It wasn't until 1974, 86 years after the foundation of the Football League, that the first top-flight football match in England was played on a Sunday.
Now no day of the week is safe from Premier League football. As December dawns, the midweek fixtures are piling up, with a full round of top-tier action on the horizon. Stretching all the way to Thursday, the games get underway with a double-header on Tuesday night.
Here's everything you need to know the start of a busy festive period.
Premier League fixtures today - Tuesday 5 December
- Wolves vs Burnley
- Luton vs Arsenal
Wolves vs Burnley
- Location: Wolverhampton, England
- Stadium: Molineux
- Date: Tuesday 5 December
- Kick-off time: 19:30 GMT / 14:30 ET / 11:30 PT
- Referee: Jarred Gillet
- VAR: Robert Jones
The moods in the camps of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley could not be more contrasting. While Gary O'Neil's side suffered a third consecutive away defeat against Arsenal on Saturday, Burnley ended a record-equalling run of seven straight home losses, not only beating Sheffield United but thrashing the Blades 5-0.
However, Wolves have been stern foes for visitors to Molineux this season. Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur suffered shock losses in the Black Country while Aston Villa and Newcastle United both dropped points at the home of the old gold outfit.
O'Neil and Vincent Kompany are the two youngest managers in the division, coming up against one another seven times on the pitch. In the only victory that O'Neil ever enjoyed over Kompany, he found the back of the net for Middlesbrough in 2008. Can the Wolves boss pop Kompany's bubble again from the dugout?
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Amazon Prime Video |
United States | USA Network, NBC Sports App, nbcsports.com |
Canada | fuboTV |
Luton vs Arsenal
- Location: Luton, England
- Stadium: Kenilworth Road
- Date: Tuesday 5 December
- Kick-off time: 20:15 GMT / 15:15 ET / 12:00 PT
- Referee: Samuel Barrott
- VAR: Chris Kavanagh
This may be Arsenal's first trip to Luton Town's home ground in 31 years but you have to rewind to 1984 for the club's last victory at Kenilworth Road. Mikel Arteta and Rob Edwards had both only celebrated one birthday when Don Howe's Arsenal earned a 2-1 win.
Luton had a ban on away fans for some of this unbeaten sequence but supporters of both clubs packed into Wembley Stadium to see the pair face off in the 1988 League Cup final. The Hatters triumphed courtesy of two goals in the final eight minutes and Gus Caesar's immortal miss-kick.
Arsenal have scarcely put a foot wrong in the Premier League this season, topping the table with the controversial defeat away to Newcastle the only blemish on their record. Luton, by contrast, are only outside the relegation zone thanks to Everton's points deduction.
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Amazon Prime Video |
United States | Peacock |
Canada | fuboTV |
