It's the most wonderful time of the year. Well, it was for Chelsea until recently.
Under Roman Abramovich's ownership, the Blues have regularly achieved good results on Boxing Day, remaining undefeated on the post-Christmas day fixture from 2004 to 2019 when the run ended at home to Southampton, losing 2-0.
Last year Frank Lampard endured arguably his worst defeat as Chelsea head coach, losing 3-1 at The Emirates to a woefully out-of-form Arsenal side. Thomas Tuchel will be aiming to rediscover that strong run when his side travels to the West Midlands to face Steven Gerrard's in-form Aston Villa side.
The importance of this season's favoured festive fixture will be Chelsea's aim to keep pace in the title race with Manchester City and Liverpool.
City face Leicester at home while Liverpool were due to welcome Leeds to Anfield but that game has been called off due to the visitors having a COVID outbreak.
But before Chelsea of 2021 face the Boxing Day challenge, the CareFreeChelsea team has assembled to provide their memories down the years from the 26th.
Chelsea 4-4 Aston Villa - Daniel Childs
Ironically enough I'm going for a Boxing Day clash with this year's opponent and although it was not a win, it was one of the most enthralling games I've ever witnessed.
It was in the 2007/08 season where Avram Grant was in interim charge after the sacking of Jose Mourinho earlier in the campaign. This game had absolutely everything, Villa going 2-0 up in the first half, Chelsea coming back to make it 3-2.
Three red cards (One for Villa, two for Chelsea). A couple of screamers from Andriy Shevchenko and Micheal Ballack, plus two penalties.
I doubt I will ever be in attendance for another game of such ridiculous entertainment again and it was very much in keeping with the consistent chaos at Stamford Bridge that season.
Chelsea 3-0 Bournemouth - Scott Clayton
I had to pick out a match I remember us winning, as this time of year always seems to be a banana skin for the side. Bournemouth have enjoyed a recent good run against us with many fans labelling the Cherries as our bogey team. But on Boxing Day in 2016, we managed to get one over them.
Chelsea never lost when Pedro scored for the Blues. He has scored 43 goals and in the 39 games he has found the net, we have won 37 and drawn two.
And it was the winger who opened the scoring with a lovely goal from just outside the box as Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas linked up before passing it to the Spaniard, who got the ball out of his feet and stuck it in the far corner.
Minutes into the second half Hazard created havoc by slaloming into the box, only to be brought down for a penalty. In typical Hazard style, he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way by slotting into the corner.
Pedro sealed the win in style with a last-minute goal. He picked the ball up just inside the Blues half and ran, dinking one way then the other, to create space for a shot which took a wicked deflection and rolled into the bottom corner.
What I also remember from this game was Antonio Conte bringing on Ola Aina and Nathaniel Chalobah to give me a festive cherry on the top as two academy graduates getting their first-team chance.
Chelsea 2-2 Watford - Renuka Odedra
It's a draw, which feels like a Boxing Day staple. The day after Christmas when everyone's had too much to eat and feels a bit lethargic. I chose this fixture because of the two goals scored by Diego Costa in all honesty.
It had everything from equalisers to a scored penalty to one later being missed.
An end to end the game with chaos written all over, especially as Costa was involved. Ah, the beauty of Boxing Day football. That man would get you goals and Chelsea fans knew it, this was a classic case of exactly that.
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea - Anita Abayomi
I hate to be the Debbie Downer of this party but Chelsea haven't exactly had the best of luck on Boxing Day in the past. Especially in our last two. Seeing as we are talking about lessons learned from Boxing Day, I hope Thomas Tuchel learns from Frank Lampard's mistake last season against Arsenal.
It was a particularly hard watch for any Chelsea fan. Going away to our London rivals is never easy but we gave an Arsenal team down on their luck the lift they needed. They were struggling with form severely before we faced them and we ignited their return to form. It was a similar level of disbelief to when we lost 6-0 to Manchester City back in 2019. Oh, those winter blues.
We've been in dire need of some good fortune, so maybe the right tactics and well-timed substitutions will give Tuchel that helping hand to get the better of Villa at the weekend?
You'd look back and compare the lineups and think, surely Chelsea should have come away with the three points. It felt like a game last year that Chelsea wouldn't have lost under Tuchel but Lampard's tactical naivety on the night cost him. Arteta had figured his counterpart out and Lampard only made the necessary changes once it was too late. A Bukayo Saka goal put the nail in the coffin to make it 3-0 just 10 minutes into the second half. Callum Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho and Kai Havertz were bought on far too late to make an impact and the rest was history.
Watford 1-2 Chelsea - Jake Stokes
This is probably far from the prettiest or most attractive game that will be picked out but Boxing Day 2018 saw Eden Hazard become a Chelsea centurion.
Before we jump into the magic that the Belgian king displayed at Vicarage Road, I think that it's quite fitting that this game perfectly encapsulates everything that Thomas Tuchel's side need right now.
Poor December form? Hazard can fix that. Struggling for a breakthrough? Hazard can fix that. Everyone's in poor form and the team need a get-out-of-jail card? Hazard can fix that. He's the master key of football, he can unlock anything.
You get the gist - Hazard was the main man and you never felt like Chelsea could or would lose with him on the field. He'll go down as one of the club's best-ever players and rightfully so. This was one of the nights that proved it.
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