The Boxing Day programme on Saturday will turn the spotlight on Midlands pride Aston Villa, the only side in the Premiership to collect all points from the three Yuletide matches so far after wins over Manchester United (1-0 away), Sunderland (away 2-0) and Stoke City (home 1-0).
The Villans will be looking to maintain their surge up the table by beating Arsenal on Sunday. Both teams are currently joint third in the standings.
Martin O'Neill's Villa have won all their outings this month, including the League Cup quarter-final at Portsmouth. In four straight wins in the league, Villa have not conceded a goal. Indeed, Villa have lost just once in their last 14 league and cup matches (at West Ham 1-2).
O'Neill received another boost last week with the news that central defender Curtis Davies will return next month following surgery on a dislocated shoulder.
Arsenal have also become championship material after taking 10 points from the last four matches.
The Gunners are also in the last 16 of the Champions League. Arsene Wenger was happy to watch his side overpower Hull 3-0.
Villa are buoyed by their recent record at Arsenal's lair in the Premier League. They have not lost in three matches − drew once and won twice. Last season, Villa won 2-0.
On Saturday, league leaders Chelsea will be away to in-form Birmingham.
Chelsea have drawn once and won two in their last three matches.
In another battle of the Blues this season, Carlo Ancelotti's side can't forfeit more points in matches they are expected to win as they did at West Ham. Chelsea have won once in their past four league outings.
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish was happy with the point the Brummies gained at Everton to leapfrog Liverpool into seventh place. Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard showed real nerve against West Ham after he had to take the penalty three times to draw the teams level.
Meanwhile, Manchester United continued to misfire after they went down 0-3 at Fulham to fall four points behind Chelsea.
The Red Devils' back four looks fragile without goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, West Brown, Jonny Evans and Johnny O'Shea.
United dropped six precious points in their last three games and that is surely not championship stuff. They start favourites to beat Hull on Sunday but Alex Ferguson must surely enter the market to keep his team in the race for the crown.
Harry Redknapp's Tottenham must show more consistency to claim a place in the top four.
On Boxing Day, the Spurs will play in their fourth London derby of the season at Fulham. In their previous three derbies Spurs triumphed at West Ham 2-1 but lost away to Chelsea 0-3 and Arsenal 0-3.
The Cottagers have now gone on a sequence of seven league and cup matches without defeat and are unbeaten at home in nine.
This week, another Italian coach, Roberto Mancini (ex-Inter), jumped on the Premier League bandwagon, joining compatriots Gianfranco Zola and Ancelotti, after he took over from Mark Hughes at Manchester City.
Mancini, who has been learning English for more than a year now, will make his debut for the Blues at the City of Manchester Stadium against Stoke on Saturday.
Hughes, who spent over £250 million at City, felt he had been stabbed in the back by the Dubai millionaires as he was not given enough time to complete his job.
Mick McCarthy, of Wolves, was over the moon after his side beat Burnley to silence the critics who condemned his decision to field a reserves side at Manchester United the week before.
On Saturday, the Wanderers travel to Anfield to play Liverpool who are watching other unfashionable sides go past them in the race for the top four. Their loss at Portsmouth was the seventh of the season.
Mid-table Sunderland will combat Everton at the Stadium of Light, keen to record a win after five negative outings.
The Toffees have also been playing poorly as they are without a win in six and having drawn their last three league matches.
Burnley are moving closer to the drop zone, now only three points adrift. On Saturday, they host fellow strugglers Bolton at Turf Moor with high hopes of another positive result in front of their own fans.
Two sides fighting it against demotion, West Ham and Portsmouth, earned valuable points in their last outing − the Hammers a home draw against leaders Chelsea and Pompey sunk Liverpool at Fratton Park.
On the only four Premier League occasions the two sides met at Upton Park, the south coast team are undefeated. Portsmouth have three wins to show and a draw.