Welcome to Match Companion, our live football blog, which brings you instant score updates, match video and photo highlights and in-play betting advice from the Premier League and Sky Bet EFL.
Relive everything that happened today - and what a day it was!
1725 Goodnight
Thank you as always for being with us today for another action packed and dramatic day of football. Boxing Day really did deliver a late Christmas treat.
We hope our blog kept you informed on all the day's key matches, but also helped with your in play betting.
Our Match Companion Football Blog will be back with you on Saturday from 1pm.
In the meantime please keep visiting Sporting Life daily for the latest Premier League and EFL news and opinion. Ahead of the weekend we'll also have our latest tips and previews for the big games.
1720 🎆 BETTING SUCCESS
So before we sign off for the night, let's review our betting success.
In our previews we successfully tipped:
Tottenham's Heung-min Son and Gylfi Sigurdsson to both score - and they did
We tipped Paul Pogba to score and Manchester United to win. Both happened and Pogba actually smashed two.
We backed Conor Hourihane to score for Aston Villa at 5/1
And if all that was not good enough, we also tipped Sheffield United’s Oliver Norwood to be carded at 4/1!
Sadly the ACCA didn't come in, as Lincoln lost at Crewe, but you cannot have everything!
1715 Watford v Chelsea - 1930 KO
Click the image to read our full preview of the 7.30pm Premier League kick off
1710 Brighton v Arsenal
Next up is Brighton v Arsenal. Brighton are looking to repeat last season's win over theGunners at the Amex, while Arsenal can go four points behind Manchester City with victory. That's getting underway now
We are tipping
With plenty of chances expected for the visiting side, set pieces could be crucial. Brighton have taken the second-fewest corners in the Premier League this season while Arsenal average around six per game. Backing Arsenal to take more is heavily odds on, so this on a -1 handicap looks like great value.
1639 🌩 GOAL FLASH
Leicester City 2-1 Manchester City - Pereira
8 minutes left and are the Champions going to suffer back to back defeats as Pereira scores a humdinger for the Foxes
Norwich 0-3 Nottingham Forest
Forest are showing their belief they can still go up automatically, Norwich are showing those defensive flaws.
1638 🔍 IN PLAY BETTING ADVICE
Leeds have dominated the second half against Blackburn and they can capitalise on Norwich, who are losing at home to Nottingham Forest.
The Whites can be backed to score the game’s next goal at 6/4 with Sky Bet, which looks a decent shout
1636 🌩 GOAL FLASH
Manchester United 3-0 Huddersfield - Pogba
The Frenchman has his second!
Liverpool 3-0 Newcastle - Shaqiri
Shaqiri wraps up a big Boxing Day win for the Premier League leaders
QPR 3-0 Ipswich
Wells makes it three to continue QPR's superby rise under Steve MaClean
1635 📸 ACTION SHOT
1616 📸 ACTION SHOT
1611 🌩 GOAL FLASH
Sheffield United 1-1 Derby
How good is Wilson and how good is he at set pieces?! He's scored another beauty to put Derby level
Preston 1-1 Hull
Browne levels up for the home side. That was needed, as it puts Hull back below them in the table
Bristol City 1-1 Brentford
Who else but the Sky Bet Championship's leading goal scorer - Neal Maupey levels up for the visitors and it was a superb strike.
1606 📸 ACTION SHOT
Meanwhile Bobby Reid to score in 90 minutes for Cardiff at Palace is . He's had two shots so far, as part of the visitors' four in total.
1559 📊 STAT TIME
1543 📊 STAT TIME
1453 🕵 PREMIER LEAGUE TIP
Our final pre match Premier League betting advice and we go to Old Trafford
- Paul Pogba to score and Manchester United to win against Huddersfield at 2/1
Red Devils fans have had little to cheer about this term and you would expect the shackles to come off here, as Solskjaer looks to take the fear out of his side which they can sometimes show in front of United fans.
One player who will be encouraged to express himself after a frustrating season will be Paul Pogba – and it would be no surprise to see him get on the score sheet so soon after Jose Mourinho’s departure.
He was impressive in Wales after returning to the starting line-up, setting up two and trying his luck on three occasions, and he is a general price of 9/5 to score anytime. You can bump that up to 2/1 in a score-and-win double, which is worth a small play considering an upturn in form is expected.
1443 6⃣ SUPER 6
Fancy winning Jeff Stelling’s Boxing Day £250,000? Well just predict the correct scores from six selected Premier League games and it’s all yours.
1441 📊 STAT TIME - Liverpool v Newcastle
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 22 home games against Newcastle in all competitions (W18 D4), with their last such defeat coming in November 1995 in the League Cup (0-1).
- Liverpool remain the only unbeaten side after 18 Premier League games this season – it’s their third longest unbeaten run from the start of a top-flight campaign after 1987-88 (29 games, finished 1st) and 1949-50 (19 games, finished 8th).
1439 🕵 EFL tips
Our EFL Expert Tom Carnduff recommends...
- Mateusz Klich to score anytime in Leeds v Blackburn at 29/10
Leeds' Mateusz Klich came close to scoring at Villa Park, and he landed a 3/1 winning tip in our preview of that one with three shots on goal. I’m willing to keep my faith with him based on that performance for reasons previously outlined.
The Polish midfielder could have grabbed the winner with a curling effort from outside the area, alongside a weak attempt when one-on-one in the first-half could have also easily been a goal.
Leeds will expect to be on the front foot once again in this one, giving Klich plenty of chances to continue adding to his tally.
- Heung-min Son is a man in form, netting twice and assisting another in Tottenham's thrashing of Everton. According to Opta, he has now been directly involved in 50 Premier League goals in 112 appearances for Spurs and is a real danger man.
- Marcus Rashford scored in Man United's win over Cardiff, taking four shots in total, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can get the best out of the England forward, who comes up against an inconsistent Huddersfield defence.
- Gylfi Sigurdsson has seven goals and two assists in the Premier League for Everton this season, with one coming on Sunday against old club Tottenham. He is one of the Toffees' key men and can be decisive in helping them defeat Burnley on Wednesday.
1434 📊 STAT TIME: Burnley v Everton
- Burnley have won three of their last four games against Everton in the Premier League (L1), including both home and away meetings in the 2017-18 season.
- Everton’s only previous victory at Turf Moor in the Premier League was back in October 2014 (under Roberto Martinez). They’ve lost 2-1 there in each of the last two seasons.
1431 🚨 SOCCER SATURDAY SUPER BOOST
Back Manchester United; Manchester City and Crystal Palace all to win – NOW SUPER BOOSTED to 4/1 with Sky Bet
1429 😯 CHAMPIONSHIP KEY GAMES
Into the Sky Bet Championship we go - and remember that Sporting Life has all the goals and highlights from all EFL games across the leagues.
So come back tomorrow to see ever goal from every game in all three EFL Leagues. Plus follow us at @sportinglifeFC on Twitter to see the best clips of great goals, saves, funnies and talking points from the EFL
WBA v WIGAN STATS
The last time these two clubs met at the Hawthorns was in the Premier League back in May 2013. A week later, Wigan went and beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
- West Brom haven't won a league game on Boxing Day since 2012 (vs QPR) - since then they have drawn two (2013 and 2017) and lost three (2014, 2015, 2016).
- Wigan manager Paul Cook has a 100% Football League win record in games played on Wednesday, winning all four as Wigan boss and one with Chesterfield.
BOLTON v ROTHERHAM STATS
Big game in the fight to stay up in the Sky Bet Championship, as Bolton – winless in six home league games – host Rotherham, who have gained four points from their last five away games
- Bolton Wanderers have won their last three successive league meetings at home against Rotherham United (March 1993, September 2014 & February 2016).
- Rotherham have won only one of their last 11 away trips to Bolton Wanderers in all competitions; this coming in a 2-0 win in February 1990 in the third tier of English league football.
MILLWALL v READING
Jose Gomes takes charge of Reading for the first time, after being appointed after Saturday’s loss to Boro.
His new Royals are out of the Sky Bet Championship Relegation Zone on goal difference only.
- The last time that Reading defeated Millwall both home and away in league competition in the same season was in their title-winning campaign of 2005-06.
- Millwall have won six of their last eight home league matches in December, drawing the other two.
1424 AGUERO RUBBISH AWAY?
Did you know that Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero has not scored a Premier League away goal at an English ground for 13 months?!!!
He has scored away at Cardiff City and Swansea City in that time.
Aguero has the chance to halt that dry spell, as he returns to the starting XI at Leicester.
1415 📰 TEAM NEWS: Palace v Cardiff
Palace make one change from their incredible 3-2 win at Manchester City four days ago. Cheikhou Kouyate returns in midfield to replace Jeffrey Schlupp.
Cardiff make five changes: Cunningham, Gunnarsson, Murphy and Arter all drop to the bench, while Callum Paterson is left out Bennett, Ralls, Decordova-Reid, Harris and Peltier are all in.
1414 📰 TEAM NEWS: Spurs v Bournemouth
Kyle Walker-Peters starts with Kieran Trippier on the bench, while there is no Dele Alli in the squad after the England midfielder appeared to pick up an injury at Everton.
Bournemouth boosted by the return of Ryan Fraser to the starting XI at Wembley, as Callum Wilson continues to lead the line..
1411 🌩 GOAL FLASH
Fulham 1-1 Wolves - Saiss
A great cross across the six yard box - the corridor of uncertainty - and it causes chaos for Fulham, resulting in a tap in from 6mm out for Saiss and his first Premier League goal. 2 mins and injury time left here.
1410 📰 TEAM NEWS: Man Utd v Huddersfield
Anthony Martial misses out due to illness as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer makes three changes – Diogo Dalot, Fred and Juan Mata introduced
David Wagner makes three alterations from their defeat to Southampton, with Elias Kachunga, Laurent Depoitre and Erik Durm coming into the side
1407 📰 TEAM NEWS: Burnley v Everton
Burnley hand Ben Gibson his first Premier League start.
Everton need to respond after their humiliation at the hands of Spurs. Richarlison is on the bench and there is no Cenk Tosun.
1406 📰 TEAM NEWS: Liverpool v Newcastle
Xherdan Shaqiri comes into the Reds’ XI in place of Fabinho, who drops to the bench. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Georginio Wijnaldum also come into the side as Jurgen Klopp makes three changes from Friday’s win over Wolves.
Federico Fernandez, Yoshinori Muto, Isaac Hayden and Joselu come in for the Magpies…
1404 📰 TEAM NEWS: Leicester v Man City
Leicester, unsurprisingly, name an unchanged side from the one that recorded a rare win at Chelsea last time out. Jamie Vardy has passed a fitness test to start.
De Bruyne and Aguero return to the starting XI for Manchester City as they look to bounce back from their shock loss to Palace
1402 🌩 GOAL FLASH
Fulham 1-0 Wolves - Sessegnon (74)
It took a couple of defelctions on the way through, but it's Ryan Sessegnon's goal that finally opens the scoring
1400❓QUIZ QUESTION ANSWER
We asked you 15 minutes ago....
Which club has amassed the most top-flight points from Boxing Day games since the first competitive season in 1888?
The answer...
Everton - 140 points from 88 Boxing Day games.
Manchester United are second with 139 points, but from only 76 games!
Liverpool are third with 131 points from 80 top flight games
Continue the Quiz fun and tackle our 2018 Sports Quiz at some point….
1558 LIVERPOOL TO BLOW IT AGAIN??
Did you know...
In the previous 10 years only twice has the team top of the Premier League on Christmas Day not gone on to win the title.
On both occasions it was Liverpool, in 2008 and 2014.
Can it be third time lucky for the Anfield club this season?
- despite a current four point lead at the top of the table.
1347 🥊 GREAT BOXING DAY MOMENTS
Remember this? 2006 - Premier League - Teddy Sheringham
1344❓QUIZ QUESTION TIME
So who of you excelled at the Christmas games yesterday? Who smashed Charades; dominated Pictionary; and bulldozed the opposition in Balderdash?
Well keep that form going and your mind sharp today with this teaser….
Which club has amassed the most top-flight points from Boxing Day games since the first competitive season in 1888?
We’ll post the answer at 2pm.
Continue the Quiz fun and tackle our 2018 Sports Quiz at some point….
1340 📊 STAT TIME - Spurs v Bournemouth
Tottenham are chasing the top two hard and certainly Liverpool's Klopp thinks they are real title challengers. However Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino says his side need to prove they have the constancy to stay up there. So today's a crucial game for showing us if they have that or not.
- Tottenham are still without a draw after 18 Premier League games this season – the last team to have a longer wait for one from the start of a top-flight campaign was Arsenal in 1983-84 (19 games).
- Only Harry Kane (8) and Mohamed Salah (6) have scored more away goals in the Premier League this season than Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson (5).
1314 6⃣ SUPER 6
Fancy winning Jeff Stelling’s Boxing Day £250,000? Well just predict the correct scores from six selected Premier League games and it’s all yours.
Burnley v Everton
Crystal Palace v Cardiff City
Leicester City v Manchester City
Liverpool v Newcastle United
Manchester United v Huddersfield Town
Tottenham Hotspur v AFC Bournemouth
1310 📊 STAT TIME - UNITED V TOWN
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes control of his first home game as Manchester United and in theory he couldn't ask for a better game, as they host a struggling Huddersfield. How tough will it be for the visitors? Well this stat sums it up...
- Huddersfield are looking for their first away win against Manchester United since September 1930, when they won 6-0 in a top-flight clash. They’ve failed to win any of their last 15 trips in all competitions since then (D5 L10).
1307 ⚽️ SPORTING LIFE ACCA
So every week the Sporting Life football team pick four clubs we think/hope will win. We speak to Sky Bet and they boost the odds of all four winners coming off and that's how our Sporting Life EFL ACCA comes to life. Here's our Boxing Day hopes...
Bristol City (to beat Brentford)
Bristol City are unbeaten in their last five, while Brentford have failed to win a Sky Bet Championship away game this season.
Oxford (to beat Southend)
Oxford have won their last five home games in Sky Bet League One. They take on a Southend side who have lost their last four league away games.
Lincoln (to beat Crewe)
Lincoln sit top of the Sky Bet League Two table and are also the second-best away side in the division. Crewe have lost four of their last six home games.
Grimsby (to beat Port Vale)
Grimsby have won three of their last four League Two games. They face Port Vale who have won just one of their last five home league games
1304 🥊 GREAT BOXING DAY MOMENTS
In the build up to the 3pm kick offs we will remember some of the great Boxing Day matches and moments.
Let's start with this...
The fans and media loved it, but the players didn't. Ultimately it caused unrest in the Hull dressing room and Phil Brown was eventually sacked.
1257 EARLY KICK OFF
The first Boxing Day game is Fulham against Wolves at Craven Cottage, which kicked off at 12.30…
Fulham 0-0 Wolves
Wolves are fuming though, as they should have had a penalty. Jiménez shoots and the ball clearly hits the arm of a Fulham defender, but the ref is unsighted and the home side get away with one.
Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic has has three shots so far, one a header straight at the keeper and another two off target, and he is
🎅 1255 WELCOME
Hello! Season’s Greetings from the Sporting Life Team.
We hope you had a fantastic Christmas and you got everything you wanted from Santa.
Are you ready for a big day of football action? You better be, because we have NINE Premier League matches and a full Sky Bet EFL programme.
We will bring you instant score and match incident updates from every top flight and key EFL games.
Crucially, we will monitor all key in game stats, team news, player form match progress and expert opinion to provide you advice to help with your in-play betting.
Team news to come from 2pm, but in the next few hours we will have lots of stats, talking points, info and some fun quiz questions as we build to 3pm.
Odds correct at time of posting on 26/12/18