The festive football feast! Premier League clubs are braced for the league to schedule football every day except Christmas Day from December 22 to January 2 – with Arsenal v West Ham set to move back two days

• Premier League chiefs are working to finalise the festive football schedule
• It’s possible Christmas Day will be the only day without live action 
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’ 

Premier League clubs are braced for a rearranged festive fixture list that could see Christmas Day left as the only one without a televised game.

Top flight chiefs are working through amendments to the match schedule for the remainder of December and January and aiming to confirm their finalised plans early this week.

On Friday they announced alterations to the first round of matches for December.

Scheduling a first Premier League game on Christmas Eve since 1995 has been on the agenda, with Wolves v Chelsea earmarked for the controversial slot, though it remains to be seen if that suggestion is rubber-stamped following a fierce backlash from supporters against the idea last week.

Clubs are also aware that further changes for match rounds 18, 19 and 20, which would enable fans to watch at least one game on TV every day except for on December 25, have also been discussed.

Arsenal versus West Ham could be moved back two days to December 28 as the Premier League finalise the festive football programme

Chelsea’s Premier League trip to Wolves is being earmarked to take place on Christmas Eve – but a fierce backlash from supporters may force a rethink

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Though they were awaiting official confirmation of exactly how the fixtures during that period would be altered with factors such as broadcaster, police and local authority demands plus travel issues, all having to be taken into account.

Last season’s matches over Christmas and New Year did not start until Boxing Day due to the mid-season World Cup in Qatar.

From then until January 5 – an 11-day period – there was only one day, Thursday December 29, that did not feature a live TV Premier League game.

Gameweek 18 this season is the final one before Christmas and will take place across the weekend of Saturday December 23.

As well as the Christmas Eve, a game could be moved to Friday December 22 to kick off the run of festive football.

Gameweek 19 is the traditional Boxing Day fixture list. One potential mooted change is moving Arsenal’s home game against West Ham to Thursday December 28, giving both clubs an extended break following Christmas and their previous games.

Another round of festive games will take place around the weekend of Saturday December 30.

And with the FA Cup third round not starting until the following weekend there is scope for more games to be moved until later in that week to benefit a TV audience.

The Premier League is finalising the Christmas and New Year schedule, which could be confirmed this week

Mail Sport understands at least one match is in line to be pushed back as far as the Tuesday January 2.

Though last season Premier League games were played up until the day before the FA Cup third round began.

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

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