Everton learn Boxing Day fixture fate vs Burnley as Premier League make controversial move
Everton are still waiting for their fixtures surrounding Christmas Day to be confirmed by the Premier League.
The Toffees are currently due to face Burnley, with David Moyes hoping his team can finish the year in better form than they currently find themselves in.
Everton lost 3-0 to Tottenham on Sunday, with the visitors scoring twice from set-pieces in the first half before capping off their victory in the final moments.
Beto again stole the headlines for his failure to convert, with Everton now underperforming their expected goals (xG) by over three.
Vicario made several key saves to keep out Beto and Iliman Ndiaye, with the Toffees failing to find a way past the Italian.
Premier League festive period plans revealed
The Premier League attracted large uproar from travelling fans when it delayed its fixture arrangements between Christmas Day and the New Year.
Travel arrangements are made especially difficult by the festive period rush, and the lack of service provided on train and coach lines.
Everton are currently down to face Burnley on the 27th December, and Nottingham Forest on the 30th, with these fixtures subject to change.
Since 1982, at least three English top-flight football matches have been played on Boxing Day, but this season is set to see that tradition thrown out.
It emerged on Monday that just one Premier League match would be played on the day after Christmas Day, with Alex Crook confirming the change while speaking to talkSPORT on Tuesday.
“Nothing official yet from the Premier League, but it is our understanding at talkSPORT that, in a break from tradition, there will only be one Premier League game played on Boxing Day,” Crook said.
He added: “What we don’t know, at this stage, is what game will be brought forward for that Friday television spot.
“There is a possibility, I think it might be Palace against Tottenham, obviously two London teams meeting, Brentford against Bournemouth is another where fans won’t have to travel too far.”
Everton’s Boxing Day tradition against Burnley
Interestingly, Everton have played Burnley on Boxing Day five times throughout the two clubs’ history of meetings.
First in 1950, again a decade later, before the sides met in 1967. That would be their last Boxing Day clash until 2018, when Lucas Digne‘s double led the Toffees to a 5-1 win at Turf Moor.
| Everton vs Burnley – Boxing Day | Year |
| Burnley 1-1 Everton | 1950 |
| Burnley 1-3 Everton | 1960 |
| Everton 2-0 Burnley | 1967 |
| Burnley 1-5 Everton | 2018 |
| Everton 1-0 Burnley | 2019 |
Most recently, the two sides met the day after Christmas Day in 2019, when Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the only goal at Goodison Park.
This year likely would have seen the sixth meeting between the sides on Boxing Day, but fans will have to settle for the 27th December, it appears.
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