Liverpool are leading the Premier League under new manager Arne Slot, a young but expensive Chelsea side are close behind and the classic “top for Christmas” chat is starting to gain momentum.
Mikel Arteta Arsenal they lack creativity, but they come in third place Manchester City cannot be completely ruled out, despite their stunningly poor form. However, history shows that being top of the Premier League on Christmas Day does not guarantee success at the end of the season.
Data from Jeff Bet highlighted the clubs success in turning the top spot at Christmas into First league title, z Liverpool clearly failing.
Liverpool only won one title despite topping the table six times over Christmas
Liverpool have been top on Christmas Day six times; 1996, 2008, 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2020. However, in the Covid-disrupted 2019/2020 season, they won the title only once. No other team has been on top as often as the Reds on Christmas Day and won the Premier League.
History does not bode well for Arne Slot, but for the Dutchman who he is currently ranked 9th on FourFourTwo magazine’s list of the world’s best managershe will be hoping to achieve what Brendan Rodgers, Rafa Benitez and Roy Evans failed to achieve.
Liverpool are not the only team to have failed to win the league despite their Christmas success – just 50 per cent of the titles went to the team on top on Christmas Day. Eight times the top team have finished second at Christmas – 25% of the time – with Arsenal doing so in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.
Arsenal fans shouldn’t give up hope though, as all three of their Premier League wins have come while overtaking teams in the second half of the season.
Similarly, Manchester City, despite winning just eight of their first 16 games, has history on their side, having topped the table just three times on Christmas Day but won the title eight times.
Chelsea they have a chance of overtaking Liverpool this weekend when the Premier League returns – if they can beat Everton and rivals Tottenham beat Liverpool. Chelsea have won the Premier League five times, each time leading by Christmas. Enzo Maresca will have to either continue this trend or try to win Chelsea their first ever league title by coming from behind.
Only twice have the best teams finished fourth – Liverpool in the 1996/97 season and NewcastleUnited in 2001/02.
But the worst-ranked finish belongs to Aston Villawho despite being at the top Christmas in the 1998/99 season it completely fell apart, finishing sixth.
