Boxing Day: The best gift comes from the UK – sports

With each passing Christmas season, there are three sure facts on the national television landscape. Movies “Music in the Heart,” dated 1965, “Home Alone,” from 1991, for 24 Continuous Years on the Air, and Boxing Day.

This last certainty is born the day after Christmas. According to one theory, the tradition began in the Victorian era, in 1871, with the giving of gifts by aristocrats to their servants, and in modern times it has become a treat for the eyes of “the people”.

On December 26th, a national holiday in the United Kingdom, football is king and lord, with rugby, cricket or horse racing taking sporting allegiance across the Commonwealth.

The Premier League couldn’t hold back on Christmas Eve and the shows, from lunchtime (12:30pm, Brentford-Tottenham), are the best gift a football fan could ask for. ball and goals.

Through the box that changed the world, television and its derivatives that made it evolve, football is presented packaged after unpacking the long-awaited surprises presented by Santa Claus (from console to books), parents, siblings (cell phones, clothes, wine, everything gourmet or that trip), grandparents and uncles (between the coupon, money and a pair of socks).

In all, 10 matches refer to the 17th round, seven the day after Christmas today, two tomorrow, the 27th and the last, the 28th (Leeds – Manchester City, 20:00 CEST).

So far, nothing new in His Majesty’s territory, except for the novelty of this year marked by the first appearance of Carlos III in the address before the nation. The 2022 edition of Boxing Day, the frenzy of matches in the most competitive domestic league, was preceded by a groundbreaking World Cup during the European winter, a new reality that has caused national leagues to come to a standstill.

During the break, that same ball rolled for 5,760 minutes (excluding injury time) over 28 days spread over 64 matches at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Of the 830 players who arrived in Qatar, 134, or 16.1% of the total selected, wore the shirts of 26 British Championship teams, according to the Football Observatory (CIES).

Practically speaking, the English Premier League occupied the top of the hierarchy in representing players close to the Arabian Peninsula. More than a hundred employees were out of the “office” while participating in related selections continued. The two Manchester clubs, City and United, witnessed the departure of 16 and 14 of their employees, respectively, to Arabia, as well as Chelsea (12) and Tottenham (10).

He deserved rest and the return of the injured

Now, the crux of the matter is here. When the artists return home. And if some returned earlier, the air bridge when they left the World Cup arena, and others stayed until the end of the World Cup, because of the national performance. Some of them returned to seek a well-deserved rest, others fell wounded, to the lamentations of their employers.

Let’s take a look at the teams that qualified for the finals, Argentina and France, and the nations that played for the last spot on the podium.

On the Argentinian side, Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Christian Romero (Tottenham), Alexis McAllister (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Julian Alvarez (Manchester City) stood behind Lionel Messi in winning his third world title. Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), did not play in the final.

In the aftermath of the festivities, a game break, or more, will be the recipe to serve although it should not cover everyone. Red Devil coach Erik ten Hag warned the Argentine centre-back not to celebrate too much and that he should start thinking about upcoming matches until the end of the calendar year.

In Les Pleus, Raphael Varane (Man United), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) and Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), the substitute who entered the final, were the men of the last match and should therefore remain out on Boxing Day. William Saliba (1 game, 27 min) West Ham’s Arsenal and Alphonse Areola player, without a minute in the competition, sat on the bench watching his countrymen and could be an immediate option.

On the eve of the final match, Moroccan Ziyash (Chelsea), Al-Shamiloun in the season, Nayef Ajourd (West Ham), as well as Anas Al-Za’rouri (Queens Park Rangers, England, second division), Anas Al-Za’rouri (Burnley, second division), and Anas Al-Za’rouri. Croatian Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea) and Ivan Perisic, from Tottenham, should be part of the pool of options for the respective coaches, making sure that, for example, Ziyech despite being one of the icons of the Atlas Lions, cannot be said to be at Stamford Bridge.

If Antonio Conte’s Tottenham can already count on Harry Kane, the England striker, who holds the record for Boxing Day goals, nine, along with Robbie Fowler (ex-Liverpool player), the same cannot be said of the Gallic goalkeeper, Lloris or Richarlison. The best goal scorer in the World Cup was injured during the competition.

Arsenal, the Premier League leaders, can also complain about injuries. The Brazilian, Gabriel Jesus, is also expected to remain at the shipyard for two months after the injury he sustained in Qatar 2022.

Less dangerous is the injury of Portuguese Robin Dias, center for citizens. He will be absent from Pep Guardiola’s squad as well as England international Calvin Philip, but for another reason. He returned from the World Cup overweight, confirmed the Manchester City coach.

Among those who returned before the final, on the Liverpool side, Jurgen Klopp, winner of four matches on “Boxing Day”, expects to count on the Dutchman Virgil van Dijk (semi-finalist) and the Englishman Alexander Arnold. And Ibrahima Konate will be on the list of those available after facing Aston Villa, today, at 5:30 pm.

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In a year the United Kingdom had three tenants at 10 Downing Street, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, three prime ministers, all from the Conservative Party, among the immediate consequences of the absence, rather prolonged, is who returns to normal life with more matches In the broken legs and in the fight for the title or maintenance among the elite of English football, only at the end of the English Premier League will it be possible to analyze the legacy left by the Qatar World Cup 2022 .

Boxing Day is out already, but as part of the festivities, we’ll continue to review the targets for Round 17 as the coming-of-age journey (18) begins. Two games on the 30th and six on New Year’s Eve and two on the first day of 2023.

Without stopping and without breathing, Brentford-Liverpool, scheduled for January 2nd, will open the 19th round, which is extended until the evening (20:00) of the fifth day.