During the past 19 seasons of Premier League football in England, it was only on eight occasions that the table toppers on the morrow of Christmas Day went on to finish as champions at the end of the campaign.
Data below shows that on 11 occasions, the Boxing Day leaders failed to win the title.
1992-93: Norwich City third – champions Manchester United.
1993-94: Man. United – champions.
1994-95: Blackburn – champions.
1995-96: Newcastle runners-up – champions Man. United.
1996-97: Liverpool fourth – champions Manchester United.
1997-98: Man. United runners-up – champions Arsenal.
1998-99: Chelsea third – champions Manchester United.
1999-00: Leeds third – champions Manchester United.
2000-01: Man. United – champions.
2001-02: Newcastle United fourth – champions Arsenal.
2002-03: Arsenal runners-up – champions Man. United.
2003-04: Man. United third – champions Arsenal.
2004-05: Chelsea − champions.
2005-06: Chelsea − champions.
2006-07: Man. United − champions.
2007-08: Man. United − champions.
2008-09: Liverpool runners-up – Manchester United.
2009-10: Man. United runners-up – champions Chelsea.
The freezing conditions that hit the United Kingdom in the past few weeks decimated the fixture schedule.
Now, there is a general consensus that the Premier League should enforce its rules on clubs’ ground requirements as in the past fortnight Blackpool had three matches called off. Their Bloomfield Road Stadium does not have an undersoil heating system.
On Monday night, the London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea saw the Gunners produced scintillating football to beat the Blues 3-1.
Although Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has stated that Chelsea and Arsenal were the Red Devils’ major championship challengers, critics are also of the opinion that Manchester City are in the race for the title.
In midweek, Chelsea toppled Bolton at Stamford Bridge and tomorrow afternoon they remain at home to entertain erratic Aston Villa.
Villa manager Gerard Houllier might be ruing his return to English football after his team’s poor run of form of late.
Arsenal’s title ambitions suffered a blow on Wednesday when they could only manage a 2-2 draw at Wigan. Today, the Londoners play away at Birmingham.
Leaders Manchester United, after their 1-1 at Birmingham on Tuesday, remain in the Midlands today when they play guests to West Brom at the Hawthorns.
In all the four occasions that these two teams met in the Premier League at the Hawthorns, United held their heads high, including a 5-0 rout on January 1, 2009.
Man. City maintained their positive momentum as they followed up their impressive victory at Newcastle with another three points, this time at home to Aston Villa.
The Citizens will now tackle Blackpool at home. The Eastlands fans should be glad at the way the side improved lately even if Roberto Mancini uttered that some of the side’s outcomes had left him baffled.
Tottenham have been playing with so much vigour lately. Rafael van der Vaart will surely go down as the capture of the season, a master stroke by manager Harry Redknapp.
The Dutchman is a midfield dynamo who never ceases and his finishing is second to none from this position. After overcoming Newcastle at White Hart Lane 2-0 Spurs will remain in front of their fans in the London derby against Fulham.
Last October, Tottenham beat Fulham at Craven Cottage 2-1. Yet, the Cottagers this week have earned their first away win, at Stoke.
Liverpool had another day at the sea with a 0-1 defeat to Wolves at Anfield. This afternoon they host in-form Bolton at Anfield.
After the dismissal of Rafael Benitez as Inter coach, the Reds fans have great hopes that the Spaniard will return to Anfield to replace Roy Hodgson.
Fixtures and forecast
Premier League
Birmingham-Arsenal (18:30) - 2
Liverpool-Bolton - 1
Man. City-Blackpool - 1
Stoke-Everton - X
Sunderland-Blackburn - 1
Tottenham-Fulham - 1
West Brom-Man. Utd (13:45) - 2
West Ham-Wolves - X
Tomorrow:
Chelsea-Aston Villa (14:30) - 1
Wigan-Newcastle (17:00) - X
Standings: Man. United, Man. City 38; Arsenal 36; Chelsea 34; Tottenham 33; Bolton 29; Sunderland 27; Blackpool, Blackburn 25; Stoke 24; Everton, Liverpool, Newcastle, West Brom 22; Aston Villa, Wigan 20; Birmingham, Fulham 19; Wolves 18; West Ham 17.
The Championship
Bristol City-Cardiff - X
Burnley-Sheff. Utd - 1
Coventry-Ipswich - X
Doncaster-Scunthorpe - 1
Hull-Leicester - X
Leeds-Middlesbrough (14:00) - 1
Millwall-Crystal Palace (14:30) - 1
Norwich-QPR - X
Nott’m Forest-Barnsley - 1
Preston-Derby - X
Swansea-Reading - X
Watford-Portsmouth (18:20) - 1
League One
Brentford-Dagenham - 1
Brighton-Leyton Orient (14:00) - 1
Carlisle-Huddersfield - X
Colchester-Charlton - X
Hartlepool-Oldham - 1
MK Dons-Bristol Rovers - 1
Plymouth-Yeovil - 1
Rochdale-Tranmere - 1
Southampton-Exeter - 1
Swindon-Bournemouth - X
Walsall-Notts County - X
League Two
Barnet-Aldershot - X
Burton Albion-Shrewsbury - X
Bury-Macclesfield - 1
Cheltenham-Wycombe - X
Chesterfield-Stockport - 1
Crewe-Northampton - 1
Gillingham-Stevenage - X
Hereford-Torquay - 2
Lincoln City-Bradford - X
Morecambe-Accrington Stanley - 1
Oxford Utd-Southend - 1
Rotherham-Port Vale - X
Hot four
Liverpool, Manchester City, Sunderland, Tottenham.