RANKED: The 6 best players of Premier League Gameweek 18 | OneFootball

The rich history of English top-flight football on Boxing Day stretches back to its inaugural season in 1888.

There was no club south of Birmingham, the goals didn't have any netting and keepers could handle the ball anywhere inside their own half. Plenty has changed over the subsequent 136 years, yet the tradition of post-Christmas football has remained intact.

However, there have been few Boxing Day rounds of fixtures as goal shy as 2024's offering over the past 13 decades. Across ten Premier League matches, there were just 17 goals. Fulham's bout with Ipswich Town back on 26 December 1963 produced 11 goals on its own (although ten were for the Cottagers).

While this midweek splurge of matches may have been short on successful strikes, there were still plenty of standout performances for the purists to enjoy.

Kai Havertz embraced a deeper role on Friday / Catherine Ivill - AMA/GettyImages

Arsenal emerged from their first Bukayo Saka-less outing with all three points thanks solely to Kai Havertz's 23rd-minute opener against Ipswich on Friday night.The German was operating in a deeper role to accommodate the continued inclusion of Gabriel Jesus. From this withdrawn position, Havertz peppered a largely workmanlike contest with brief flourishes of flair and finesse that Arsenal will desperately need in Saka's long absence.

5. Joelinton (Newcastle)

Joelinton (right) was in fine form for Newcastle on Thursday / Ian MacNicol/GettyImages

Joelinton may not have Bruno Guimaraes' guile or the technical excellence of Sandro Tonali, but the burly Brazilian outshone his midfield colleagues against Aston Villa on Boxing Day.Thriving in an arm wrestle of a game which Newcastle dominated one either side of Jhon Duran's red card, Joelinton capped a brilliant display with a crisp, curling goal that Guimaraes or Tonali would have been proud of.

4. Jordan Pickford (Everton)

Jordan Pickford once again stole the show for Everton / Carl Recine/GettyImages

Thibaut Courtois, Manuel Neuer, David Raya, Alisson, Ederson and Andre Onana. None of those elite goalkeepers can match Jordan Pickford's tally of seven top-flight clean sheets this season.Everton's enigmatic number one couldn't bolster his haul of shut-outs on Boxing Day - he was beaten by fortuitous spin rather than Bernardo Silva - but he did rebuff Erling Haaland's second-half penalty to earn a precious point for the Toffees, sending the City striker into a spiral of existential dread.

3. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Mohamed Salah scored once again on Boxing Day / Copa/GettyImages

Mohamed Salah is no longer playing football anymore, he has simply figured out how to win games.With every record-breaking goal and assist which invariably punctuates each appearances, Salah is streaking further away from his fellow immortals, let alone the mere mortals unfortunate enough to line up against him.

2. Cody Gakpo (Liverpool)

Cody Gakpo was on target again against Leicester / Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/GettyImages

Ruud van Nistelrooy is all-too familiar with Cody Gakpo's prolific skillset. The former PSV star has rediscovered his clinical edge since being installed on his favoured left flank this season and walked away from the 3-1 victory over Van Nistelrooy's Leicester with a goal and an assist."Cody Gakpo was in his team," Arne Slot pointed out ahead of Liverpool's Boxing Day fixture, "so I'm happy he's in my team now."

1. Matheus Cunha (Wolves)

Matheus Cunha was on fire for Wolves against Man Utd / Shaun Botterill/GettyImages

Manchester United's set-piece reputation is so dire that clubs are actively trying to score directly from corner kicks. Matheus Cunha followed in the footsteps of Son Heung-min from seven days earlier to swing a devilish delivery all the way into the far corner.Attempting an 'olimpico' is one thing, but having the craft and guile to actually convert such an audacious effort is another matter entirely. Cunha, however, is not lacking in that department.The Arsenal and Manchester United target proved once again why Wolves are so desperate to hold on to their star man while orchestrating a 2-0 victory over the Red Devils on Thursday.