Our pick of the players who didn’t perform in the 10 Premier League fixtures on Boxing Day.
Boxing Day is one of the highlights of the footballing calendar, with all 20 Premier League sides playing on the same day for one of the few occasions in the year.
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Top six goalscoring defenders
Liverpool injury update
It didn’t go well for everyone, however – this is our worst XI from yesterday’s action:
GK) Simon Mignolet (Liverpool)
He may have kept a clean sheet at Burnley, but Mignolet had a nightmare after coming on for the injured Brad Jones at Turf Moor – nearly kicking the ball against Danny Ings and into the net before inexplicably allowing a Mamadou Sakho backpass to roll out for a corner.
RB) Carl Jenkinson (West Ham United)
Jenkinson is having a good season for West Ham, on loan from Arsenal, but he had a nightmare at Stamford Bridge as he was given the runaround by the irrepressible Eden Hazard.
CB) Curtis Davies (Hull City)
His side came from behind to win at Sunderland, but Curtis Davies’ error for Adam Johnson’s opening goal was the worst individual mistake of the day – he compounded a horribly underhit backpass by failing to shepherd the ball back to his goalkeeper. Hopeless.
CB) Federico Fazio (Tottenham Hotspur)
Another player whose team were able to win in spite of him, Fazio was given the runaround by the impressive Leonardo Ulloa and his side could’ve conceded a penalty after an error from the former Sevilla man.
LB) Armand Traore (Queens Park Rangers)
Managed to goad Olivier Giroud to get himself sent off, but that was about the only thing that Armand Traore was able to accomplish in a dreadful display at the Emirates Stadium.
RM) Tom Cleverley (Aston Villa)
Cleverley has largely been good for Villa this season after joining on loan from Manchester United, but he was horribly ineffectual in his side’s defeat at Swansea City.
CM) James McCarthy (Everton)
Everton midfielder James McCarthy was clumsy in possession all afternoon in his side’s defeat to Stoke City and compounded matters by conceding a penalty for a challenge on Bojan Krkic.
CM) Kevin Nolan (West Ham United)
The trip to Chelsea wasn’t a game for the ever enthusiastic Nolan – there were few second balls for him to look to exploit and he looked like a fish out of water with his side out of possession.
LM) Yoann Gouffran (Newcastle United)
French winger Gouffran was one of a number of Newcastle United players who were, at best, complete ineffectual as the Magpies lost at Old Trafford.
SC) Olivier Giroud (Arsenal)
Giroud was having, at best, a quiet afternoon anyway, but his real crime was the mindless decision to headbutt Armand Traore and get himself sent off, putting his side under huge pressure.
SC) Fraizer Campbell (Crystal Palace)
Nothing went right for Crystal Palace as they were comfortably beaten by Southampton at Selhurst Park – and Campbell did a poor job of reliving the pressure as the side’s focal point.