentees. Tino Livramento has joined a host of sidelined players on the treatment table, and Lewis Hall is questionable.

Despite this, and even with the manager stating he was “falling more in love with [his players” earlier this week, you wouldn’t bank on Chelsea strolling to victory at St James’ Park. Can Maresca settle on a regular forward line? Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho came off the bench during the midweek cup tie to score and look like contenders to start this one.

Predicting games like Newcastle v Chelsea in the current campaign has been very, very difficult.

Top 100 Players Discussion

I notice there’s lots of discussion in the comments about the Guardian’s Top 100 players… these things are always subjective, of course. An indisputable fact is Ousmane Dembélé’s place at the top.

Key Weekend Storylines

10 things to look out for: From pressure on Scott Parker at Burnley, to Wolves’ long search for a win, appeals for the striker's inclusion to feature in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup plans, everything is covered.

Friday Night Round-Up

In case you missed it there was drama in the all-Welsh Friday night Championship clash. Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo presented Swansea with the win in the 90th minute fumbling a cross straight to the substitute. The Swans substitute had the simplest of task to score to make it 2-1.

An early Christmas present from Okonkwo – who is one of Bukayo Saka’s best friends in football, by the way, and Welsh bragging rights for Swansea.

Steve Evans steered his team to a draw ending a poor run, but stated the 1-1 draw at Crewe was disappointing given the home side had 10 men for most of the game. Elsewhere in League Two, Cambridge United jumped into the playoff spots with a 2-0 win against Accrington Stanley while Cheltenham won at struggling Barrow.

Northampton cruised beyond AFC Wimbledon 3-1 in League One.

Over in Germany, the battle of the Borussias was won 2-0 by Dortmund, with a late Beier goal to defeat Gladbach after Julian Brandt struck early on.

Introduction

Hello everyone and welcome to another live football coverage. Saturday is here so that can only mean one thing – buildup! It's truly a packed schedule with no less than eight Premier League games, starting with the early kick-off, followed by four afternoon games, Tottenham v Liverpool at 5.30pm, and then two 8pm games: Everton v Arsenal and Leeds v Crystal Palace (all times GMT).

Additionally, there's a complete card of games in the Scottish Premiership, Championship, League One and League Two, and further down the divisions and in Spain, Germany and beyond too. It's a feast.

As always with matchday lives, we encourage your comments and emails, so share your forecasts, thoughts on 2025 in general now that it’s coming to an end, or your plans for a football-filled day. Should be fun!