Leeds United’s Boxing Day assignment this year is a trip to Stoke City, with Daniel Farke’s men looking for a successful festive period amid a tight race for the automatic promotion spots.
After slipping to a disappointing draw the week before, Leeds United were back to their imperious best when back on home turf against Oxford United on Saturday.
Daniel Farke’s side slammed the Us for four, with Dan James, Jayden Bogle, Brenden Aaronson and Manor Solomon all getting on the score sheet.
Sheffield United’s win at Cardiff City ensures they will spend Christmas day on top of the Championship table but the title race remains wide open going into 2025.
Leeds have two more games in 2024 and it’s an away trip to Stoke City on Boxing Day and they’ll be looking to win on the day after Christmas for the first time since 2020.
Here’s how the last five Boxing Day fixtures went down.
December 26, 2023 – Preston North End 2-1 Leeds United
Leeds headed to Deepdale on Boxing Day last year full of confidence, having won seven of their last ten games, including a 4-0 thrashing of promotion rivals Ipswich Town at Elland Road three days earlier.
But an ill-tempered clash across the Pennines sparked into life after the interval, when Illan Meslier was sent off on 53 minues when he retaliated to a face-off by shoving Milutin Osmajic in the face.
Preston quickly took advantage of their numerical advantage when Alan Browne put them ahead before the hour mark. Leeds struck back via a Pascal Struijk penalty wih seven minues to go, but their hopes of claiming a battling point were dashed when Liam Millar fired home a fine 89th minute winner to dent Farke’s promotion hopes.
December 28, 2022 – Leeds United 1-3 Manchester City
The 2022 World Cup meant that Leeds’ December 28th clash against Premier League champions Manchester City was their first game for six weeks.
Jesse Marsch’s side put in a discplined first-half display but allowed Rodri to open the scoring in stoppage time, with Pep Guardiola’s side then dominating the second half.
Erling Haaland, playing in the city of his birth, netted twice, while Kalvin Phillips had to settle for a place on the bench against his former side.
The defeat left Leeds two points clear of the relegation zone and was the second match in a run of ten games without a win that would cost Marsch his job.
December 26, 2021 – Leeds vs Liverpool postponed
Leeds did not have a Boxing Day fixture in 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the Premier League fixture list.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side were due to play Liverpool at Anfield, but an outbreak in the Whites squad meant they were unable to call on the 13 outfield players and goalkeepers necessary to play the game.
That meant the club had a 15-day break between their 4-1 Elland Road defeat to Arsenal and their 3-1 win over Burnley on January 2. The Liverpool game was eventually played on February 23rd, with Leeds suffering a 6-0 thrashing in what would be Marcelo Bielsa’s penultimate game in charge.
December 27, 2020 – Leeds United 1-0 Burnley
Leeds were finally back in the Premier League for the first time since 2003/04 and the festive fixture list handed them a home clash against Burnley on December 27.
Patrick Bamford’s fifth-minute penalty sealed a win that was played behind closed doors, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The win was enough to take Marcelo Bielsa’s side up to 11th place in the Premier League and ensured the quickly bounced back from a 6-2 defeat at rivals Manchester United a week earlier.
Leeds followed this game up with one of their best wins that season, when they swept aside Sam Allardyce’s West Bromwich Albion 5-0 in their next game.
December 26, 2019 – Leeds United 1-1 Preston North End
Stuart Dallas rescued a point for Leeds on Boxing Daty 2019 when he scored an 89th-minute equaliser against Preston at Elland Road.
Alan Browne had put the visitors ahead in the first half, but Marcelo Bielsa’s side tyned up the pressure and were able to avoid back-to-back defeats after Fulham had beaten them five days earlier.
Bielsa’s men followed this game up with a thriller when they won 5-4 at Birmingham City on December 29.
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