Liverpool's Top 5 Boxing Day Matches in the Premier League

Boxing Day football has become knitted into the fabric of the Premier League over the years, and this is certainly the case in 2016, with the English top flight gearing up for eight festive fixtures—though, for manager Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, they must wait another day for their post-Christmas clash.

The Reds take on Stoke City at Anfield on December 27, looking to continue their fine run in the Premier League as they vie with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City for their first title since the competition's inception in 1992.

Liverpool have won their last two games in the league—both away, to Middlesbrough and Everton—and taking on a Stoke side that has not won in three domestic outings—most recently letting a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 at home to Leicester City—they will be confident of securing victory.

In many ways, watching their title rivals turn out on Boxing Day could provide the Reds with a boost as they reconvene after Christmas, with Chelsea, City, Arsenal and Manchester United all in action on December 26:

• Arsenal vs. West Bromwich Albion, Emirates Stadium
• Chelsea vs. Bournemouth, Stamford Bridge
• Manchester United vs. Sunderland, Old Trafford
• Hull City vs. Manchester City, KCOM Stadium

But there will remain a lingering feeling of disappointment as Klopp's side relent to the growing demands of Sky Sports and BT Sport and instead take to Anfield a day later than tradition dictates, with Boxing Day proving a memorable one for the club over the years.

Liverpool have played on Boxing Day on all but three occasions since the Premier League began (1992, 1995 and 2010), losing just four times in 21 games and taking 12 wins; they've scored 36 Premier League goals on December 26, conceding 18 and keeping seven clean sheets.

Here are Liverpool's top five Boxing Day games in the Premier League era, kicking off with a memorable victory over Leicester City in 1994.

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Leicester City 1-2 Liverpool (1994)

Heading into their clash with Mark McGhee's Foxes, the Reds hadn't won on Boxing Day since 1989, drawing twice with Queens Park Rangers and again with Sheffield United, as well as playing on December 28 in 1992.

It took a display of goalkeeping excellence from David James, however, to ensure this was the case, with the Englishman saving a Steve Thompson penalty and a late effort from Mark Blake to help his side on their way to victory.

Roy Evans fielded a blend of youth and experience at Filbert Street, with John Barnes and Ian Rush joined by the likes of Rob Jones, Jamie Redknapp, Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler.

It was Fowler who opened the scoring on the afternoon, while Rush added another to keep Liverpool ahead of Nottingham Forest with 20 games played.

Evans would go on to lead Liverpool to a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League in his first season as manager, with Fowler scoring 25 league goals in an exceptional breakout campaign.

ANDREW YATES/Getty Images

West Bromwich Albion 0-5 Liverpool (2004)

Rafa Benitez took over as Liverpool manager in 2004, following the departure of Evans' successor Gerard Houllier, and quickly set to continue the Frenchman's fine progress on both the domestic stage and, crucially, in Europe.

In the Premier League, however, Benitez's first campaign proved largely inconsistent, with the Reds' longest unbeaten run lasting for just four games—with their trip to the Hawthorns on Boxing Day wedged in the middle.

Taking on a West Brom side that included former Liverpool youngster Jason Koumas, Benitez oversaw a systematic dismantling of manager Bryan Robson's Baggies.

But it wasn't until after half-time, when they went in with a 1-0 lead courtesy of a John Arne Riise strike, that the Reds began to get going, with further goals from Florent Sinama-Pongolle, Steven Gerrard, Luis Garcia and Riise's second securing a comfortable win.

"I don't think I have ever played in a match where we have dominated so much against another Premier League side," Riise said of the win. "I was almost possessed with the thought of scoring a hat-trick."

Eight of the players to start in this win also started in the UEFA Champions League final at the end of the season, when Liverpool would record their most dramatic of wins over AC Milan in Istanbul.

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Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle United (2005)

The 2005/06 campaign saw Benitez's Liverpool begin buoyed by their remarkable Champions League triumph, and they would continue their ascendancy under the Spaniard in the Premier League that season.

Welcoming Newcastle United to Anfield on Boxing Day in 2005, the Reds were on a run of seven consecutive league victories—over West Ham United, Aston Villa, Portsmouth, City, Sunderland, Wigan Athletic and Middlesbrough—looking to add their eighth in a sensational streak.

Benitez had remoulded his squad, with Pepe Reina, Peter Crouch and Fernando Morientes all new faces against the Magpies, though the majority of his European champions remained intact.

Both Reina, a sprightly 23-year-old goalkeeper, and Crouch, arriving from Southampton in a deal worth £7 million, proved influential on the day, with the latter adding to Gerrard's opener to seal a 2-0 victory and, remarkably, Liverpool's eighth league clean sheet in a row.

It was the perfect Christmas present for the red half of Merseyside, though the Premier League title would elude Liverpool come May.

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Derby County 1-2 Liverpool (2007)

Liverpool continued their transformation throughout Benitez's reign, with the former Valencia manager injecting continental quality into his squad over successive transfer windows.

This struck a clear juxtaposition when travelling to Pride Park in 2007, to take on a Derby County side led by manager Paul Jewell, who named a starting lineup featuring 10 players from the British Isles and one representative of the United States.

Extending this further, Spanish striker Fernando Torres' 11th-minute opener, assisted by Dutch winger Ryan Babel, was cancelled out by the Rams' Scottish centre-back Jay McEveley, leading to a tense finale as Liverpool pushed desperately for a winner.

This was magnified as tensions flared after McEveley's strong challenge on Andriy Voronin, with Benitez involved in a standoff with Jewell on the touchline—a symbol, perhaps, of his frustration at Liverpool's shambolic owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

However, with the clash looking set for a draw as referee Alan Wiley kept on eye on his watch, Torres set up Gerrard for a last-minute winner, providing Benitez with temporary relief in the festive season.

PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images

Liverpool 3-0 Bolton Wanderers (2008)

Liverpool have only scored three goals or more in a game on Boxing Day on five occasions in the Premier League era. This most recently came in 2008, when they took on Bolton Wanderers at Anfield.

Benitez's squad now featured the likes of Daniel Agger, Yossi Benayoun and Robbie Keane, and it was the Irishman's double that set Liverpool on their way to a comfortable win over the Trotters.

Albert Riera, like Keane a summer arrival, joining from Espanyol for £8 million, opened the scoring in the 26th minute, before Liverpool's new No. 7 struck twice within five second-half minutes to secure the three points.

The Reds were top of the Premier League, a point above Chelsea in second place and with a considerable gap between them and the rest of the chasing pack.

Ultimately, Benitez's side would fall short, finishing second behind United, but the 2008/09 season remains a memorable one for supporters, with dominant victories such as this Boxing Day delight allowing them to dream of future success.

Jack Lusby will be covering Liverpool throughout 2016/17 as one of Bleacher Report's lead correspondents. Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.co.uk. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow Jack on Twitter—@jacklusby—and Facebook here.