NBC Sports Group presents "The 12 Days of Premier League" with 40 matches in 12 days beginning this Saturday, December 21, through New Year's Day, January 1. Coverage is highlighted by 10 matches on Boxing Day, Thursday, December 26. The 12 days of Premier League kick off with Premier League Live at 7 a.m. ET on Saturday, December 21.
On the "12th Day of Premier League,"
NBC Sports Group will present 10 matches New Year's Day, highlighted by Manchester United hosting Tottenham at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. New Year's coverage on
NBCSN begins at 7 a.m. ET with Premier League Live, followed by Manchester City v. Swansea City and Southampton v. Chelsea.
Over the 12 days,
NBC Sports Group will present more than 157 total hours of Premier League coverage.
Following is a numerical look at "The 12 Days of Premier League":
12 - Arsenal have sat atop the Premier League table for 12 weeks. They have yet to relinquish the top spot since grabbing
The League lead on September 22nd.
11 - Title contenders Manchester City and Liverpool are set to meet at the Etihad on Boxing Day, December 26 at 12:30 p.m. ET. The last three meetings have seen a total of 11 goals scored.
10 - On December 26, better known as "Boxing Day" in the U.K., 10 Premier League matches will be played. Ever since soccer clubs Hallam and Sheffield contested the first inter-club soccer match on December 26, 1860, Boxing Day has grown into one of the highlights of the British sporting year. Soccer on Boxing Day in England pre-dates Thanksgiving football in America by 16 years - Yale and Princeton played the first Thanksgiving Day football game in 1876.
9 - The most goals ever scored by a club in a Premier League match is 9. Manchester United first scored 9 in a 9-0 win against Ipswich Town on March 4, 1995. And 14 years later, Tottenham matched the feat, putting 9 past Wigan in 9-1 victory on November 22, 2009.
8 - Everton, starring USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard, and West Ham United are tied for a league-high 8 clean sheets (shutouts) so far this season. The 5th-place Toffees have also lost just 1 match, the fewest of any club. Oddly enough, these two clubs sit on opposite sides of the table: Everton are currently in 5th place, while West Ham sit in 17th, just one spot above the relegation zone.
7 - Manchester City tallied the biggest Premier League win of the season when they won by 7 goals (7-0) v. Norwich City on November 2. Man City have also scored a league-leading 47 goals this season.
6 - Jozy Altidore, Geoff Cameron, Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan, Tim Howard and Brek Shea are the 6 Americans to have played in the Premier League this season.
5 - Just 13 seconds into Stoke City's match v. Southampton on November 2, Stoke GK Asmir Begovic became the 5th goalkeeper in Premier League history to score a goal. Begovic joined an elite club that includes Peter Schmeichel, Brad Friedel, Paul Robinson and Tim Howard.
4 - On December 4, Ryan Giggs became the 4th outfield player in Premier League history to feature in a match in his 40s. The legendary Manchester United midfielder, who turned 40 years old on November 29, holds the all-time record for Premier League appearances (628).
3 - On Monday, December 23rd, Arsenal host London rivals Chelsea. This will be the 3rd league meeting at the Emirates since the Gunners' last home win versus the Blues, which came just under 3 years ago in a 3-1 victory on December 27, 2010.
2 - Everton and USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard has joined Arlo White in the booth on 2 occasions already this season. Howard first called Chelsea's dramatic 2-1 victory over Manchester City on October 27, and again co-commentated the 2-2 draw between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United on December 1.
1 - Only 1 club in Premier League history, West Bromwich Albion, has ever avoided relegation after sitting in last place on Christmas. In what is known as the "Great Escape," the Baggies sat in last place on Boxing Day and were still in the basement entering the final day of the 2004-05 season. But a 2-0 win over Portsmouth allowed them to jump three spots into 17th place and avoid the drop to the second tier.
The five additional matches on Saturday, December 21, in the 10 a.m. ET slot; six additional matches on Boxing Day, December 26, in the 10 a.m. ET slot; four additional matches on Saturday, December 28 in the 10 a.m. ET slot; one additional match on Sunday, December 29 in the 8:30 a.m. ET and 11 a.m. ET slot; and seven additional matches on New Year's Day in the 10 a.m. slot, will be available on Premier League Extra Time, a bonus television package available to MVPDs at no extra cost for customers who receive NBCSN.
