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Daniel Mason
Sports Reporter
1:00 AM 21st December 2024
sports

What’s On This Weekend? Dec 21st & 22nd, 2024

Christmas is just around the corner and Yorkshire is the hotspot for four EFL games destined for drama.
Photo: Daniel Mason
Photo: Daniel Mason
Merry Christmas everyone! As we ready ourselves for the business end of the year, there is no sight of snow falling but we do have some great fixtures throughout the English Leagues to feast on. With Hull, Leeds, Barnsley, and Doncaster all in action on home soil this weekend.

Saturday 21st December: Hull City vs Swansea City

Without a league win since the 1st of October, Hull City fans will be sick of seeing the Tigers fall short on every occasion, and as they take on Swansea in one of three early kickoffs in The Championship, the home fans will be hoping that, despite the odds being against them, they can prove that you should never back the early kickoff.

They welcome Swansea City, who will once be kicking themselves, as last week they let valuable points slip away from them once more. The Swans faced a narrow 3-2 defeat to an in-form Sunderland side, but despite the result not looking bad on paper, Luke Williams’s side blew a two-goal lead and will be looking to put it behind them when they face Hull City on Saturday.

The Swans have let big results slip late on several times this season, and it will definitely be something that they will be keen to iron out of their performances sooner rather than later. Having conceded last-minute goals to Burnley and Leeds in recent weeks, which have tilted the points in the direction of the promotion pushers, despite showing that the Welsh outfit has what it takes to compete with the best of the best in their division.

New Tigers gaffer Ruben Selles won’t be keen to see their form continue, as they are winless in thirteen games and have recorded only one home win all season. They are in relegation form, and their spot in the table reflects this as they sit rock bottom, which is surprising given the talent within the squad.

Will Ruben Selles's new-look side be able to sink the Swans, or will they swim away with the points?

This game is definitely one to watch closely.

Date: Saturday 21st December
Kick Off: 12:30
Location: MKM Stadium, West Park, Walton St, Hull HU3 6HU
For details on tickets go to wearehullcity.co.uk




Saturday 21st December: Leeds United vs Oxford United

Promotion chasing Leeds United sit in second place currently and are in good form going into their clash against Oxford United on Saturday, grabbing five wins in their last seven games. Their latest point was picked up in the 93rd minute at Deepdale last weekend to save their spot in the automatic promotion ranks.

They welcome an Oxford United side that has picked up just one win in their last fifteen games, with the win coming against twenty-fourth-placed Hull City. Eighteen spots separate the two sides heading into the fixture, and with the visitors looking incapable of keeping a clean sheet, there is a chance that this scoreline could be a high one.

Leeds are at their best when they are at home, winning their last eight home games on the bounce. Within them, eight games beating teams like Middlesbrough and Sheffield United in a fairly routine manner. The Whites have also scored nine goals in their last five games, a stat that will not fill Oxford fans with hope as they head to Elland Road on Saturday.

The home side owes a lot of their recent success to their midfield, however, orchestrated by summer signing AO Tanaka, who has been not only a standout player for Leeds United this season but one of the best players in the division so far this season, showing what benefits midfield stability can bring to a side.

Three points are expected when Leeds play at Elland Road these days, but is there any chance the visitors can give their fans an early Christmas present with a result at one of the toughest places to go in the league?

Date: Saturday 21st December
Kick Off: 15:00
Location: Elland Rd, Beeston, Leeds LS11 0ES
For details on tickets go to leedsunited.com




Saturday 21st December: Barnsley vs Leyton Orient

Coming out the other side of a tough run with their chance of making the play-offs still well and truly intact, Barnsley will be keen to make it back-to-back league wins for the first time since September when they welcome an in-form Leyton Orient to Oakwell on Saturday.

League One is tight this season and despite sitting eighteenth in the table they are only eight points off Barnsley in seventh place, so on paper this game could look like one that has a home win written all over it, but this will most likely not be the case as the visitors head to Barnsley full of confidence.

Leyton Orient are unbeaten in five games, winning four of them fixtures. Orient also have the chance to make it five clean sheets in a row if they can keep the Tykes at bay. They are in great form but do not have a great record when facing Barnsley away from home, winning just two of their last twenty-two games when making the trip to Yorkshire.

A win for the visitors could take Richie Wellens’s team into the top half of the table whilst a defeat would leave them within touching distance of the drop zone, and despite the table making it too tight to take league position into account, there’s no doubt the travelling fans will enjoy Christmas that little bit more knowing their side are a good distance away from the relegation spots.

The same goes for Barnsley as a win for them would take them three points of seventh placed Bolton, assuming that top of the tree Wycombe Wanderers will take all three points when they play on Friday night.

Will Barnsley be able to take all three points, or will the kings of Orient manage to bear their fans with the gift of a Christmas win?

This game is one that could go either way for sure…

Date: Saturday 21st December 2024
Kick Off: 15:00
Location: Oakwell Stadium, Grove St, Barnsley S71 1ET
For details on tickets go to barnsleyfc.co.uk


Saturday 21st December: Doncaster Rovers vs Tranmere Rovers

Having suffered a minor setback in their push for promotion, losing their last two, Doncaster Rovers find themselves fifth in the table. Three points are all that separate second and fifth place, and Rovers know that a win against Tranmere could take them into the automatic spots going into Christmas.

The visitors sit nineteenth but seven points clear of the dreaded League Two relegation spots. Tranmere head to the Eco-Power Stadium on the back of their first win in six games as they were able to overcome fellow strugglers Harrogate Town in a comeback win that will have boosted confidence and morale within the squad.

Omari Patrick will be the danger man for Tranmere as, after his goal on Saturday, he has two in his last two and will be looking to add to his tally whilst helping the away side take something back with them to Merseyside.

Doncaster will see this as a big opportunity, though, and will be motivated to turn the tide and get back to winning ways so the fans can tuck into their turkey knowing their side is three points better off than before.

It would be a surprise to see anything else than a Doncaster Rovers win here, but stranger things have happened…

Date: Saturday 21st December 2024
Kick Off: 15:00
Location: Eco-Power Stadium, Stadium Way, Doncaster DN4 5JW
For details on tickets go to doncasterroversfc.co.uk