Chelsea will top the Premier League table on Christmas Day largely thanks to an 11-game winning streak which stretches back to the beginning of October. Antonio Conte’s side have amassed 43 points – seven more than Manchester City, their nearest challengers in second, and on this form it is difficult to see where they will slip up as they look to win the title.
Being top of the pile at Christmas certainly represents a huge psychological advantage and teams, in recent years, have usually gone on to finish there come May, with six of the last seven titles being won by the team who are top on the big day. But Conte will no doubt warn his players not to become complacent as, sometimes, the pressure of leading has taken its toll.
1995-96: Newcastle United (45 points), finished second (78pts)
Newcastle’s famous “Entertainers” side held a ten-point lead at Christmas but blew it thanks to some crucial and damaging defeats. The drama prompted Kevin Keegan’s infamous “I’d love it if we beat them” rant as Manchester United claimed the title.
1996-97: Liverpool (38pts), finished fourth (68pts)
Liverpool ended up missing out on the title by seven points to United, with their 75 points remaining the fewest ever needed to win a league title.
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1997-98: Manchester United (43pts), finished second (77pts)
United led eventual winners Arsenal by 13 points on Christmas Day but the north London club won ten games in a row between March and May to win the title with two games to spare in Arsène Wenger’s first full season. Not a bad result for the relatively unknown Wenger, who had been managing Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight before moving to Arsenal.
1998-99: Aston Villa (36pts), finished sixth (55pts)
United went unbeaten from Christmas to the end of the season to take the title in their treble-winning campaign. Villa, on the other hand, could only muster 19 points from their remaining 20 games. Although the club’s fans would surely take that now!
1999-00: Leeds United (41pts), finished third (69pts)
Dwight Yorke scored 20 league goals as United defended their title, winning the league by a massive 18 points.
2000-01: Manchester United (43pts), finished first (80pts)
Perhaps unsurprisingly (it was a familiar theme at this point), United won their third successive league title. In doing so, they became the first team since Blackburn in the 1994-95 season to win the Premier League after being top at Christmas.
2001-02: Newcastle United (36pts), finished fourth (71pts)
Newcastle had impressed this season but Robert Pires, the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year, and Golden Boot winner Thierry Henry eventually fired Arsenal to the first leg of their league and FA Cup double in Tony Adams’ final season before retirement.
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2002-03: Arsenal (39pts), finished second (78pts)
Arsenal blew an eight point lead as United won 15 of their last 19 games to regain the title. The season was a disappointing one for Arsenal fans but, little did they know, something special was on the horizon.
2003-04: Manchester United (40pts), finished third (75pts)
Arsenal’s “invincibles” became the first team since Preston North End in the 1888-89 season to go an entire English top flight season unbeaten, winning the title by 11 points. It is a feat that no team has repeated since.
2004-05: Chelsea (43pts), finished first (95pts)
In José Mourinho’s debut season, Chelsea won their first league title in 50 years, setting new records for most points, most wins and most clean sheets in the process. Mourinho did say he was the “special one”, after all.
2005-06: Chelsea (46pts), finished first (91pts)
Mourinho’s men successfully defended their title in the club’s centenary year, winning the league by eight points despite losing their final two fixtures.
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2006-07: Manchester United (47pts), finished first (89pts)
For the third year in a row, the team top at Christmas went on to be crowned champions, as Sir Alex Ferguson ‘s side stopped Chelsea’s bid for a hat-trick of titles.
2007-08: Arsenal (43pts), finished third (83pts)
Wenger’s youthful side capitulated after Eduardo’s leg-break and United took full advantage as Cristiano Ronaldo scored 42 times in all competitions to secure a league and Champions League double for his side.
2008-09: Liverpool (39pts), finished second (86pts)
United became the first team to win three consecutive top-flight titles on two separate occasions, with Ronaldo again topping the scoring charts. Unfortunately for Liverpool, it was a case of close, but not close enough.
2009-10: Chelsea (41pts), finished first (85pts)
The trophy returned to Stamford Bridge as Chelsea pipped United to the post by a single point en route to securing their first ever league and FA Cup double.
2010-11: Manchester United (34pts), finished first (80pts)
United dropped just two points at home all season to win the title by nine points in the year that Ferguson became the club’s longest serving manager.
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2011-12: Manchester City (44pts), finished first (89pts)
Agüero! City became the first team to win a league title on goal difference as Sergio Agüero’s stoppage time winner against Queens Park Rangers on the final day secured the trophy in arguably the most dramatic finish to a Premier League season ever.
2012-13: Manchester United (43pts), finished first (89pts)
The signing of Robin van Persie from rivals Arsenal proved decisive as the Dutchman struck 26 times in the league to lead United to a comfortable 11-point victory.
2013-14: Liverpool (36pts), finished second (84pts)
Just two points separated the top five at Christmas and it proved to be a season of fine margins, with Liverpool leading the way until a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea and a 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace allowed City to claim the trophy.
2014-15: Chelsea (42pts), finished first (87pts)
Summer signings Diego Costa and Cesc Fàbregas lit up the Premier League as Chelsea lost just once prior to Christmas, before a series of one-goal victories in the New Year secured the title.
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2015-16: Leicester City (38pts), finished first (81pts)
When Leicester claimed top spot at Christmas, few gave them a chance of staying there. But, with important contributions from the likes of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, that’s exactly what they did, securing a remarkable and unlikely title triumph.