Now we know why Enzo Maresca kept telling us that Chelsea are not Premier League title contenders as his team carelessly threw away three points - just days after drawing a blank at Everton.

It was less than a week ago that Maresca’s team had the chance to go top of the Premier League table - for a few hours at least. But they failed to beat Everton and then conceded two late goals to lose against West London rivals Fulham.

Maresca dismissed the suggestion that Chelsea had buckled under the pressure of having the chance to put real pressure on Liverpool, but his squad have not shown the clinical mentality of would-be champions.

Credit to Fulham, whose victory was their first at Stamford Bridge since 1979. Marco Silva’s men have now taken points off Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea in December, and are putting together a very good season of their own.

Maresca had been warning of this sort of collapse for the last month or so and he will not be particularly pleased to have been proven correct.

Chelsea’s young team have shown maturity beyond their years for long periods of this season, but this was a defeat that was as naive as they come.

The Fulham players and staff thought that Pedro Neto’s play-acting in the build up to their equaliser - scored by Harry Wilson - was so bad that it would have not looked out of place in a Boxing Day panto.

Robert Sanchez abandoned Maresca’s principles to go long late on and Levi Colwill was caught trotting his way back towards his own goal, as Rodrigo Muiniz netted the 95th-minute winner that sent the travelling supporters wild.

In chasing a late winner, Chelsea had left the back door open and this was exactly the sort of defeat that Maresca was thinking of when he kept insisting his team were not realistic title challengers.

Maresca, for possibly the first time of the season, may face some scrutiny of his own. While two of Marco Silva’s substitutes scored to turn the game for Fulham, Maresca only made one change - sending on Christopher Nkunku in place of Nicolas Jackson.

Nkunku was only denied an equaliser by a brilliant stop from Leno, but there will be those wondering why Joao Felix watched all 90 minutes from the substitutes’ bench.

There were also two goalkeepers among Maresca’s substitutes that, even with injuries and Noni Madueke’s shock absence taken into account, seemed slightly odd.

This was a game and three points Chelsea had in their hands after Cole Palmer scored his 26th League goal of 2024 to take the calendar year record from Jimmy Flloyd Hasselbaink.

Palmer brilliantly spun away from Andreas Pereira and Sasa Lukic before placing a shot through the legs of Issa Diop past Leno.

Chelsea’s star man forced Leno into a couple more saves, but was possibly a little casual with at least one of the efforts he sent too close to the former Arsenal goalkeeper.

Marc Cucurella missed a wonderful chance to send Chelsea in two goals up at half-time by directing a close-range header straight at goalkeeper Leno, who performed heroics for Fulham.

The home side then inexplicably took their foot off the gas after the break. Enzo Fernandez, who has been reborn over the past month, reverted back to the midfielder who can so easily be bypassed, while Moises Caicedo started giving the ball away cheaply.

Neto was a liability defensively, picking up a deserved yellow card for taking down Alex Iwobi, who had gone past Fernandez like he wasn’t there. Chelsea got away with that one, defending the resulting free-kick, but were not so fortunate the next time Iwobi went past Neto.

Knowing he could not tackle or obviously foul the Fulham winger, Neto attempted to step into his path and went down clutching his face. Iwobi correctly played on and passed to Antonee Robinson. His cross was headed black across goal by Timothy Castagne and Wilson had time to beat Sanchez.

Sanchez had saved Chelsea before then by stopping Robinson from point-blank range and there was nothing he could have done to prevent Wilson scoring from the substitutes’ bench for the third game this season.

But some blame may be attached to Sanchez for Fulham’s winner. In his and Chelsea’s desperation to find a winner, the goalkeeper attempted to launch a long ball forwards that landed straight back to the visitors. Wilson passed to Lukic and he provided the perfect ball for Muniz to score.

In between Fulham’s goals, Leno saved from Jadon Sancho after Cucurella’s effort had been blocked by Diop and then the goalkeeper did brilliantly to stop Nkunku grabbing an equaliser after Chelsea had fallen behind.

But however brilliant Leno and Silva’s substitutes were, Chelsea only had themselves to blame for proving Maresca right. On the evidence of the past two games, they are not realistic title challengers.

05:37 PM GMT

That wraps up the 3pm kick-offs

And that’s that for the Boxing Day 3pm games!

Wolves host Manchester United in the 5:30pm kick-off that you can follow here!

Thanks for your company and Merry Chritsmas again!

05:34 PM GMT

Nottingham Forest’s European charge continues

Nuno’s Forest side are now 11 points clear of Spurs with the London club losing five of their last eight Premier League games. Read more here.

05:32 PM GMT

Newcastle hammer Villa

Hosts took full advantage of Jhon Duran’s red card in bad-tempered clash at St James’ Park. Read more here.

05:08 PM GMT

Southampton 0 West Ham 1

West Ham hold on to beat Southampton 1-0 after a nightmare first-half saw two players go off with injuries. No new-manager bounce for bottom side Southampton in Ivan Juric’s first game in charge.

05:01 PM GMT

Full-time scores

Chelsea 1 Fulham 2

Newcastle 3 Aston Villa 0

Nottingham Forest 1 Tottenham Hotspur 0

Bournemouth 0 Crystal Palace 0

04:56 PM GMT

Forest 1 Tottenham 0

As the mist rolled in from the River Trent, Nottingham Forest’s magical season continues but the gloom is gathering around Ange Postecoglou.

Forest are up to third in the Premier League and supporters are chanting about future European excursions after a fourth win in a row.

Anthony Elanga’s third goal in three games was enough to settle an absorbing, tight contest and Forest are the feelgood story of the season so far.

Yet Postecoglou’s December is proving excruciating and even Tottenham’s remarkable Boxing Day record was laid to rest here at the City Ground.

Tottenham lost their first game on December 26 since 2003 and remain in the bottom half of the table, gripped by an identity crisis.

Though they dominated possession, and Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels denied Brennan Johnson on three occasions, it is now five defeats in the last eight league games for Postecoglou.

To complete another frustrating afternoon, Spurs’ Djed Spence was sent off against his former club in added time for a second bookable offence.

04:54 PM GMT

Fulham take the lead in stoppage time

Rodrigo Muniz looks to have stolen the game for Fulham at the death. Fulham 2 Chelsea 1!

04:52 PM GMT

Newcastle 3 Aston Villa 0

Joelinton puts the game to bed for Newcastle to rubber-stamp a miserable day for Aston Villa!

04:50 PM GMT

Background on the Tindall sending off

A fiery first-half saw Tindall first clash with the Aston Villa manager before a disagreement with an opposing analyst in the tunnel. Read more here.

04:47 PM GMT

Better look at Wilson’s leveller for Fulham

04:41 PM GMT

Chelsea 1 Fulham 1

Harry Wilson draws Fulham level with a header after a well-worked move from the visitors.

04:31 PM GMT

Bowen celebrates with his West Ham team-mates

04:29 PM GMT

Isak’s goal in 4K

04:27 PM GMT

Goal for West Ham!

Jarrod Bowen puts West Ham 1-0 up against Southampton!

04:25 PM GMT

Bruno and Murphy’s role in Isak goal

And it is two for Newcastle, Bruno plays a perfectly weighted through ball for Murphy to run on to and cross for Isak to tap home. The Sweden international had been having a poor game but that is his 11th goal in his last 12 appearances

04:20 PM GMT

Newcastle 2 Aston Villa 0

Alexander Isak puts Newcastle 2-0 up against Aston Villa. The Swede has now scored 10 goals in 10 games!

04:13 PM GMT

More on Tindall

Newcastle assistant manager, Jason Tindall, has been sent off by the referee following an altercation with an Aston Villa analyst at half time. Tindall started the second half sitting three rows behind me in the press box but has now moved to another seat in the Milburn Stand.

04:07 PM GMT

Tindall sent off for Newcastle

Newcastle assistant manager Jason Tindall is not in the Newcastle dugout after being sent off for his part in a fracas on the touchline in the first half.

03:58 PM GMT

Southampton 0 West Ham 0 at half-time

Lukasz Fabianski was stretchered off for West Ham on the 36th minute after Max Kilman was forced off inside the first 20 minutes at St Mary’s Stadium.

Lengthy stoppages saw 10 minutes of stoppage time added on.

03:52 PM GMT

Half-time scores in four of the 3pm kick-offs

Chelsea 1 Fulham 0

Newcastle 1 Aston Villa 0

Bournemouth 0 Crystal Palace 0

Nottingham Forest 1 Tottenham 0

03:45 PM GMT

Emery meltdown

Unai Emery has had a meltdown on the touchline, screaming obscenities at Newcastle’s assistant manager Jason Tindall and throwing his arms around in front of the fourth official. Tindall had complained about Isak being penalised for a foul. Emery has not been a happy bunny all afternoon and had been screaming at Duran a few minutes before the striker got himself sent off.

03:44 PM GMT

... and the Colombian’s reaction on the touchline

03:43 PM GMT

Action that led to Duran’s red...

03:37 PM GMT

Rush of blood to the head from Duran

We shall put that down to a rush of blood to the head from Jhon Duran. He had been arguing with teammates and manager Unai Emery for much of the first half and, beaten in a foot race by centre back Fabian Schar the Colombian’s frustrations boiled over. Schar won the ball fairly with a sliding tackle and Duran then rakes his studs down the back of the centre back, not once, but twice. He might have got away with one and claimed it was an accident, but not twice.

03:35 PM GMT

Elanga goal for Forest

03:33 PM GMT

Red card for Duran

Aston Villa down to 10 men after Jhon Duran receives a red card after an ugly challenge on Fabian Schar.

03:30 PM GMT

Nottingham Forest 1 Tottenham 0

Anthony Elanga puts the home side ahead!

03:29 PM GMT

Spurs shading it in entertaining contest

Entertaining contest here, with both teams committed to attacking.

Tottenham are probably just about shading it, and have forced Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels into the first save of the match from Brennan Johnson.

Forest are a threat on the break, though, and are utilising the speed of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga on the flanks.

03:25 PM GMT

How Palmer scored his 26th Premier League goal

03:21 PM GMT

Gordon goal in 4K

03:19 PM GMT

New record for Palmer

That’s a new record for Cole Palmer. It’s his 26th Premier League goal in 2024, which is a calendar year record for Chelsea – beating the previous best of 25 by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 2001.

03:17 PM GMT

Chelsea 1 Fulham 0

Cole Palmer puts Chelsea ahead with a wonderful individual effort.

03:14 PM GMT

Adarabioyo being booed by Fulham fans

Predictably, Tosin Adarabioyo is being booed by the Fulham fans every time he touches the ball. The defender moved on a free transfer from Fulham to Chelsea in the summer after his contract expired.

03:13 PM GMT

Tonali’s key role in Gordon goal

A really good goal from Newcastle to score early in a game and although Anthony Gordon will get plenty of plaudits for the strike, a curling finish from the edge of the area, it was a beautifully timed intervention from Sandro Tonali on the halfway line that started the move.

The Italy international is deceptively quick and having given Boubacar Kamara the impression he had time to take the ball down on his chest, he closed the space rapidly and stole possession. That got Newcastle on the front foot and a simple pass to Bruno, allowed him to move it on again to Joelinton who teed up Gordon for his trademark finish cutting in from the left.

03:11 PM GMT

Early yellow cards at the Vitality Stadium

Justin Kluivert has picked up a yellow card for Bournemouth which means he misses their next game and Eberechi Eze has also been booked for Palace inside the first 10 minutes.

03:07 PM GMT

Gordon celebrates scoring Newcastle’s opener

03:03 PM GMT

Goal at St James’ Park

Newcastle take the lead against Aston Villa through Anthony Gordon!

03:01 PM GMT

And we have kick-off!

All five 3pm kick-offs are under way in the Premier League.

02:54 PM GMT

Pivotal fixture for both Newcastle and Aston Villa

This is a really interesting and pivotal fixture for both teams. Aston Villa and Newcastle United have emerged as the main challengers to the established order in the Premier League over the last couple of years but which one of them can stay there?

We will know a lot more about who is better equipped to continue that sort of threat at the top end of the table after this afternoon’s meeting at St James’ Park.

Both have qualified for the Champions League in the last two years and both would love to be back in Europe again next season. However, both managers will say they have not been consistent enough too.

A victory for Newcastle would take them above Villa in the table and – potentially – to within just two points of the top four. A win for the visitors, though, would open up a five point gap between the two clubs and would push Villa firmly back into Champions League contention again.

After a dip in form, Eddie Howe’s side have won three on the spin in all competitions. Villa have won three out of the last four and are looking good under Unai Emery.

A result is difficult to predict with confidence but a win for either side will go a long way to defining perceptions of how things are going and where they are heading as they move into 2025.

02:43 PM GMT

Long read on Nuno’s time with Spurs

Seventeen matches – that is just how many games Nuno Espirito Santo was given during his doomed tenure at Tottenham in 2021.

His brief spell with Spurs is arguably the only blemish on an otherwise impressive CV as a manager in the Premier League.

For a long read on Nuno’s time with Tottenham, and how he is working a miracle at Nottingham Forest, read here.

02:35 PM GMT

Bentancur back for Spurs after seven-match suspension

Some good news for Ange Postecoglou are the returns of defensive midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur and Destiny Udogie.

Bentancur is back after a seven-match suspension, while Udogie is in the starting XI after a recent injury and how Tottenham need some solidity after conceding six against Liverpool.

Postecoglou clearly needs reinforcements, though, and Tottenham are certain to be one of the most active Premier League clubs when the transfer window opens.

02:32 PM GMT

Intriguing contest at the City Ground

A very intriguing contest ahead at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest are arguably the surprise team of the season so far and face a Tottenham side eight points below them in the table and gripped by an identity crisis.

Ange Postecoglou is under increasing pressure as he rigidly sticks to his footballing principles, but a defeat here will only ramp up the tension.

Forest have a chance to move six points ahead of champions Manchester City with a win. Exciting times indeed.

02:29 PM GMT

Southampton and West Ham teams in black and white

Southampton XI Ramsdale, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Wood-Gordon, Sugawara, Downes, Ugochukwu, Walker-Peters, Fernandes, Armstrong, Onuachu.

Subs McCarthy, Manning, Aribo, Lallana, Bree, Archer, Sulemana, Fraser, Dibling.

West Ham XI Fabianski, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson Palmieri, Rodriguez, Bowen, Soler, Soucek, Kudus, Fullkrug.

Subs Areola, Cresswell, Coufal, Summerville, Luis Guilherme, Ings, Alvarez, Todibo, Irving.

Referee Lewis Smith (Lancashire).

02:28 PM GMT

Nottingham Forest and Tottenham teams in black and white

Forest XI Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Yates, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood.

Subs Carlos Miguel, Morato, Awoniyi, Toffolo, Ward-Prowse, Alex, Jota Silva, Sosa, Boly.

Spurs XI Forster, Udogie, Dragusin, Gray, Spence, Bentancur, Sarr, Kulusevski, Son, Johnson, Solanke.

Subs Austin, Reguilon, Bissouma, Maddison, Bergvall, Werner, Porro, Lankshear, Olusesi.

Referee Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).

02:27 PM GMT

Bournemouth and Crystal Palace teams in black and white

Bournemouth XI Arrizabalaga, Aarons, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez, Cook, Christie, Semenyo, Kluivert, Ouattara, Unal.

Subs Travers, Brooks, Evanilson, Adams, Hill, Billing, Winterburn, Kinsey-Wellings, Harris.

Crystal Palace XI Henderson, Chalobah, Lacroix, Guehi, Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell, Sarr, Eze, Mateta.

Subs Turner,Schlupp, Clyne, Kamada, Richards, Doucoure, Devenny, Kporha, Agbinone.

Referee Thomas Bramall (Sheffield).

02:26 PM GMT

Newcastle and Aston Villa teams in black and white

Newcastle XI Dubravka, Trippier, Schar, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Isak, Gordon.

Subs Vlachodimos, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff, Miley.

Aston Villa XI Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Kamara, Onana, McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers, Duran.

Subs Olsen, Diego Carlos, Mings, Barkley, Buendia, Watkins, Philogene-Bidace, Nedeljkovic, Bailey.

Referee Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).

02:25 PM GMT

Chelsea and Fulham teams in black and white

Chelsea XI Sanchez, Gusto, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Sancho, Palmer, Pedro Neto, Jackson.

Subs Jorgensen, Bettinelli, Disasi, Joao Felix, Nkunku, Casadei, George, Acheampong, Guiu.

Fulham XI Leno, Castagne, Diop, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Iwobi, Andreas Pereira, Lukic, Traore, Jimenez.

Subs Benda,Wilson, Rodrigo Muniz, Cairney, Vinicius, Cuenca, King,Sessegnon, Godo.

Referee Sam Barrott (West Yorkshire).

02:11 PM GMT

West Ham team news

02:11 PM GMT

Southampton team news

02:10 PM GMT

Tottenham Hotspur team news

02:09 PM GMT

Nottingham Forest team news

02:08 PM GMT

Crystal Palace team news

02:07 PM GMT

Bournemouth teams news

02:06 PM GMT

Aston Villa team news

02:06 PM GMT

Newcastle team news

02:05 PM GMT

Fulham team news

02:04 PM GMT

Chelsea team news

02:00 PM GMT

Afternoon all

Afternoon all and Merry Christmas, hope everyone is looking forward to what is sure to be an exciting Boxing Day of Premier League football with five 3pm kick-offs to keep track of.

We have a London derby between Chelsea and Fulham at Stamford Bridge – the first time Chelsea have hosted a Boxing Day game in five years. Enzo Maresca’s side are unbeaten in their last five games and will be looking to return to winning ways after their last outing away to Everton ended in a goalless draw. Marco Silva’s Fulham are also unbeaten in their last five games but will be searching for a reaction after Southampton held them to a frustrating nil nil last weekend.

The clash between eighth-placed Newcastle and sixth-placed Aston Villa will surely provide some thrills. Unai Emery guided his Villa side to an impressive 2-1 victory over Manchester City last time out and will be looking to carry on that form against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle who also looked impressive during their 4-0 demolition of Ipswich that saw striker Alexander Isak score a hat-trick.

High-flying Bournemouth host Crystal Palace who were on a four-game unbeaten run before last weekend’s heavy 5-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal. Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth are on cloud nine following their 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford and currently occupy fifth place in the league table and are dreaming of European football next season.

Nuno Espirito Santo welcomes his former employers Tottenham Hotspur to the City Ground in a match that has the potential to be a goal fest. Nottingham Forest went to Brentford (who never lose at home) and beat them 2-0 over the weekend and are in the Champions League places as a result. Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs conceded six goals in their last game against Liverpool and will no doubt be looking for a more solid defensive showing today.

Bottom side Southampton, with new manager Ivan Juric at the helm, take on West Ham who have been moving in the direction in recent weeks following a three-game unbeaten run. Will Southampton, who held out for a draw against Fulham in their previous game, experience the new manager bounce in Juric’s first game in charge or will West Ham spoil the party and continue to push on under Julen Lopetegui?