A number of significance is positioned on a workforce ending the yr on the prime of the Premier League desk.
No trophies are handed out in December however the psychological benefit it offers golf equipment scrapping it out on the prime is known in England. Nonetheless, not each aspect is ready to convert its half-season dominance into league silverware come the top of the marketing campaign. Actually, generally it could all go horribly fallacious within the new yr.
So who’re the groups who’ve shunned getting too caught into large Christmas dinners to attain their title goals after being prime on the finish of the yr, and who could not shake off their hangovers and ended up slipping down the desk?
This is each workforce to complete a Premier League yr on the prime of the tree.
On 16 events, the Premier League leaders on December 25 have gone on to win the title. Manchester United and Chelsea are essentially the most profitable converters with 5 apiece. The Blues specifically have a 100% file of being prime on Christmas Day and taking house the championship, final doing so in 2016/17.
In 2022/23, it was Arsenal who sat on the prime of the pile. The scheduling of the 2022 World Cup means they’ve the unusual quirk of attaining that feat in mid-November, however Mikel Arteta’s troops could not maintain off a resurgent Manchester Metropolis who rapidly wakened and overpowered their rivals.
It is a trick Pep Guardiola has repeated regularly throughout his time in England. In 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21, Liverpool led however solely in 2019/20 did they handle to see the job by. In each 2017/18 and 2021/22, no workforce might displace the Cityzens from their primary rating.
Man Utd have been prime of the Premier League essentially the most with seven, solely failing to go on and scoop the silverware below Sir Alex Ferguson on two events – 1997/98 and 2003/04.
Season |
High at Christmas |
The place they completed |
Title winners |
---|---|---|---|
1992/93 |
Norwich Metropolis |
third |
Manchester United |
1993/94 |
Manchester United |
1st |
Manchester United |
1994/95 |
Blackburn Rovers |
1st |
Blackburn Rovers |
1995/96 |
Newcastle United |
2nd |
Manchester United |
1996/97 |
Liverpool |
4th |
Manchester United |
1997/98 |
Manchester United |
2nd |
Arsenal |
1998/99 |
Aston Villa |
sixth |
Manchester United |
1999/00 |
Leeds United |
third |
Manchester United |
2000/01 |
Manchester United |
1st |
Manchester United |
2001/02 |
Newcastle United |
4th |
Arsenal |
2002/03 |
Arsenal |
2nd |
Manchester United |
2003/04 |
Manchester United |
third |
Arsenal |
2004/05 |
Chelsea |
1st |
Chelsea |
2005/06 |
Chelsea |
1st |
Chelsea |
2006/07 |
Manchester United |
1st |
Manchester United |
2007/08 |
Arsenal |
third |
Manchester United |
2008/09 |
Liverpool |
2nd |
Manchester United |
2009/10 |
Chelsea |
1st |
Chelsea |
2010/11 |
Manchester United |
1st |
Manchester United |
2011/12 |
Manchester Metropolis |
1st |
Manchester Metropolis |
2012/13 |
Manchester United |
1st |
Manchester United |
2013/14 |
Liverpool |
2nd |
Manchester Metropolis |
2014/15 |
Chelsea |
1st |
Chelsea |
2015/16 |
Leicester Metropolis |
1st |
Leicester Metropolis |
2016/17 |
Chelsea |
1st |
Chelsea |
2017/18 |
Manchester Metropolis |
1st |
Manchester Metropolis |
2018/19 |
Liverpool |
2nd |
Manchester Metropolis |
2019/20 |
Liverpool |
1st |
Liverpool |
2020/21 |
Liverpool |
third |
Manchester Metropolis |
2021/22 |
Manchester Metropolis |
1st |
Manchester Metropolis |
2022/23 |
Arsenal |
2nd |
Manchester Metropolis |
Shock winners Blackburn Rovers and Leicester Metropolis each sat in first place of their historic 1994/95 and 2015/16 campaigns respectively. Nonetheless, issues aren’t at all times rosy in terms of being prime on Christmas Day.
Arsenal have confirmed to be simpler looking different groups in Premier League title races versus sustaining a lead. The Gunners have led the English prime flight at Christmas in its present guise on three earlier events however every time had been unable to show their dominance into winners’ medals.
Aston Villa suffered a horrific drop-off after an impressed begin to 1998/99. Issues went terribly with 1999 proving to be a actuality test of a yr – the Villans might solely win two of their remaining 14 video games and ended up ending sixth, 24 factors behind champions Man Utd.
Newcastle regarded set so as to add to their 4 league titles in 1995/96, boasting a ten-point benefit heading into Christmas. That lead would later improve to 12, however Kevin Keegan could not keep away from Sir Alex’s thoughts video games – even along with his well-known rant – and the Magpies ended up coming second to the Purple Devils.
Soccer, in fact, was not invented in 1992, the yr the Premier League was based. League soccer in England has been occurring a little bit longer.
It is Liverpool who’ve led at Christmas most frequently in English Soccer League historical past, being perched on the summit on a whopping 20 events. Man Utd are ranked second with 18, final doing so in 2013, with Arsenal and Everton tied for third with 9 every.
Man Metropolis’s relative lack of success within the olden days in comparison with the trendy behemoth they’ve develop into means they’ve solely been prime on 25 December six occasions – they will not add to that tally in 2023 following a harmful run of 1 win in six video games.
Group |
Quantity |
Final prime |
---|---|---|
Liverpool |
20 |
2021 |
Manchester United |
18 |
2013 |
Arsenal |
9 |
2023 |
Everton |
9 |
1970 |
Manchester Metropolis |
6 |
2022 |
Aston Villa |
5 |
1999 |
Chelsea |
5 |
2017 |
Newcastle United |
5 |
2002 |
Sunderland |
5 |
1937 |
Wolves |
5 |
1958 |