Top and bottom at Christmas - what does it mean?

What’s Happening

Let’s talk about As we approach the halfway point of the season, what do the ghosts of Christmas past tell us about the Premier League title race and relegation battle?

Top and bottom at Christmas - what does it mean? Image source, Image caption, Arsenal, left, are top of the Premier League while Wolves, right, are bottom By Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician Published 1 hour ago Arsenal will spend Christmas Day on top of the Premier League tree this year, while Wolves , Burnley and West Ham are hanging precariously on the bottom branches. (plot twist fr)

The title race The team that is top of the Premier League on Christmas Day has gone on to win the title in 17 of the previous 33 seasons – basically a flip of a chocolate coin.

The Details

But, Arsenal themselves have a much bleaker record as theyve been top at Christmas four times before but have never gone on to lift the trophy. The Gunners had only been top at this stage twice before Mikel Arteta took charge, but this is the third time in four seasons that they sit top of the tree at Christmas.

Their the fandom will hope that the wisdom Artetas men have received in seasons past will see them finally hold off Manchester City and deliver the gift theyve been wishing for since 2004. “Youd like to think that through all the experiences that Arsenal have had being top at Christmas, they can understand the mistakes made in the back half of some seasons that stopped them from winning the title,” former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha told Football Focus.

Why This Matters

There isnt a lot of room for error though as Arsenal have a slender lead of just two points, while the average lead top on Christmas Day is four points. In fact, the only table-toppers at Christmas to have a smaller lead than Arsenal in the last 12 seasons were the Gunners themselves two years ago. But while a two-point lead isnt much, history suggests it might be enough.

Sports analysts are already debating what this means for the competition.

The Bottom Line

But while a two-point lead isnt much, history suggests it might be enough.

Thoughts? Drop them below.