7 times Christmas table toppers failed to win the Premier League

Arsenal fans are a worried lot.

The Gunners were sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table only a week ago, but after a 2-0 defeat to West Ham at the Emirates, they find themselves in second place, two points adrift of Liverpool.

And things could go much worse for them if Manchester City win their game in hand.

For Arsenal fans, there is a general feeling of Deja Vu, as they are in the same predicament they were in last year when they mounted a surprise title charge.

What feels different about this year’s title challenge for Arsenal fans is the fact that they actually believed from the first game that their team would be competitive in the league this season and that only raised the stakes.

With this in mind, it is safe to say another failure to win the league will sting Arsenal fans harder than last year.

Christmas table toppers

In recent history, Arsenal and Liverpool have had a notorious reputation for dominating the league in the first half of the campaign, only to falter when it matters.

Typically, teams that are top of the table at Christmas win the league, but that has not always been the case.

Sports Brief now looks at the last seven teams who were top at Christmas but did not win the league.

Arsenal (2022-23)

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal tops this list as they came close to beating Manchester City to the title last year.

From the start of the season to Christmas in the 2022/23 campaign, Arsenal dropped a mere four points, a run that saw them establish a seemingly unassailable lead over City.

But the second half of the campaign saw the Cityzens produce a remarkable comeback as Pep Guardiola’s side secured a historic treble, as per the Man City official website.

Liverpool (2020-21)

A delayed start to the season saw Liverpool top the table at Christmas in the 2020/21 campaign after 14 rounds of fixtures.

But the Reds, whose biggest challengers at the time were Manchester United, slipped after festivities, going on a winless five-game run and enabling Man City to make ground.

According to Liverpool Echo, injuries ultimately proved to be the killer of Jurgen Klopp’s title dream as their defence completely fell apart in the second half of the season.

Liverpool (2018-19)

This was another Liverpool team that pushed Man City all the way in the title race.

Leading at Christmas, Jurgen Klopp’s side did little wrong in this campaign but ultimately fell short by one point at the end of the season in one of the tightest title races in recent history.

Liverpool (2013-14)

Who can forget the infamous Steven Gerrard slip?

This Liverpool side was managed by Brendan Rodgers and enjoyed the services of a prime Luis Suarez upfront.

They were weeks away from lifting the title, but Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea secured a famous 2-0 win at Anfield to completely derail Liverpool’s ambitions.

Liverpool (2008-09)

Further back in time, it is Liverpool who once again fell short of the title despite a Christmas lead.

Managed by Rafa Benitez, Liverpool started the season strong in 2008, but an inconsistent run of form at the start of the year enabled Manchester United to catch up. Sir Alex Ferguson’s United won a third title in a row.

Arsenal (2007-08)

In 2007, Arsenal were looking to replicate their last league title success in the 2003/2004 season.

The Gunners sat top at Christmas, but they collapsed dramatically in the second half of the campaign and ended up finishing in third place.

Manchester United (2003-04)
Despite United’s tendency to make late-season comebacks to win the league, they have also been guilty of ‘bottling it’.

In the first half of the 2003/2004 season, the Red Devils only lost three times, a run that saw them top the table at Christmas.

But the campaign's second half saw Ferguson’s side lose six games and draw four, a run that enabled Chelsea and eventual invincible Champions to leapfrog them.