10 Premier League groups high on Christmas and the way they fared as Arsenal lead
All Premier League managers need for Christmas is to be high of the tree once they sit down for his or her turkey.
The festive season typically represents the half-way level in each Premier League marketing campaign for these jostling for the grand prize. As was the case final 12 months, Arsenal followers had the luxurious of sitting down for presents and charades figuring out they had been on the high of the Premier League.
However, they can even know that their standing because the gleaming star within the division is not any assure they are going to be in the identical place come June. Nevertheless, as Mikel Arteta’s aspect high the Premier League on Christmas Day, Daily Star Sport considers the plights of 10 different sides who discovered themselves in the identical place.
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1992/93: Norwich City
(Image: Mirrorpix)
Christmas Day would have been an enormous celebration for the unfancied Canaries. In the Premier League’s first ever season, Norwich had been high of the tree, regardless of dropping 1-0 away to Manchester United and at dwelling to fiercest rivals Ipswich Town.
Unfortunately for the Canaries, Santa Clause didn’t reward them their earlier good type, as they went on to attract with Tottenham, Leeds United and Coventry City, whereas additionally dropping to Sheffield Wednesday of their subsequent 4 matches. It additionally didn’t assist that Manchester United discovered one other gear and went on to win the title by 12 factors, whereas the East Anglian aspect completed in third.
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1994/95 : Blackburn Rovers
(Image: Mirrorpix)
A Christmas miracle occurred when Blackburn Rovers stormed to the highest of the Premier League by profitable 13 of their first 19 matches, drawing 4 and dropping solely two. Sir Alex Ferguson’s United threatened to derail one other magical, fairytale title triumph with a ferocious end to their Premier League marketing campaign.
However, Rovers, who had been spearheaded by an unstoppable strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton, held their nerve to elevate the title by just one level.
1995/96: Newcastle United
(Image: YouTube/Sky Sports Premier League)
Kevin Keegan would have liked it when his Newcastle United aspect topped the Premier League on Christmas Day in 1996. They had amassed a ten level lead over the Red Devils and seemed to be near wrapping up the division like considered one of their presents.
Unfortunately, Ferguson’s thoughts video games received underneath the Magpies’ pores and skin as a run of 5 wins, two attracts and three losses of their final ten matches handed the Red Devils one other league title.
1996/97: Liverpool
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Liverpool needed to wait thirty years for his or her first ever Premier League title, however they thought they might go on to elevate it within the 1996/97 marketing campaign. They established a 5 level lead on the high of the desk within the Premier League and regarded impregnable at occasions.
After their lead was shrunk by, you guessed it, Manchester United, that they had the proper alternative to reclaim their area on the high in April. All they needed to do, was overcome backside of the desk Coventry City at dwelling. However, the minnows shocked the Reds, whose destiny was then sealed with additional losses to United and one away to Wimbledon. Not solely did they not win the league, they dropped all the way down to fourth spot, the place they missed out on qualification for the Champions League.
1998/99: Aston Villa
(Image: PA)
Despite promoting Dwight Yorke to Manchester United, an Aston Villa aspect bolstered by the signings of Dion Dublin and Paul Merson made an enormous assertion by topping the Premier League at Christmas, having amassed 13 wins, six attracts and 4 losses of their first 23 matches.
However, their type fell off a cliff within the New Year, as they went on to lose eight matches in 9 video games between January 23 and March 21, having began 1999 with three wins in 4 matches. Despite overcoming Southampton, Liverpool and Aston Villa, they went on to complete in sixth place, whereas United wrapped up the primary trophy of their historic Treble profitable marketing campaign.
2007/08: Arsenal
(Image: The Daily Mirror)
At the time, 4 years was an enormous drought for an Arsenal aspect who had received the Premier League as Invincibles in 2004.. When they topped the invoice on Christmas Day in 2007, many thought Arsene Wenger would lead his aspect to the Premier League.
Moreover, that they had additionally solely misplaced considered one of their first 18 matches and had additionally recorded a tally of 43 factors from a potential 54. However, they had been additionally competing in opposition to a particularly robust United and Chelsea aspect, who went on to complete above the Gunners. Despite ending the marketing campaign with a formidable 83 factors, Arsenal needed to accept third place.
2008/09: Liverpool
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
The 2008/09 marketing campaign might finest be remembered for Rafa Benitez’s ‘Facts’ rant about Ferguson. Liverpool regarded unstoppable once they went into the festive interval having recorded 11 victories, six attracts and one defeat. Unfortunately, Benitez’s rant in regards to the United boss gave the impression to be his Keegan second, because the Reds slipped up within the second half of the season.
Despite solely dropping another match, Liverpool drew too many matches firstly of the New Year. A closing run of ten victories of their final 11 matches was not sufficient for them to win the title, as United powered via and received the league with 90 factors, 4 away from the Merseysiders.
2014/15: Chelsea
(Image: PA)
Jose Mourinho amassed one of the crucial ruthless groups in Premier League historical past within the second season of his second stint at Stamford Bridge. His aspect are at the moment the one crew within the division’s historical past to high the League from the primary game-week and keep on the high till the tip of the season.
After topping the tree at Christmas, the Blues by no means regarded like they had been going to slide up, as they went on to win the title by eight factors.
2015/16: Leicester City
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Despite topping the division at Christmas, few took the 5000-1 outsiders critically. Everybody thought they might slip-up and permit considered one of Manchester City or Arsenal to overhaul them. It regarded just like the latter would when Claudio Ranieri’s aspect’s Boxing Day defeat to Liverpool and 0-0 attracts in opposition to Manchester City and Bournemouth allowed the Gunners to complete 2015 above them.
However, Leicester went on to safe big victories away to Tottenham, at dwelling to Liverpool and away to Manchester City to nail down their title credentials. Despite a loss away to Arsenal, the Foxes held their nerve to reclaim their place in first place and safe essentially the most historic Premier League title triumph in historical past.
2022/23: Arsenal
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Arsenal followers couldn’t consider what they had been seeing once they had been high of the pile at Christmas, albeit having performed so much much less video games as a result of World Cup. Nevertheless, that they had received 12 matches, drawing as soon as and narrowly dropping to Manchester United.
Despite slipping up by dropping to Everton and Manchester City, whereas additionally drawing at dwelling to Brentford, Arsenal got here roaring again with seven consecutive Premier League victories. Yet, they misplaced their nerve by drawing their subsequent three matches, earlier than dropping away to Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s aspect would go on to elevate the Premier League by 5 factors.