Burnley

And finally, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany on why he loves the festive fixture schedule: “I love it, I have always loved it, because it doesn’t make sense. I have this romantic feeling of England sometimes – it’s a country of common-sense where sometimes things that don’t make sense get appreciated by everyone.

“It doesn’t make sense – it is the Christmas period, your families are travelling in, you have so much pressure of people in your house and then if you see [have] even half a smile you are worried that it is going to have an effect on your game the next because you are in a different mindset, right?

“And yet, it is the most special period of the year for me. You get tested physically, you get tested mentally. You never see as many happy faces in a stadium than during that period of time because people are generally in a positive mood as well.”

On his own experience of the festive season as a player in the Premier League, Kompany added: “For some reason I always had Swansea away on New Year’s Day. [We stayed] in the one hotel in the town where they were obviously holding all of the festivities. And with an early kick-off most of the time as well.

“I got used to it and I have come to enjoy it. I am fine with it and wouldn’t allow the team to complain about it either. It is part of the culture.”

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