December 26 is long revered for a day in respite following the heavy Turkey meals and also for the massive shopping expeditions as sales begin.For many millions who have to forego these celebrations are the countless sporting features on offer.Whilst traditionally the cricketing tests in Australia and New Zealand get the day rolling or if one is in UK, get the night starting.South Africa joins in the early morning.Usually it takes another five hours before the first football game on the schedule kicks off here on what is known as arguably ” the beginning of the second season” or as I call it the “real” season.
It can’t be any bigger.The crowds flocking all over the kingdom to various games which allow most to wrap up their early morning sales in time for kick off at 3 pm.This year Crystal Palace fans had to leave those commercial arrangements as well as make do with a new manager in Sam Allardyce following Allan Pardew sacking.It was a 1230 pm kickoff.They would rue Christian Benteke’s penalty miss though at Watford who scored through Troy Deeney’s late spot kick himself to leave them at 1-1.
Gunners head into Boxing day usually exhausted and ready to crumble like an apple pie would on their strong early season starts.Two losses away at northern territories known better as Goodison Park and Etihad stadium had left them wrangling from a position where they were top in early December.A last minute Giroud strike saved further blushes against West Brom.Leicester are the defending champions but in the league they are a shadow of a team they were coming into last Boxing Day.Similar to their loss to Liverpool on last year’s Boxing day fixture, they fell to the Reds’ arch rivals Everton at home.Such a defeat in April was hardly imaginable.
Burnley’s premiere striker Andre Gray guided them to a valuable three points at Turf Moor against Boro.West Ham’s revival in December continued with a third win in a row, this time against second from bottom Swansea in Wales who had the unpleasant decision to take sacking their second coach of this season, Bob Bradley.Fellow strugglers Hull didn’t fare much better in the late kickoff game at KC stadium as Manchester City flew past them in the second half, knocking in three unanswered goals.Yahya Toure is on a resurgence.
Leaders Chelsea seem unstoppable at the moment.12 wins on the trot.What a difference a year makes. Conte is in charge.Kante is in midfield.Hazard, Costa and that Italian style defence could do no wrong.Between them they have scored 22 and allowed only 11,by far the best defensive record in the league.With no European distractions and only FA cup to deal with, things couldn’t have been more close to comfort as they were two seasons ago.
Their coach then was Jose Mourinho which brings us to the eighth game on the slate and the one that took me across the M67 and onto the famous streets of Stretford en route to the much revered “Theatre of Dreams”.The atmosphere couldn’t have been more carnival though at Old Trafford and as the biggest attendance for that day anywhere in UK at 75,000 plus marched through Sir Matt Busby Way.They stood up for a standing ovation across all the stands as the teams entered and left.The passion still ever vibrant.
Jose is not having a great 2016 so far with already two suspensions served before Boxing day.That’s even novel by Jose’s standards, not to mention Manchester United ones.Having said that he finds himself in the middle of a revival of sorts.Manchester United after humbling draws with Stoke, Liverpool,Burnley,West Ham,Gunners and Everton have found a three match win streak to their liking.Not to mention,reaching the next round of Europa league as well as semi finals of the EFL cup,they have already congested their fixture list for the first two months of 2017.
Needless to say,their European aspirations lie mostly with league success.The match against Sunderland was always going to be in their grasp but they did have to wait until the 40th minute for Blind to open the scoring.Ibrahimovic totally dominated the second half with a lovely assist from Martial setting up the second and minutes later assisted the form midfielder of the moment,Henrikh Mkhitaryan into a “wonderstrike” of a back heel goal. “Match of the Day” was all over him and so was the crowd.Zlatan has 12 goals in the league now,second only to Costa.It meant a fourth straight win for the hosts, who still are sixth in the league.
It’s been one of those years when eight games were on the schedule rather than the full ten. Liverpool and Spurs completed the win sequence for the top six.But the busy season had just begun as teams will continue to play in the icy cold conditions twice more in the league before the FA Cup kicks off.Those heavy meals of Christmas will long be digested by then.
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