It was a blockbuster Saturday in the Premier League as the festive football schedule kicked off in style. From a heated battle in North London to a goal-fest at Elland Road, here is everything you need to know about the matches played on 20 December 2025.
The Big Match: Tottenham Hotspur 1 – 2 Liverpool
The headline game of the day saw Liverpool secure a vital away win against Tottenham Hotspur in a match filled with controversy. The Reds took control with goals from their new attacking duo, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, giving Arne Slot’s side a comfortable lead.
Things went from bad to worse for Spurs, who completely lost their discipline and finished the match with only nine men after two red cards. Despite a late consolation goal, the defeat piles more pressure on Spurs manager Thomas Frank, while Liverpool climbs up to fifth in the table.
Title Race: City Cruise, Arsenal Scrape Through
The race for the title remains tight. Manchester City breezed past struggling West Ham United with a dominant 3-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium. As expected, Erling Haaland was the danger man, helping City keep the pressure on the league leaders. The Hammers, meanwhile, remain stuck in the relegation zone (18th place).
Later in the evening, league leaders Arsenal faced a tough test at Goodison Park but managed to grind out a 1-0 win over Everton. It wasn’t the prettiest performance from the Gunners, but the three points ensure they stay at the top of the table for Christmas.
Leeds United Run Riot
The standout performance of the day belonged to newly promoted Leeds United, who thrashed Crystal Palace 4-1 at Elland Road. It was a huge statement win for the Whites, proving they are here to stay in the Premier League. Palace’s defence simply couldn’t cope with Leeds’ energy and pressing.
Thrillers and Stalemate Draws
At St James’ Park, Newcastle United and Chelsea played out an entertaining 2-2 draw. Both sides had chances to win it in the dying moments, but ultimately shared the spoils in a back-and-forth contest.
Elsewhere, points were shared in tense battles:
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Bournemouth 1 – 1 Burnley: A hard-fought point for both sides in their fight for mid-table safety.
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Brighton 0 – 0 Sunderland: A solid result for the newly promoted Black Cats, who dug deep to keep a clean sheet against a tricky Brighton side.
Away Day Joy for Brentford
Brentford continued their impressive form with a professional 2-0 win away at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Bees struck twice to silence the Molineux crowd and move further up the standings.
Summary of Results (Saturday, 20 Dec 2025)
Manchester City 3 – 0 West Ham United
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Goals: Erling Haaland (5′, 69′), Tijjani Reijnders (38′)
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Assists: Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Rico Lewis
Newcastle United 2 – 2 Chelsea
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Goals: Nick Woltemade (4′, 20′) — Reece James (49′), Joao Pedro (66′)
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Assists: Jacob Murphy, Anthony Gordon — (Direct Free Kick), Robert Sanchez
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 – 2 Brentford
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Goals: Keane Lewis-Potter (63′, 83′)
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Assists: Vitaly Janelt, Mikkel Damsgaard
Bournemouth 1 – 1 Burnley
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Goals: Antoine Semenyo (68′) — Armando Broja (90′)
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Assists: (Unassisted) — Marcus Edwards
Brighton and Hove Albion 0 – 0 Sunderland
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Goals: None
Tottenham Hotspur 1 – 2 Liverpool
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Goals: Richarlison (83′) — Alexander Isak (56′), Hugo Ekitike (66′)
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Assists: (Unassisted) — (Unassisted), Jeremie Frimpong
Everton 0 – 1 Arsenal
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Goals: Viktor Gyökeres (27′ pen)
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Assists: None (Penalty)
Leeds United 4 – 1 Crystal Palace
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Goals: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (38′, 45+4′), Ethan Ampadu (60′), Anton Stach (90+11′) — Justin Devenny (90+2′ pen)
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Assists: (Deflection), Jaka Bijol, (Unassisted), (Direct Free Kick)
All eyes now turn to Sunday’s action as Aston Villa takes on Manchester United.