Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Friday fixtures - black pin
MATCH MAP 27-28 DECEMBER
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin
MATCH MAP 29 DECEMBER-2 JANUARY
Monday fixtures - yellow pin
Tuesday fixtures - green pin
Thursday fixtures - turquoise pin
Friday fixtures - black pin
MATCH MAP 3-4 JANUARY
Saturday fixtures - blue pin
Sunday fixtures - orange pin
TLFG DAILY DIGEST
In the following section, I list what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.
Friday 26 December
Championship
Millwall v Ipswich Town @1pm - the biggest game on Boxing Day would appear to be this clash of two of the top six in the second tier. The Lions are having a good season but are currently on a three game winless run - if they'd won them they'd be second. The visitors got relegated from the Premier League in May but are firmly in contention to go straight back up. The historic head-to-head record between these two is very close and this could go either way. Tickets have sold out but
hospitality is available from £200
League One
AFC Wimbledon v Stevenage @3pm - it seems no time since the Dons were up in the top six and looking like play-off contenders but in recent weeks it's gone a bit wrong. Seven games without a win, the south-London club are down to 14th and significantly closer to the relegation zone than the leading group. The away side are very much part of this elite group. Fourth but with games in hand on all those above them, they should provide tough opposition. This match has sold out too
National League
Sutton United v Aldershot Town @3pm - with tickets few and far between for the matches above, non-league football would appear to be your best option. Elsewhere in south London, we've got an important game at the wrong end of the table in the fifth tier. The U's sit just above the relegation zone whilst the Shots are a point from safety so there's plenty at stake.
Tickets Wealdstone v Boreham Wood @3pm - there's a derby of sorts at Grosvenor Vale between two of this division's TLFG clubs. Although they're two of the smallest clubs at this level, both are punching above their weight with the Stones just a win away from a place in the top seven. The Wood are in even more remarkable form and are one of at least five clubs who could consider themselves in the title race.
Tickets
National League South
Dagenham & Redbridge v Hornchurch @1pm - in the sixth tier we've got a cracking looking east London derby to look forward to. At least two divisions have separated these clubs for most of their existences but not any more. With the Daggers' fortunes ailing in recent years and the Urchins on the up, these two are now at the same level. Not only that but it's Hornchurch who are top and Dagenham who've been trying to fight off another relegation. With former England striker Andy Carroll up front, the hosts have hit some great form and are now safely in midtable.
Tickets Enfield Town v Chelmsford City @3pm - unbeaten in four, the struggling Towners are now only a point from safety. In their most recent game, they held leaders Hornchurch to a 2-2 draw and would've won if they hadn't conceded an injury-time goal. Midtable Chelmsford had a brilliant run to the FA Cup Second Round but have lost four of their last five league games and could be there for the taking.
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Saturday 27 December
Premier League
Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion @3pm - the Gunners have come close in recent years but they haven't won the title since 2004. They're in pole position again as we approach the end of 2025 but the pressure is starting to pile on as a resurgent Manchester City are in great form and just two points behind. Brighton are in midtable, winless in four and must be beaten. Tickets have sold out but
hospitality is available from £895
Brentford v AFC Bournemouth @3pm - in terms of attendance and stadium size, these are the two smallest clubs in the Premier League. That should make them strong contenders for relegation but both are well clear of the bottom three. Although both are comfortably in midtable, both are in the bottom six in the form table with the Cherries going through a particularly lamentable patch which has seen them fall from Champions League contention all the way down to 15th. The Bees are unbeaten in eight against Bournemouth and, on paper, appear to be favourites again. Tickets are only available to members and hospitality has sold out
West Ham United v Fulham @3pm - the only top-flight match with regular tickets available is this derby at the London Stadium. Without a win since the beginning of November, things are looking a bit bleak for the Hammers. In the bottom three and five points adrift of safety, they need to start winning fast. A couple of weeks ago, things were looking a bit iffy for the Cottagers too but back-to-back wins over Burnley and Nottingham Forest have given them a 10-point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone. However, east London isn't a happy hunting ground for Fulham and they've lost on six of their last seven visits.
Tickets Chelsea v Aston Villa @530pm - in the day's late game, two of the top four meet at Stamford Bridge for what could be a thrilling contest. Club World Cup winners Chelsea looked as if they could challenge for the title earlier in the season and although still in the top group of clubs, some silly results have left them 10 points off the pace. Villa began the season poorly, leading some fans to call for boss Unai Emery's head. Now with nine wins from 10 games, they're top of the form table and only three points behind leaders Arsenal and he's the best manager ever! Tickets have sold out but
hospitality is available from £745
Isthmian League Premier
Cray Wanderers v Cray Valley PM @3pm - with the EFL and National League playing on Boxing Day, most of Saturday's games will be in the seventh tier and below. Usually it's all about derbies at this time of year so I won't be able to mention them all but this one in south London grabbed my eye straight away. If you're new to football in London or are just visiting, then going to watch the capital's oldest club is always worth doing. Founded in 1860, Cray Wanderers are now playing at a new stadium and are in the top six - win here and they could go into the top four. CVPM aren't the side they were last year and are down in midtable but there should still be a decent crowd. To boost attendance even more, EFL club season-ticket holders will get in for free and regulars can bring a friend for £5.
Tickets
Southern League Premier South
Chertsey Town v Walton & Hersham @3pm - elsewhere in the seventh tier there's a spicy looking derby on the south-west side of TLFG's catchment area. Four wins on the bounce have propelled the Curfews up to seventh and back into play-off contention but they face the toughest possible test on Saturday. The Swans are eight points clear at the top and haven't lost a league game since August. They also thrashed National League side Sutton United 4-1 in the FA Trophy two weeks ago. Games between these two have the potential to draw four-figure crowds so there should be a decent atmosphere.
Tickets
Isthmian League South East
AFC Whyteleafe v AFC Croydon Athletic @3pm - although there are numerous derbies at this level on Saturday, the standout game in the eighth tier is this match at Church Road. Not only is this a derby but it sees third welcome second for what should be an intriguing contest. The Leafe are two points behind the Rams but have a game in hand so there's plenty at stake.
Tickets
Essex Senior League
Barking v Ilford @3pm - again, the ninth tier is littered with local derbies so pretty much every game at this level should be worth a watch. I've gone for this one as it features two of the top six in this division. Coming from neighbouring areas in east London, this match at Mayesbrook Park is another to really standout this weekend. The hosts have been among the frontrunners since coming down from the Isthmian League in 2022. The real story here though is Ilford. The Foxes rarely finish in the top half so to find them in sixth is very unusual - a win here and they could go third. Tickets are £10 on the gate
CCL Division 1
PFC Victoria London v Brook House @3pm - in the 10th tier there are two games which are both huge and I can't decide between so I'm going to mention them both. First up is this match in west London. PFC are a club with their roots in the capital's Polish community and they groundshare at Ashford Town's stadium just to the south of Heathrow Airport. This is only their second season in senior football and after finishing a creditable 12th last season, they're top coming into this. Facing them on Saturday, are a side who hail from Hayes just to the north of the airport. The Brook are three points behind in fourth but have four games in hand. They also have the league's top scorer Trey Pender-Brown who has scored 33 goals in 25 appearances this season and is causing quite a bit of interest online. Getting ticket info is hard but it shouldn't be more than £8
ECL Division 1 South
Newbury Forest v Lymore Gardens @3pm - this game on the north-east side of town is arguably even bigger. Forest are currently top and Lymore Gardens are fourth. There are nine points between them but Gardens have four games in hand. Not only that but the sides both groundshare at Redbridge's stadium next to Barkingside Tube station. A win for the 'hosts' will really boost their title hopes. Tickets shouldn't be more than £8
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Sunday 28 December
Premier League
Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur @430pm - with the women's clubs on a short winter break, this is the only match in London on Sunday. The Eagles took Arsenal all the way to penalties in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday before eventually going out. Although generally having another positive season, three defeats from five in the league mean they've slipped to eighth. Spurs boss Thomas Frank would kill for that kind of form right now. The north London club have only managed two wins from 10 and now only goal difference is keeping them out of the bottom six. Tickets are only available to members and hospitality is unavailable
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Monday 29 December
Championship
Millwall v Bristol City @745pm - the EFL returns with a full round of games on Monday night. The Lions, after a hard fought 0-0 draw with Ipswich on Boxing Day, face another one of the top six here. The Robins' win at West Brom on Friday edged them just ahead of Millwall on goal difference. The sides last played just over three weeks ago and it was the London club who came away from Ashton Gate with all three points after a 1-0 win.
Tickets
League One
AFC Wimbledon v Exeter City @745pm - a sell-out crowd saw the Dons hold high-flying Stevenage to a 0-0 draw on Boxing Day. Although a decent result, it extended their winless run to eight games. The Grecians are in the bottom three but make the long journey up from Devon having won two of their last four, with one of those wins coming against Wimbledon.
Tickets
CCL Premier South
Sutton Common Rovers v Horley Town @745pm - SCR suffered relegation from the Isthmian League last season and have shown few signs of coming straight back up. However, a win in this game in hand will lift them to eighth, cutting the gap on the top five to six points. Horley are one point above them so this could be a tight midtable affair. This is being played at Carshalton Athletic. Tickets are £10 on the gate
ECL Division 1 South
Barkingside v Clapton CFC @745pm - this season has been a real struggle for the 'Side. Second bottom and six points adrift of safety, they've played more games than most of those around them too. In this derby, they face a CCFC side who are challenging for the play-offs. Without a game on Saturday, they slipped out of the leading group as Coggeshall Town won. Victory here will see them leap up to third. Tickets should be around £7 on the gate
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Tuesday 30 December
Premier League
Arsenal v Aston Villa @815pm - arguably the game of the week takes place on Tuesday night at the Emirates as the leaders take on the side three points behind them in third. The Gunners came through Saturday's Brighton test with three points to keep themselves just ahead of Manchester City and Villa who both refused to stop winning. With eight consecutive wins, the Birmingham club are top of the Premier League form table and pose a real threat to the Gunners. This match also marks the return of former Arsenal boss Unai Emery who will once again have a point to prove after a disappointing time in north London. Tickets are only available to members but
hospitality is available from £795
Chelsea v AFC Bournemouth @730pm - the Blues' slim hopes of a title challenge near enough ended at the weekend when they became Villa's latest victims. The 2-1 home defeat left them 13 points behind Arsenal. It also means that they've now only won one of their last six. Talking of bad form though, it doesn't get much worse than Bournemouth's. Winless in nine, the Dorset club got stuffed 4-1 at Brentford in their last game. They did, however, draw 0-0 with Chelsea at the start of the month but I think they'll do well to repeat that here. Tickets have sold out but
hospitality is available from £375
West Ham United v Brighton & Hove Albion @730pm - another club who can't buy a win at the moment are West Ham. A slender 1-0 derby loss to Fulham on Saturday means they're still marooned in the bottom three and five points adrift of safety. Brighton aren't in the best shape either with only two points accrued so far in December. However, they've never lost at the London Stadium. Their last away defeat to the Hammers was at Upton Park in 2012.
Tickets
National League
Boreham Wood v Solihull Moors @745pm - The Wood moved up to second after trouncing local rivals Wealdstone 4-0 on Boxing Day. With leaders Rochdale two points clear but with two games in hand, it will take something special to finish ahead of them. However, if they win this and Dale drop points against Hartlepool then they will go top at least temporarily. When it comes to trouncing, Solihull enjoyed an even bigger one on Friday, thrashing Tamworth 7-1. They're now fourth in the form table and are climbing back into play-off contention. They're also unbeaten in eight against against Boreham Wood.
Tickets
National League South
Hornchurch v Maidstone United @745pm - the Urchins won their big Boxing Day derby at Dagenham & Redbridge to stay top, just one point ahead of in-form Worthing. Here they host, in terms of attendance, one of the biggest clubs in the division. The Stones are in the play-off places too so backed by a sizeable away following, they should provide a decent challenge.
Tickets
CCL Division 1
London Samurai Rovers v Langley @745pm - the hosts, who groundshare at Hanworth Villa, have only been playing senior football since 2021 and for most of that time have found things a bit of a struggle. They did, however, finish third in 2022/23 scoring 109 goals in 40 games but lost to Rayners Lane in the play-offs. Langley also made the play-offs that year but also lost to the Lane in the final. LSR had looked like pushing for the play-offs again this time but a five game winless run is threatening to derail that. After a slow start, the visitors are now hitting form and with five wins on the bounce are climbing the table rapidly. I haven't seen any prices for this game but admission earlier in the season was £6
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Thursday 1 January
Premier League
Crystal Palace v Fulham @530pm - Sunday's disappointing 1-0 loss at home to Spurs extended the Eagles' losing run to three games, a result which saw them slip into the bottom half. With five wins from seven, the Cottagers are powering up the table and are now on level points with Palace, something which looked unlikely to happen less than a month ago. Fulham's last defeat actually came against Oliver Glasner's side in the reverse fixture so if anyone knows how to defeat the club from SW6, it's them.Tickets are only available to members but
hospitality is available from £378
Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur @8pm - former Bees boss Thomas Frank begins 2026 with a return to the club which made his name. The summer move to N17 was supposed to represent a big step up the career ladder but it's Brentford who are ahead coming into this. Although the gap is only one point, when you consider the level of resources and size of fan base that both teams have, fledgling Bees boss Keith Andrews has achieved way more. Despite this, Brentford's last defeat came against Spurs in early December so it should be close again. Tickets are only available to members and hospitality has sold out
Championship
Charlton Athletic v Coventry City @3pm - with tickets for Premier League games at a premium, there's a fine selection of EFL games for you to choose from instead. The Addicks made a bright start but with only two wins from 10 games, they're now in the bottom five. On NYD they welcome the leaders for what should be an incredibly tough game. Eight points clear at the top, Frank Lampard's side suffered their first home defeat of the season against Ipswich on Monday and will no doubt want to bounce back straight away.
Tickets QPR v Norwich City @3pm - the R's are at their frustratingly most inconsistent at the moment. Thrilling at home and pretty underwhelming away. Thankfully this at Loftus Road so their chances of beating one of the division's strugglers looks pretty good. However, as most QPR fans know, Norwich are exactly the sort of team that will cause them problems. The reverse fixture in November provided the Canaries with their first home win of the season and they've won two more games since.
Tickets Watford v Birmingham City @3pm - the Hornets have only lost three of the 15 games since Javi Gracia returned to the manager's job in October. Monday's win at Norwich took them into the top six, possibly for the first time this season, to confirm the magnificent progress they've made in recent months. The same cannot be said for big-spending Birmingham who are now six without a win and down to 15th. With its punishing schedule, this division is famously brutal but they're still closer to the top six than the bottom three - just.
Tickets
League One
Leyton Orient v AFC Wimbledon @3pm - it's derby day in the third tier with the division's two London clubs meeting at Brisbane Road. Level on points in lower midtable, there's little to choose between them. The O's are in significantly better form though and start as favourites in my book. Since the Dons re-formed as AFC Wimbledon, there haven't been that many games between them and they've yet to win at this venue.
Tickets
League Two
Barnet v Crawley Town @3pm - with eight wins, eight draws and seven defeats, the Bees' are more than holding their own on their return to the EFL. In the top half and six points adrift of the play-off places, it's going pretty well. It's a different story for Crawley. The Sussex club are in the bottom five and only two points above the relegation zone. Monday's loss to Bromley made it eight without a win - three points for Barnet looks like the most likely outcome.
Tickets Bromley v Newport County @3pm - one of the stories of the season must be the rise of the Ravens to the top of League Two. Their win at Crawley and Walsall's loss to Oldham saw them reach the summit for the first time. With nine wins from their last ten league games, they're now two points clear of Swindon Town and the aforementioned Saddlers. Welsh club Newport have had a season to forget but the green shoots of recovery may be starting to appear after their 2-0 win over Crewe on Monday. It lifted them off the bottom and they're now only a point adrift of safety.
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Friday 2 January
Isthmian League Premier
Aveley v Canvey Island @745pm - topping the bill on Friday is this Essex derby at Parkside. The Millers are on amazing unbeaten run in the league which stretches back to 15 September when they lost to top club Folkestone. Despite this, they're still sitting just outside the play-off places but have games in hand on all of those above them as they bid to make a quick return to the NLS. It's a different story for the Gulls though who are in the bottom three and seven points adrift of safety. Tickets are £14 on the gate
CCL Premier North
Hilltop v North Leigh @745pm - in the ninth tier, the hosts will move back into the play-off places if they can beat the Millers. The Oxfordshire club are in the bottom four and, on paper, should be beaten. However, Hilltop are in poor form and might come unstuck if they're not careful. Admission is usually around £8 at this level
ECL Division 1 South
Barkingside v Hutton @745pm - with only three wins from 24 games the 'Side are in real trouble. Second from bottom and six points behind the team above them, it's not looking good. Here they face title challengers from Billericay who must feel confident of victory as they head down to Ilford. Admission in this 10th-tier division is usually around £7
Lymore Gardens v May & Baker @745pm - currently fourth, the hosts have games in hand on all above them and will go top if they win them. M&B make the short journey over from Dagenham. Although their predicament isn't as bad as Barkingside's, they are in the bottom five and will do well to get anything. Again, admission should be around £7
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Saturday 3 January
National League South
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Chesham United @3pm - Alan Dowson returned as Hampton boss in December and marked his 1,000 game as a manager with a crucial win over Farnborough on Boxing Day. Still in the relegation zone, a win against midtable Chesham could propel them up several places so it's a big opportunity.
Tickets Hornchurch v Salisbury @3pm - after the joy of winning the derby at Dagenham, the Urchins then lost at home to Maidstone as they finally relinquished top spot to Worthing. Now two points behind and having played a game more, they can't afford many more slip ups if they want to stay in title contention. Salisbury are 16th and should be beaten.
Tickets
Southern League Premier South
Walton & Hersham v Gosport Borough @3pm - if you're new to football in TLFG's catchment area, the Swans are a club on the rise. Since the ownership of the club changed in 2019, the Surrey side have enjoyed three promotions and narrowly missed out on a fourth one last season. Saturday's derby victory at Chertsey put them 11 points clear at the top and a place in the National League South now looks like theirs to lose. Here they play another club with promotion in their sights. Hailing from Hampshire, Gosport are fifth and need the win to stay ahead of Sholing who are just a point behind.
Tickets
Isthmian League South Central
Harrow Borough v Hayes & Yeading United @3pm - in the eighth tier there aren't any blockbuster games at the top of any of the divisions but this derby between two old rivals should be well worth a watch. Boro are on a three game unbeaten run with Saturday's 1-0 win at Hendon in another derby lifting them up to ninth. H&YU occupy the final play-off spot five points above them so a win here will get them right back in the mix. Tickets are £12 on the gate
CCL Premier North
Broadfields United v Wallingford & Crowmarsh @3pm - usually I'd have no hesitation about highlighting a game between the top two in a division but I definitely thought twice about this one. Although they are leading the way, both have played more games than all of those immediately below them and their points advantage is slight - in other words, their positions are a bit false. However, the teams currently in the best form are all well down the table so these two aren't out of it by any means. Tickets are £8 on the gate
CCL Premier South
Tooting & Mitcham United v Abbey Rangers @3pm - given how conflicted I am about the game above, you can have another recommendation in the ninth tier. With Cobham looking increasingly like champions elect, it's now all about who can secure a play-off spot. These two are third and fourth, with the visitors being only two points behind with a game in hand. Tickets are £8 on the gate
Essex Senior League
SOUL Tower Hamlets v Barking @3pm -staying in the ninth tier, I can't really overlook this one either. Being played at the Mile End Stadium, the hosts will go top if they win and current leaders Little Oakley fail to win at Woodford Town. Whether they get the three points is by no means a foregone conclusion though as Barking are fourth. The Blues are five points behind but have played two games more so securing a play-off spot would appear to be their main priority at this stage.
Tickets
CCL Division 1
Colliers Wood United v Brook House @3pm - three teams are level on points at the top in this hotly contested division but it's Brook House who are just ahead after winning their big match at fellow contenders PFC Victoria London last Saturday. Having played less games than PFC and third placed Woodley United, things are looking good for The Brook. Midtable CWU aren't in the best of form so the visitors will start as favourites. Tickets at this level are usually £7-8 on the gate
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Sunday 4 January
Premier League
Fulham v Liverpool @3pm - the Cottagers drew 1-1 at Crystal Palace on Thursday to extend their unbeaten run to four games. Now just mathematically one win away from a place in the top six, their fortunes have changed pretty dramatically in recent weeks. Here they face a visit from the reigning Premier League champions. A few weeks ago the Reds seemed to be in crisis but now they're seven without defeat and back in the top four. Despite Liverpool's dominance last season, Marco Silva's side were one of the only teams to take four points off them and on current form they should fancy themselves to get something again.
Tickets Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland @3pm - both sides come into this on the back of midweek 0-0 draws. Spurs took a point at Brentford in the Thomas Frank derby whilst the Mackems did really well to hold title chasing Manchester City. Sunderland have attracted many admirers this season. Fresh up from the Championship, they've more than held their own and find themselves in seventh at the start of 2026. They would no doubt be in the top four if they hadn't drawn so many games, with only leaders Arsenal having lost fewer matches than themselves. Although Tottenham appear to be picking up, they'll do well to win this. Tickets are only available to members but
hospitality is available from £249
Championship
QPR v Sheffield Wednesday @12pm - as predicted above, the R's did come unstuck against struggling Norwich on Thursday, underlining once again why they're unlikely to go up this season. Next up they face the Owls who are bottom and pretty much doomed to relegation after being deducted points following their move into administration. With only one win from 24, they really must be beaten. However, they have managed eight draws and one of those was against QPR. Given the early kick-off, groundhoppers should be able to combine this with the match at Fulham.
Tickets Millwall v Swansea City @3pm - although the Lions only managed a 0-0 draw at Southampton, they're still very much in the race for the play-offs. Only goal difference is currently keeping them out of the top six and a win against Swansea will see them break back into the top group. Although way down in 16th, City are in good form and held Millwall to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture back in September.
Tickets
League Two
Barnet v Crewe Alexandra @3pm - the Bees beat Crawley to keep themselves in the top half and extend their unbeaten run to three. With Crewe just above them in the table, they have the opportunity to go ninth if they win. The visitors have never won at The Hive, with their last win at Barnet coming at Underhill in 2009.
Tickets Bromley v Oldham Athletic @3pm - the Ravens narrowly beat struggling Newport 2-1 to remain top of the division at the start of 2026. Boss Andy Woodman is really impressing at Hayes Lane and on paper they should feel confident of getting another three points against Oldham. However, although they are 15th, they're unbeaten in five and beat title challengers Walsall on Monday.
Tickets
FAWNL Southern Premier
AFC Wimbledon v Oxford United @2pm - after four weeks off, the Dons women return to action with a match at Plough Lane. It's been a season of struggle for the south Londoners but a 3-2 win over Hashtag United at the end of November saw them keep themselves just above the relegation zone. Oxford have won their last two league games and beat high-flying Plymouth in the FA Cup in their last game so they head to SW17 in some form.
Tickets
FAWNL Division 1 South East
Fulham v Actonians @2pm - a little further to the south-west, you've got the chance to watch tier-four leaders Fulham try and extend their slender lead at the top of the division. Although midtable Actonians have a tiny fraction of the resources at the Cottagers' disposal, they only lost 3-2 when they last met in August. The A's are unbeaten in five but with last season's top scorer Hana Lalani joining arch-rivals QPR over Christmas, it'll be almost miraculous if they get anything against the unbeaten Cottagers. This is being played at the club's Motspur Park training ground.
Tickets
