The traditional Boxing Day in the English Premier League made football fans’ hearts beat faster. In the first game in England’s top league on Boxing Day, FC Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur drew 2-2 (1-0) after an entertaining 90 minutes.
England soccer star Harry Kane (65th minute) and former Bundesliga professional Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg (71st) saved fourth-placed Tottenham a draw after being 0-2 down. After that, things continued to go well.
Thanks to a strong first half, Newcastle United won 3-0 (3-0) at Leicester City and took second place behind leaders Arsenal for at least two days, who in the evening (9 p.m. CET / Sky) West Ham United receives. Before that (6.30 p.m.) coach Jürgen Klopp meets Liverpool with Aston Villa. Fulham FC (3-0 at Crystal Palace), Wolverhampton Wanderers (2-1 at Everton FC) and Brighton also celebrated
Kane’s Boxing-Day-Rekordtorjäger
For Tottenham star Kane, who missed a penalty in England’s World Cup quarter-final against France, it was the tenth Premier League goal on Boxing Day. This made the attacker the sole record scorer in this ranking, ahead of Robbie Fowler (9). Brentford, who surprisingly won 2-1 at champions Manchester City before the league break because of the World Cup, had taken the lead through German professional Vitaly Janelt (15th) and goalscorer Ivan Toney (54th).
At Tottenham, the newly cut Argentinian world champion Cristian Romero was not in the squad. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who as captain lost the World Cup final on penalties with France, was only on the bench on his 36th birthday due to stress. “After a World Cup, it’s important to give the players a little rest,” said coach Antonio Conte.
Unlike in other top European leagues, the ball also rolls in the Premier League at Christmas. The term “Boxing Day” goes back to an old British tradition on December 26th, on which day employees usually received a Christmas box from their employers . The first Boxing Day in the Premier League took place in 1966.
