What happened to the last side top of the Premier League at Christmas?
By Euan Burns
Being top of the Premier League table at Christmas may not mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but it has often felt like the first achievement a team can make in the season before the silverware starts to get dished out.
History has started to show that being top at Christmas is more than just a gimmicky achievement, though, it is a reliable indicator as to who will be at the top when the final games are played in May.
Here is a look at the precedent that has been set by teams being at the top of the Premier League when Christmas comes around.
Who was top of the Premier League at Christmas in 2021?
Manchester City were the team at the top of the tree during Christmas in 2021 and they went on to win the league. They didn't win it at a canter though, as they only beat Liverpool by a single point and it took some serious drama on the final day of the season to ensure the win.
Being top at Christmas is by no means a guarantee of overall success, but it certainly bodes well. Eight out of the last 11 Christmas table-toppers have gone on to win the league, with the team that bucks the trend mostly being Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp's side have been top at Christmas four times in recent years (one of which was under Brendan Rogers) but they have only managed to bring it home once. Teams such as Manchester United, City on multiple occasions, Chelsea and Leicester City have made their dominance at Christmas last and have gone on to win the title.
Who is top at Christmas in 2022?
For the first time in many years, Arsenal are the team at the top of the table during Christmas and it's fair to say fans are excited.
The Gunners made a wonderful start to the campaign and are winning tough games while still playing attractive football with a core of exciting young players. Given it is a set of players that have not been in this position together before, it feels like there is more of a chance for this one to go against the recent trend.
Arsenal's lead at the top is five points over Manchester City but the fact that it is City doing the chasing means fans of Mikel Arteta's side certainly cannot start to celebrate any time soon. They have got another 24 games to play which is well over half of the season, and the fixture list is about to get extremely congested.
The Gunners have also got some very tough games coming up after the Christmas break and they will be without Gabriel Jesus who is recovering from a very serious injury.
Arsenal's next four league games
- Arsenal vs West Ham United (26/12/22)
- Brighton vs Arsenal (31/12/22)
- Arsenal vs Newcastle United (03/01/23)
- Tottenham vs Arsenal (15/01/23)
The good news for Arsenal is that City have also got some big games coming up where there is certainly the potential for some dropped points, meaning Arsenal could even extend their lead in December and January if they play their cards right.
Man City's next four league games
- Leeds United vs Man City (28/12/22)
- Man City vs Everton (31/12/22)
- Chelsea vs Man City (05/01/23)
- Man Utd vs Man City (14/01/23)