Southampton were top of the tree over the Christmas and new year programme, taking 10 points from their four Premier League games to pip Manchester City to the seasonal crown.

Ronald Koeman’s men maintained their surprise Champions League challenge, taking four points from Chelsea and Arsenal in their last two matches to edge out City by a single goal.

Southampton were 40-1 to top the Christmas mini-league with bookmaker Paddy Power and their record owed plenty to the form of Sadio Mane, who contributed three goals, including strikes against the Blues and the Gunners.

Tottenham also took 10 points from the festive fixtures, finishing with a 5-3 win over Chelsea, who had to make do with seven from 12 to see their lead at the top of the league wiped out.

Manuel Pellegrini led City to a maximum of 12 points over the same period in the 2013-14 season en route to the title, two points more than Chelsea and six more than Liverpool, who ultimately finished second.

Manchester United also took 10 points from 12 in the 2012-13 holiday programme on their way to the championship in Alex Ferguson’s final season, so it is clear good form at Christmas can be crucial come the final reckoning in May.

City had been 5/2 favourites to come out on top over the four-game period and would have done it had it not been for their second-half capitulation at home to Burnley, when they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2.

In the absence of Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko, playmaker David Silva excelled for City with four goals, the joint highest individual total along with two up-and-coming English strikers – Tottenham’s Harry Kane and QPR’s Charlie Austin.

Reds unbeaten

While Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool enjoyed an unbeaten Christmas, taking eight points, it was a miserable one for their Merseyside rivals Everton, who were the Christmas puddings after they failed to take a single point from their four games and finished behind strugglers West Brom who only managed a draw.

Indeed, Roberto Martinez may note that the two teams immediately above his side in this mini-league – Albion and Crystal Palace – both sacked their managers.

Hull were the biggest climbers of the Christmas and New Year period, rising from 19th on the morning of December 20 to 15th in the table by the end of January 1 thanks to a six-point haul.

Two teams dropped three places in the four-game period – Everton and West Brom.

Manchester City were the Christmas crackers, scoring a mini-league high 11 goals in their four games, while Newcastle, West Brom and Everton were equally generous at the back, conceding nine times.

The most Scrooge-like back line belonged to Aston Villa, who conceded just twice – but at the other end managed one meagre goal en route to three points in this particular time of the year.

Who topped the Christmas league?

Southampton (goals: 9-2) - 10
Man. City (11-5) - 10
Tottenham (9-5) - 10
Liverpool (9-5) - 8
Chelsea (8-6) - 7
Stoke City (4-3) - 7
Arsenal (6-6) - 7
Swansea City (4-5) - 7
Hull City (5-3) - 6
Man. United (5-3) - 6
QPR (5-5) - 5
West Ham United (4-5) - 4
Newcastle United (7-9) - 4
Leicester City (4-6) - 4
Sunderland (4-6) - 4
Aston Villa (1-2) - 3
Burnley (6-8) - 2
Crystal Palace (1-6) - 2
West Brom (4-9) - 1
Everton (2-9) - 0