Why Arsenal aren’t playing on Boxing Day as Ipswich match move explained

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Arsenal’s festive fixture schedule continues to ramp up as they take on Ipswich Town in the Premier League next up.

The Gunners know that they need to string together a run of wins to give them a chance of winning the title, with Liverpool leading the way.

Two draws in December have hurt their chances further, but a recent win against Crystal Palace does give Arsenal a huge boost.

Taking on Ipswich next may offer a chance to earn three more points, though they will put up a stern test.

While the match was designated for the Boxing Day fixture slot, Mikel Arteta’s side won’t be featuring on the big day.

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Why are Arsenal not playing on Boxing Day?

Arsenal’s Boxing Day record is a good one, with just two defeats since the start of the Premier League on the day since 1992.

While the side was scheduled to play against Ipswich on the day after Christmas, that soon changed for the side.

The fixture will be played on December 27 instead, with kick-off scheduled for 8:15pm (GMT).

This is due to the broadcast selection, with Amazon Prime Video hosting all of the festive fixtures and moving the match to the 27th.

This means that the Gunners will have to watch their rivals play well before they feature at the Emirates Stadium on Friday.

It could see the side offered a chance to close the gap on those above, though there’s also a chance that they may need to win just to keep up instead.

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Arsenal’s head-to-head record against Ipswich

Over their many years of competing, Arsenal have a relatively mixed record against Ipswich across all competitions.

Their last meeting came in 2011 during the EFL Cup semi-finals, where a 1-0 defeat at Portman Road in the first leg was followed up by a 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

In the Premier League, Arsenal are undefeated against Ipswich, with their last loss to the East Anglian side coming back in 1984 in the old First Division.

Arteta will be hoping that his side can avoid feeling the taste of defeat in the match, with such a huge opportunity for three points up for grabs.