Every Premier League team top at Christmas as Arsenal bid to join champions
Arsenal will head into Christmas Day top of the Premier League table for the second season running following their 1-1 draw against Liverpool on Saturday.
After Aston Villa failed to beat Sheffield United, the Gunners needed just a point to secure their place at the summit for Christmas - and they got exactly what they needed. Gabriel gave Arsenal the perfect start at Anfield to put Mikel Arteta's side in dreamland. However, Liverpool equalised through Mohamed Salah to earn a share of the spoils, though Trent Alexander-Arnold missed a golden chance to win them the game.
If Liverpool had won, they would have sat at the top of the table heading into Christmas, but instead they sit second, one point behind the leaders. The Gunners have won 12 of their 18 top flight matches, picking up 40 points and will fancy their chances of claiming their first title in 20 years.
This isn't the first time Arsenal have been top at Christmas. Most recently, the Gunners were flying high at the summit prior to the World Cup in Qatar last season and sat at the top of the table after 14 matches. But Arteta's side, who were five points ahead of Manchester City on December 25 last year, ended up falling short as Pep Guardiola's men won their third successive Premier League crown.
Before that, City were top at Christmas during the 2021/22 season and eventually went on to win the title on the final day despite being pushed all the way by Liverpool. City also won the title in the 2020/21 campaign, though it was Liverpool who were top at Christmas in that season.
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Mikel Arteta's Arsenal will head into Christmas Day at the top of the Premier League table (Getty Images)However, the team that is top at Christmas usually goes on to win the Premier League. In 10 of the last 14 seasons, the side no.1 on December 25 has gone on to enjoy Premier League title success, while since the revamped version of the top flight was introduced in 1992, the Christmas Day table-toppers have won the title in 16 of the 32 years.
Winning the title after being top at Christmas is a common theme, but Liverpool have had the worst success record of going all the way after being at the summit on December 25. In fact, the Reds have failed to lift the Premier League trophy FIVE times after being top at Christmas. They have won the title just once - which came during the 2019/20 season where they truly dominated the division.
Chelsea have the won title the most times after being top at Christmas (five), with Manchester United second on four, though their last top-flight title came back in 2012/13. As for Arsenal, they will be aiming to go one better compared to last season's second-place finish.
Christmas leaders and Premier League title winners
Season - Top at Christmas - Title winners
1992/93 - Norwich - Man Utd
1993/94 - Man Utd - Man Utd
1994/95 - Blackburn - Blackburn
1995/96 - Newcastle - Man Utd
1996/97 - Liverpool - Man Utd
1997/98 - Man Utd - Arsenal
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1998/99 - Aston Villa - Man Utd
1999/00 - Leeds - Man Utd
2000/01 - Man Utd - Man Utd
2001/02 - Newcastle - Arsenal
2002/03 - Arsenal - Man Utd
2003/04 - Man Utd - Arsenal
2004/05 - Chelsea - Chelsea
2005/06 - Chelsea - Chelsea
2006/07 - Man Utd - Man Utd
2007/08 - Arsenal - Man Utd
2008/09 - Liverpool - Man Utd
2009/10 - Chelsea - Chelsea
2010/11 - Man Utd - Man Utd
2011/12 - Man City - Man City
2012/13 - Man City - Man Utd
2013/14 - Liverpool - Man City
2014/15 - Chelsea - Chelsea
2015/16 - Leicester - Leicester
2016/17 - Chelsea - Chelsea
2017/18 - Man City - Man City
2018/19 - Liverpool - Man City
2019/20 - Liverpool - Liverpool
2020/21 - Liverpool - Man City
2021/22 - Man City - Man City
2022/23 - Arsenal - Man City
2023/24 - Arsenal - ?
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