Franck Kessie should not think about leaving Milan for clubs that "aren’t of a higher level", according to former Rossoneri midfielder Massimo Ambrosini.

The Ivory Coast international is reportedly keen to leave Milan as a free agent when his contract at San Siro expires at the end of June.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are rumoured to be eyeing the midfielder, who is now into his fifth season at San Siro.

The 25-year-old has yet to agree a new deal with Milan, amid reports he is seeking a salary of around €8million.

Stefano Pioli's side are second in Serie A, four points behind reigning champions and rivals Inter after the opening 19 matches.

Ambrosini won four Scudetti and two Champions Leagues during his 18-year playing career with the club.

The former midfielder has urged Kessie to consider the prospect of joining a club that might not be able to compete at the same level as Milan.

"I have every respect for the professional decisions of fellow players," Ambrosini told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"All I can say is that these clubs who can offer a higher salary aren't of a higher level than Milan.

"The chance to bring home €8m rather than €6m should not be the priority if you are otherwise happy where you already are.

"He shouldn't think of Milan as a club of a secondary level."

Kessie has played 159 times for the club in Serie A since initially joining on loan from Atalanta in June 2017, with Napoli's Piotr Zielinski the only midfielder in the Italian top flight to register more appearances since then (163).

Harry Maguire conceded Manchester United's 16-day break from Premier League action was a factor in their performance in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United.

The Red Devils were second best for long periods at St James' Park and needed a second-half equaliser from Edinson Cavani to cancel out Allan Saint-Maximin's fine opener and claim a point.

David de Gea produced a close-range stop to deny Saint-Maximin in the second half, with the Spain international also called on to thwart Miguel Almiron after Jacob Murphy had hit the post.

The below-par showing came after United had seen games with Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the club.

And Maguire told the club's official website: "No 16-day break in the middle of a football season is going to help you.

"The training ground has been shut, and half the lads playing are recovering from the virus so of course it's not going to help us. 

"We've had people with symptoms, people without symptoms, it's been a real mixed bag for everyone at the football club and it's been a tough time.

"But you can't make excuses for sloppy passes and the opportunities that we had, especially in the first half.

"We've got to stay on the ball, we've got to stay active and we've got to play the ball in their half and we didn't manage to do that.

"You can look at that and ask whether the last 16 days had a big impact on that because it looked like we ran out of steam out there.

"A point in the end is a fair result, but it's a result that we're disappointed with."

Praising De Gea, Maguire added: "David's on great form at the minute. In big moments, it always seems to be, late on in games, that he's always there to produce for us."

Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick brushed off criticism of his players' body language instead insisting their problem was physicality in Monday's 1-1 draw with Newcastle United.

United needed substitute Edinson Cavani's 71st-minute strike to earn a point away to the struggling Magpies who went ahead early from Allan Saint-Maximin.

Former United defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was scathing of the side's performance but also the "whinging" body language of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes' specifically.

But the German boss brushed off that criticism, calling it a "side effect" from other issues.

"I don’t think today it was a problem of body language," Rangnick said during the post-game news conference. "It was a question of physicality, meeting the demands with regard to speed, tempo and physicality.

"The side effect is the body language afterwards. I don’t think that was the major problem for us today.

"The major problem was the way we played in those moments when it was about physicality."

Neville was forthright in his criticism of the Portuguese pair in particular, insisting more is needed from the side's senior and better players.

"Yeah, it's annoyed me for about two months," Neville said on Sky Sports. "Your best players in your team, it's devastating when those players are giving that look and body language towards the other ones. They have to help them and be the father and the grandparent in the team.

"I made massive mistakes as a young player at Manchester United but had good senior players who would have a go at me, but they would also put their arm around me and help me and I don't get the feeling that's happening.

"I think there's something wrong in there. Bruno's whingeing all the time. You've got to be there when your team-mates need you in the most difficult moments."

Rangnick also refused to use United's recent COVID-19 outbreak as an excuse, which saw two games postponed and the side not play since the 1-0 win over Norwich City on December 11.

 "It’s also a question of rhythm, but we shouldn't look for excuses - we need to get better and get more physical and more precise when we’re in possession of the ball," Rangnick said.

"I was not happy with our performance with the ball or when we had to press and counter-press. It’s about sprinting, about energy and what kind of energy mode do we play with the ball and against the ball.

"In three days, we have the next game at home against Burnley and then another, four days later, when we play Wolves at home, so both games are in our own stadium.

"We can do better, I know the players can play better than we did today, but we have to do it and sustainably do it on the pitch in those two home games if we want to get the points."

Gary Neville described the attitude of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes as "devastating" to the Manchester United cause as he attacked the "whingebags" in the Red Devils' ranks.

Former United captain Neville was smarting about the performance from Ralf Rangnick's team in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle United, where it took a second-half equaliser from Edinson Cavani to salvage a point.

Analysing the game for Sky Sports, Neville first took aim at half-time and saw little evidence of significant improvement after the break, describing the central defensive partnership of Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane as "absolutely atrocious".

"They're whingeing at each other. They're a bunch of whingebags," said Neville as he assessed United at the break. "I'm not going to go into the names, but honestly, they're whingeing at each other, their arms are up in the air, they're complaining about everything.

"They got the last manager the sack and Ralf Rangnick's not going to get the sack – he's only had two or three weeks with them – but they'll get a lot of managers the sack, that lot, if they carry on like that, because that is a really, really poor performance."

Neville stepped up his criticism after the full-time whistle. When asked if he was particularly concerned by whingeing from Ronaldo and Fernandes, Neville said: "Yeah, it's annoyed me for about two months.

"Your best players in your team, it's devastating when those players are giving that look and body language towards the other ones. They have to help them and be the father and the grandparent in the team.

"I made massive mistakes as a young player at Manchester United but had good senior players who would have a go at me, but they would also put their arm around me and help me and I don't get the feeling that's happening.

"I think there's something wrong in there. Bruno's whingeing all the time.You've got to be there when your team-mates need you in the most difficult moments."

Neville turned his focus to Ronaldo, who had a poor game at Newcastle and was witnessed dashing down the tunnel at full-time, without going over to thank travelling United supporters.

The Portuguese could easily have been sent off for a wild challenge on Ryan Fraser in the second half, as his frustration began to show.

Ronaldo and Neville are former United team-mates, and Neville said: "I love that lad, he's the best player I've ever seen in my life almost, but don't run off at the end of the game. I'm not having that."

Neville added: "They're all at each other. They're not helping each other. The spirit of a dressing room is really important. I don't think they're all with each other at this moment in time. I think there's a bit of a leadership struggle going on."

For Newcastle's seventh-minute opening goal, Varane was dispossessed by Sean Longstaff before Maguire was skilfully sidestepped by scorer Allan Saint-Maximin.

"The two centre-backs for Manchester United tonight were absolutely atrocious, from the very first minute to the last. They were nervous, they looked like they weren't sure," Neville said. "Maguire's having a nightmare season."

It was chiefly Cavani who gave Neville any encouragement, with the veteran Uruguayan striker making his presence felt in Newcastle's penalty area, unlike so many team-mates.

"I always feel better when he's in the team," said Neville. "He looks like the badge doesn't sit too heavily on him.

"I don't think he wilts in the presence of Ronaldo or Fernandes. I think he stands up to them. I think he helps the other younger players on the pitch and I think he needs to be on the pitch because they need to get rid of that whingeing attitude."

Ralf Rangnick told his Manchester United players their effort in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle United was not up to scratch.

The interim manager was rattled by a sloppy performance from the visitors to St James' Park, who fell behind to an early Allan Saint-Maximin strike and needed Edinson Cavani to come off the bench to salvage a point.

United have swiftly fallen back into their bad old ways since the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, sneaking a fortunate win in their last outing at Norwich City and being arguably fortunate to leave Tyneside with a point.

Former RB Leipzig boss Rangnick expected more from his players, and said of their performance: "I didn't like it at all.

"We were trying to get better in controlling games. Today we didn't control the game, apart from very few moments, at all."

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: "In the end we got a point, that's the good thing, but the performance overall needs to get better."

Rangnick began his reign with a 1-0 home win over Crystal Palace that gave him cause for encouragement, but the performances against lowly Norwich and Newcastle have raised cause for concern.

"It's about physicality, it's about energy. We have to be ready and able to win those direct duels and this was not that often the case," he said.

"Even when we were in possession we had too many giveaways, including the goal that we conceded."

Pundit and United great Gary Neville questioned the communication between United's players, but Rangnick said: "Today it was not a question of body language, it was question of body physicality.

"If you want to be competitive here in this ground against Newcastle you have to play physical, and this was not the case in many parts of the game, and therefore we were struggling."

There may be attitude issues that need to be looked at, yet Rangnick said: "I don't think this was our biggest problem today. Our biggest problem was the mistakes we made, the unforced errors."

He spoke of "wrong decisions" and said it was necessary to bring on Cavani for the start of the second half as United "had to take more risks".

"We shouldn't look for excuses," said Rangnick, whose side had two games postponed recently due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

"We need to get more physical and more precise when we're in possession. Today I was not happy with our performance, no matter if we were in possession of the ball or when we had to press and counter press.

"It's about sprinting, it's about energy. The good thing today is we came back and got the equaliser."

Newcastle United set a record no club would want when they conceded an 80th Premier League goal of the year in Monday night's clash with Manchester United.

The Magpies came into the game having leaked 79 goals in 41 games, matching the highest total shipped by a team in a calendar year during the Premier League era, which began with the 1992-93 season.

Newcastle were unlocked for a record-breaking 80th time when Edinson Cavani hit a 71st-minute equaliser for Ralf Rangnick's Red Devils at St James' Park.

Ipswich were the only previous side to concede 79 in a year, doing so in 1994. They went on to finish bottom of the 1994-95 top-flight table, famously losing 9-0 at Manchester United in March 1995, having failed to solve their defensive problems.

The last top-flight team in England to concede more over the course of a year were West Brom in 1985, with the Baggies leaking 87 goals in the old First Division.

Allan Saint-Maximin gave Newcastle a strong start to Monday's game when he drove into the visitors' penalty area and smashed a shot inside the right post to give Newcastle a seventh-minute lead.

But substitute Cavani denied relegation-threatened Newcastle three precious points, converting Diogo Dalot's cross at the second attempt.

Heading into the clash with the Red Devils, Newcastle had won just eight times this year, drawing 12 and losing 21, conceding four goals in a game on five occasions, including twice against Manchester City and once against United, losing 4-1 at Old Trafford in September.

They have been unable to make St James' Park anything close to a fortress, conceding 41 in 20 home fixtures and winning just four times before the arrival of Rangnick's team.

The goals conceded total was not the only Premier League record to be toppled when Cavani struck.

It was United's 113th Premier League goal against Newcastle, and that is the most that any team has scored against another in the competition, beating the record the Red Devils shared with Arsenal, who have scored 112 against Everton.

Edinson Cavani rescued Manchester United as his second-half strike secured a 1-1 Premier League draw at relegation-threatened Newcastle United and spared Ralf Rangnick a first defeat.

The Red Devils were labelled "a bunch of whingebags" by Sky pundit Gary Neville at half-time, and after beginning the Rangnick era with 1-0 wins over Crystal Palace and Norwich City, this was a sharp reality check.

Saint-Maximin's seventh-minute strike was a gem and the French forward missed a sitter at the start of the second half.

Visitors United, who lost their discipline at times and could easily have had Cristiano Ronaldo sent off, were thankful they had Cavani in the right place in the 71st minute, tucking home at the second attempt to earn a point.

The lively Saint-Maximin gave Newcastle a great start, sidestepping Harry Maguire before planting a powerful shot into the right corner. The fit-again Raphael Varane had been too easily dispossessed by a hungry Sean Longstaff in the build-up.

An air-shot volley from Ronaldo was met with derisive jeers from home supporters, before Newcastle thought they had another goal when Callum Wilson tucked in after more good work from Saint-Maximin, but the striker was clearly offside. Newcastle then lost Wilson to a calf injury moments before half-time.

Fred and Mason Greenwood were replaced by Jadon Sancho and Cavani for the second half, but Newcastle should have been 2-0 ahead almost instantly, with Saint-Maximin thwarted by David de Gea from close range after Emil Krafth's cross from the right found him just four yards out.

Marcus Rashford's strike from 25 yards was pushed over by Martin Dubravka, and Cavani scuffed a shot wide, before Ronaldo was perhaps fortunate to be only booked for a rash swipe at Ryan Fraser.

Fraser and Saint-Maximin were denied by De Gea as Newcastle got a second wind, but they gave Cavani another sniff of goal and paid for it. Diogo Dalot's cross from the right found Cavani by the penalty spot, and after his first shot was blocked, the Uruguayan jabbed a second attempt into the bottom-right corner.

Saint-Maximin limped off late on, but there was almost a late moment to savour for Newcastle as Jacob Murphy smashed a fine strike against the right post from a tight angle on the left late on, before Miguel Almiron was denied by a spectacular De Gea save.

Victor Lindelof has become the latest Manchester United player to be sidelined by a case of COVID-19, forcing him out of Monday's game at Newcastle United.

The Swedish centre-back did not make the trip to St James' Park after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick revealed the news shortly before kick-off when he named Raphael Varane to take over from Lindelof alongside captain Harry Maguire.

The situation affecting Lindelof is the latest COVID-19 blow to hit United, whose games against Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion had to be postponed due to an outbreak in Rangnick's squad.

After closing their Carrington training base briefly, it has reopened and United were able to prepare for the trip to Newcastle in near-normal conditions.

Rangnick told Sky Sports: "We resumed for training last Tuesday and, on Thursday, we had almost the whole team apart from Paul Pogba.

"Unfortunately, Victor Lindelof tested positive yesterday so he cannot play, but the good thing is we have Raphael Varane available again and that's why he's in the starting line-up.

"I would say since last Tuesday, and even more so since last Thursday, we had two or three training sessions on a very high, good level before we had to close down Carrington, as you know, for four days because, before that, we had only eight outfield players. In the last three or four days, we had some good training sessions."

Lindelof experienced breathing difficulties in United's 1-0 win at Norwich City on December 11 and was substituted in the second half as a consequence.

Former Real Madrid defender Varane came in for his first appearance since starting the Champions League game against Atalanta on November 2, a game in which he sustained a hamstring injury.

Ralf Rangnick says Anthony Martial's desire to leave Manchester United is "understandable".

Martial's playing time has been limited this season, with just four starts across all competitions and a further six substitute appearances totalling just 358 minutes.

Rangnick said the France international had expressed his desire to leave, and while he can see the player's point of view, he is not opposed to keeping Martial around to maintain the squad's depth.

"We spoke at length on Wednesday," Rangnick said reporters.

"He explained to me he's been at Manchester United now for the last seven years and he feels it's the right time for a change, to go somewhere else.

"I think in a way this is understandable, I could follow his thoughts but on the other hand, it's also important to see the situation of the club.

"We have Covid times, we have three competitions in which we still have high ambitions and want to be as successful as we can be."

Sevilla are reportedly among the clubs to have shown an interest in the forward, but Rangnick revealed that no formal offers have arrived for the 26-year-old.

"I told him, listen, as long as there is no club showing interest in him, and it should not only be in the interest of the player, it should also be in the interest of the club," Rangnick continued.

"So far, as far as I know, there has been no offer from any other club and as long as this is the case he will stay."

Should a move fail to materialise, Martial is likely to have to continue to bide his time on the bench, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Rangnick outlined his approach to the transfer window in which he seeks to balance the desires of an individual player with what is best for the club as a whole.

"If a player wants to leave because he feels he will not get enough game-time here with us then we can speak about that, but it's not only about what the player wants, it's also about the situation of the club," Rangnick said.

"Two things need to come together if a player wants to leave – one thing is if he wants to leave, but on the other hand, the needs of the club need to be satisfied."

Jurgen Klopp has echoed recent calls from Ralf Rangnick and Thomas Tuchel for the Premier League to allow five substitutions to be made in games but does not think it will happen any time soon.

The Premier League introduced the five substitutes rule when football resumed in June 2020 following the enforced break due to the coronavirus pandemci, but the competition reverted back to the usual three permitted alterations ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.

Other major European leagues including Serie A, LaLiga, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga still allow five substitutions, as does the Champions League and the EFL Cup.

Premier League clubs voted on the matter last December, with the majority deciding to keep the rule the same, but allowing for nine instead of seven players to be named on the bench.

Tuchel voiced his frustration after his team's win 3-1 at Aston Villa on Sunday after he was forced to make all three substitutions by the 63rd minute due to injuries to Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante, having already taken Trevor Chalobah off at half-time, saying: "We are the only league that play in winter, which I love, but we're not protecting the players.

"All other leagues have five changes. Then we compete against them in the Champions League. It's a bit frustrating. It will not stop."

Speaking at his pre-match news conference ahead of Liverpool's trip to Leicester City, Reds boss Klopp was also asked for his thoughts on the issue and agreed with his fellow former Borussia Dortmund coach.

"The problem is this intensity for top class football in England is definitely at the edge," he told reporters.

"In the league we have 38 games. Two cup competitions, even if we do not go to the final, let's [estimate] another five, it's 43. Pretty much all of them play for their national teams, nine, 10 games a year? Plus, Champions League games, so you come pretty quick to more than 50 games, or higher.

"My first season here we played the [Europa League] final, I think it was the 64th game.

"The decision about [five subs] is made, and we realised again in the manager's meeting, the decision is made by 14 clubs. I think you need 14 votes to change it, and there's something wrong.

"For example, Burnley, I'm not sure how many of their players play international football, when our players have three games, they have no game. They play 38 Premier League games, cup games another two, three, four? That makes it 42.

"We talk about an issue that some [clubs and players] definitely have, but it's decided by other teams and because we make a competition of it, it is like 'no, they are better than us', and that's a real problem because [five subs] is the right decision because you bring players back after a COVID infection or after an injury and because of the games you have to play, they have to play immediately and then they go out again.

"You cannot take them off after 60 minutes because you have to change others, so that's a real problem.

"This wonderful game is so wonderful because usually the players on the pitch are in good shape, are well trained, have well recovered and go for it, and that's why we love the game.

"The best league in the world and the most intense league in the world is the only league in Europe, and maybe in the world I don't know, with still three subs, and that's not right."

Klopp believes the issue should be revisited, but was not optimistic that things would change any time soon, adding: "We still have to talk about it, we should change it but it's for the Premier League.

"[Chief Executive] Richard Masters said he would like to make this decision by himself but he can't because you need a vote, and this vote is other clubs with other problems, different problems, say 'no, we don't want to have five subs', and so I don't see a real chance to change it to be honest."

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick shared his thoughts on the matter last Thursday, telling reporters: "The five subs were implemented when COVID started, and I think it was the right decision to do that to save energy for players, especially if they have just recovered from COVID.

"The same is true right now – we are in a similar situation to the one we had one-and-a-half years ago, therefore I don't see why it shouldn't be as it was one-and-a-half years ago. As far as I know, in Europe, England is the only country where they only allow three subs."

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has dismissed the idea of scrapping football over the festive period in England, comparing the idea to "abolishing the Queen".

COVID-19 outbreaks among several Premier League clubs has forced the postponement of a number of fixtures, but Rangnick does not believe that introducing a winter break over Christmas is in keeping with the country's traditions. 

The German did, however, question some of English football's practices, including the existence of two domestic cup competitions - the FA Cup and the EFL Cup.

"I've watched Premier League football for the last 40 years so when it was also the First Division and I know what kind of tradition it is to play football over Christmas and on Boxing Day, the 27th, the 30th and even New Year's Day or the 2nd January," Rangnick said to Manchester United's official website.

"So, if somebody came across the idea to abolish then we might as well speak about abolishing the five o'clock tea or the Queen or whatever – this is all part of the tradition of this country and I'm very much looking forward to being part of this for the first time in my career.

"There might be one or two issues we could think about or seriously discuss. In the future does it still make sense to have two cup competitions?

"All other big European leagues have only one so this might be an issue worth talking about again."

Rangnick also voiced his support for the reintroduction of five substitutions in matches as opposed to the regular three as clubs juggle injuries and positive COVID-19 cases.

"Of course, we are also discussing that it makes sense to have five subs instead of three now we have COVID times again," Rangnick continued.

"The reason the five substitutes were implemented was for COVID, now we have a COVID situation again and we still have 18 players on the team-sheet and for me, it makes sense to be able to substitute not just three, but five players."

The 63-year-old has also given opportunities to several teenagers across all competitions, including two starts for Anthony Elanga (104 minutes) and one for Amad Diallo (68 minutes) as well as substitute appearances for a handful of others like Teden Mengi, Shola Shoretire, Zidane Iqbal and Charlie Savage.

Rangnick insists he was simply continuing a trend set as part of the club's culture long before his arrival.

"I think since the 'Busby Babes' this has always been part of the DNA of the club and the same was true under Sir Alex Ferguson in those 27 years," Rangnick added. 

"It’s not only about youth, it’s about being talented and having the right personality and mentality and if those things come together then of course I want to play as many of those young players as possible.

"We had three, four or five of them in our squad already and for me, it's important to develop those players."

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea says "every moment" working under Ralf Rangnick has been intense since the German's arrival at Old Trafford.

Rangnick was appointed as interim manager last month following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the wake of United's 4-1 Premier League defeat to Watford.

The impact of coronavirus on the Red Devils' schedule means they have played just three games under the former Schalke and RB Leipzig boss: consecutive 1-0 league wins over Crystal Palace and Norwich City, and a 1-1 Champions League draw with Young Boys.

United have recovered the majority of the first-team group following a spike in COVID-19 cases that forced the club to close the training ground last week, with all but the injured Paul Pogba now likely to be available for Monday's trip to Newcastle United.

De Gea is delighted to have United largely at full strength once more and hopes the demanding nature of their training sessions will start to have a greater impact in matches.

"It's great. It's good to have the whole team back to train properly altogether and then, of course, see they are all safe," he told United media.

"They are back, they are all training, they are fine, so it's great to be together again.

"We've been training hard, of course. It's very intense, every training session, every moment with him [Rangnick] is intense.

"You have to give 100 per cent every time in training and in the games. Let's see. It's just the beginning, it's been a couple of weeks, so let's see in the future.

"The team is training with energy, with pace, and now we have to show that in big games."

United are on a four-match winning run against Newcastle in the top flight, their best such streak since a run of five between 2004 and 2006, but they have lost on two of their four most recent visits to St James' Park.

The struggling Magpies were beaten 4-1 in the reverse fixture in September, when Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return to the club with two goals at Old Trafford.

Should Rangnick's men score on Monday, it will mean Newcastle will set a new record for goals conceded by a team in a calendar year in the Premier League: they have let in 79 goals in 2021, the same figure as Ipswich Town back in 1994. 

Christmas Day is a chance to ungracefully stuff our faces with turkey and all the trimmings, but top-flight footballers in England have to show some restraint. 

That's because Boxing Day football is a festive tradition, one where supporters can watch games with tighter-than-normal belt buckles. 

Of course, the coronavirus pandemic meant it was all a bit different last year, with the majority of supporters viewing the action from home – for a while, it looked like this year's action might be under threat as well.

Rightly or wrongly, Premier League clubs opted against shutting the competition down over Christmas despite a recent spate of postponements, meaning we get to look forward to gorging ourselves silly on Sunday – and then watch the football.

Consistently one of the more exciting dates on the Premier League calendar, Boxing Day is sure to entertain.

So, ahead of the 2021 games, take look at some of the best Boxing Day Opta facts from previous years.

NO FOWL PLAY FROM ROBBIE

Fowl – whether turkey, duck, pheasant or possibly even partridge – is a fixture for most dinner tables up and down the United Kingdom on Christmas Day, so perhaps it's rather apt that Robbie Fowl-er (we couldn't resist...) has the best record in terms of Premier League goals on December 26. 

The Liverpool legend has netted nine times on Boxing Day, one more than Newcastle United great Alan Shearer, ex-Tottenham striker Robbie Keane and current Spurs star Harry Kane – who is the highest scorer among active Premier League players on this day. 

Thierry Henry (seven) and Jermain Defoe (six) have also produced plenty of festive cheers in the past.

PUT ON YOUR CHRISTMAS HAT…TRICKS

Some players just love producing crackers at Christmas. 

The aforementioned Fowler is among those to have scored a hat-trick on Boxing Day, doing so for Leeds United against Bolton Wanderers back in 2001. 

Henry (2000 for Arsenal), Kevin Phillips (2000 for Sunderland), Dimitar Berbatov (2011 for Manchester United), Gareth Bale (2012 for Spurs) and Kane (2017 for Spurs) have also taken home belated presents in the form of a match ball.

A DEVIL ON TOP OF THE TREE?!

It is custom to place an angel, or perhaps a star, at the top of the Christmas tree. However, in terms of the Premier League Boxing Day table, there is a team of devils – Red Devils no less – in Manchester United (yes, a tenuous joke, but by this stage is there any point in apologising?) who sit firmly on top. 

When looking at teams to have played at least 10 Boxing Day fixtures in the Premier League, United have 67 points – 17 more than anyone else. They also boast the highest win rate, a rather impressive 77.8 per cent.

Liverpool (62.5 per cent), Arsenal (60.9 per cent), Tottenham (58.3 per cent), Manchester City (55 per cent) and Chelsea (44.4 per cent) all unsurprisingly feature highly.  

West Brom, at 8.3 per cent, have won just once in 12 Boxing Day fixtures in the Premier League, while Leicester City (13.3 per cent) and Fulham (14.3 per cent) have also struggled on the date.

BARRY A FESTIVE FIXTURE

For almost two full decades, Gareth Barry just loved getting his 'Claus' into a festive fixture (Claus, as in 'Santa Claus', not claws... get it?) 

The former Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Brom midfielder has played on Boxing Day in the Premier League on a whopping 18 occasions. 

Chelsea legend Frank Lampard is not far behind on 17, with Ryan Giggs, Steven Gerrard, Aaron Hughes, Sol Campbell, Michael Carrick and James Milner all on 14 – the latter of course still going strong with title-hopefuls Liverpool.

FIVE GOAL-D RINGS

The pun to headline this section is punishment enough, so we'll spare you a gag straight out of a Christmas cracker this time around. 

There have been seven occasions when a team has won by five goals on Boxing Day, which is the biggest margin of victory on the date in the Premier League era. 

Liverpool have done so twice (5-0 versus West Brom in 2004, then again when facing Swansea City in 2017), while Everton, West Ham, Manchester United and Spurs have also triumphed by the same scoreline. 

In 2000, Arsenal actually went one better than scoring five, though they also conceded during a 6-1 rout of Leicester.

NOT THE CARDS YOU WANT TO RECEIVE…

Sending Christmas cards, complete with the sort of witty wisecracks we have provided throughout this Christmas treat, is a long-running staple of the festive period. 

But receiving a card on Boxing Day is not always what you want for your team, right? 

Chelsea, Newcastle United, Stoke City and Wimbledon have all had three players dismissed in games staged on December 26, but Aston Villa are top of the pile with four.

Santa's been! Santa's been! Santa's been!

Yes, it's the most wonderful time of the year and we're all awfully excited that the big man has been.

But we're even more excited by the familiarity of a hectic Premier League schedule over the next few days!

We appreciate you may be about to tuck into your dinner or snoozing after over-indulging already, but why not digest some tasty Christmas Premier League facts before cracking on with the next beer?

Wondering where you might enjoy such a gem? Well, we have you covered below, with the help of the happy little elves at Opta.

A CRUZ FOR SANTA IN DECEMBER

We ho ho hope you don't mind a little Christmas gag to headline this section to get us cracking…

It seemed only fitting to start with a bit of a coincidence that a man with a festive theme in his name is responsible for the best minutes-per-goal ratio during the month of December (a minimum of six goals).

That man is ex-Blackburn Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz, who netted nine times in 846 minutes for a ratio of 94 minutes per goal.

Just like Rudolph and the rest of the gang at the end of a busy Christmas Eve shift, Santa Cruz can still be reined in.

Divock Origi has eight December goals in 760 minutes for a goal every 95 minutes (just better than Mick Quinn's eight in 779 for a ratio of one every 97.4 mins). Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah has scored a mightily impressive 23 goals in December, with a minutes-to-goals ratio of 102.1.

MAYNOR THE KING OF THE CHRISTMAS CRACKERS?

Paper hats, Christmas jokes and cheaply assembled plastic toys…you all love pulling a cracker at Christmas!

And there have been many crackers scored in the month of December in the Premier League – not least Maynor Figueroa's 60.5-yard effort for Wigan Athletic against Stoke City back in 2009, which remains the longest of long-range goals in the competition during the final month of the calendar year.

The full-back's quick thinking with a free-kick from his own half caught Thomas Sorensen off guard and nestled in the back of the goal.

Former Portsmouth man Matt Taylor had a penchant for a long-range goal and his famous audacious volley against Everton in 2006 measured in at 40.6 yards.

Juan Mata (39.9 yards for Man Utd v Stoke), Sebastian Larsson (39.4 yards for Birmingham City versus Wigan) and Kevin De Bruyne (38.3 yards for Manchester City v Crystal Palace) all rank in the top five.

LLORIS AND THE KEEPERS GIFTING OUT THE GOODS

Christmas, at least under normal circumstances, is a time for spending time with loved ones and eating copious amounts of foods that aren't particularly good for us.

It is also, of course, if we're being honest, a time to exchange tat by the Christmas tree and say a silent prayer the generous buyer has kept the receipts.

Obviously, in football you're not supposed to be generous with your gifts – but Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has been particularly forthcoming with presents for opposition teams at this time of year.

The France World Cup winner has committed seven errors in the month of December, a Premier League high and one more than Red Devils number one David de Gea.

SANTA'S NOT THE ONLY LAPLAND VISITOR

Santa makes his annual jolly around the globe to deliver presents to all the good boys and girls but back in 2001 there was another who heralded from Lapland to visit England.

Finland international Hannu Tihinen arrived on loan at West Ham from Norwegian side Viking and fittingly made his Premier League debut on Boxing Day!

In total he made only eight Premier League appearances, winning just once in England's top flight.

Perhaps the difference in quality was just – ahem – poles apart for Tihinen, who was nonetheless part of the side that memorably defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup early in 2002.

RED DEVILS TOP OF THE TREE

The old cliche is that it means nothing to be top at Christmas…but for the sake of the jokes in this piece it's very important to be top of the tree come December 25!

Manchester United have sat in such a position on seven occasions, more than any other team, but Liverpool – six times – are the only side to hold top spot three seasons running having done so in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

In total, 11 sides have managed to be top at Christmas – Chelsea (5), Manchester City (3) and Arsenal (2) unsurprisingly also doing so. Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United (2), Aston Villa, Leeds United and Leicester City have also achieved the honour.

There have been 15 instances of a team being in first place on December 25 and jingling all the way to the Premier League title, but nothing can be wrapped up this early in the season.

SNOW-BODY DOES IT BETTER THAN SHEARER OVER CHRISTMAS

For a man with 260 Premier League goals to his name, it should come as no surprise to hear that the player with the most goals scored in the period from December 26 to January 5 is Alan Shearer.

The Newcastle United great netted 23 times between those dates, five more than the 18 celebrated by former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler.

Dimitar Berbatov and Jermain Defoe each have 17, the same amount as Tottenham star Harry Kane, who has Shearer's record in his sights.

JESUS RISES TO THE OCCASION

Christmas for many is mainly a secular celebration nowadays but the traditional meaning of the holiday season is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

In the Premier League, there have been six occasions of a player with Jesus in their name scoring a December goal – five of which were from Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus.

The other was netted by former City winger Jesus Navas, who fittingly at this time of year often delivered for others – producing six December assists and amassing 74 crosses from open play.

Manchester United prospect Anthony Elanga has penned a contract extension to keep him at the club until June 2026.

Elanga only signed new terms last March, though no specific details were confirmed for that deal.

And United have now rewarded Elanga with a fresh contract, with the Red Devils holding the option to extend for a further year until 2027.

Upon the announcement of his extension on Friday, Elanga said: "My ultimate ambition has always been to play for Manchester United. The standard is extremely high, but this contract is another important moment in my journey. 

"This is the perfect environment to take the next step, with world-class players and coaches to learn from every day. 

"I am overjoyed that the club has shown such faith in my development, and I want to thank my family and all of the staff for their ongoing support. 

"I know that with hard work and dedication comes opportunity at this special club and I cannot wait to continue my progress here."

Anthony Elanga has signed a new contract at United! #MUFC

The 19-year-old, who is a Sweden Under-21 international, made his Premier League debut last May in a 2-1 loss against Leicester City before scoring his first top-flight goal against Wolves later that month.

With United boasting a plethora of attacking talent, opportunities have since been limited for Elanga, who has amassed 277 first-team minutes across five appearances.

Red Devils interim manager Ralf Rangnick offered the younger players a chance against Young Boys in just his third game in charge, though Elanga failed to impress on the left wing despite playing the entire 90 minutes.

On Elanga's contract extension, United football director John Murtough added: "Anthony is a young player that we all really believe in. He has consistently impressed throughout the academy age groups and risen to every challenge that he has faced. 

"Anthony is extremely dedicated; he has the work-rate and attitude to keep improving every day and succeed at Manchester United. He is yet another fantastic example of the type of player that our world-leading youth development system continues to produce. 

"We are thrilled that Anthony has signed this new contract, and everyone is excited to see him grow over the coming seasons."