Chelsea beware top 10 Christmas league leaders who missed the final cheer

Our top 10 Christmas leaders who turned into turkeys for the title run-in.

Congratulations to Chelsea. Following last night’s impressive win at Stoke, they are assured of top spot in the league at Christmas.

However, Chelsea fans should be wary of celebrating too much on Christmas Day. English football is littered with tales of clubs who held that same position, only for things to go south in the New Year. Here are ten recent examples.

Manchester United (1985/86)

Manchester United had come flying out of the traps, winning their first ten matches, although no one knew quite how well they were playing as there had been a blanket ban on TV coverage for the first half of the season.

Their electric start saw them nine points clear of second-placed Liverpool at the end of September, but that had been reduced to four by Christmas Day. The pressure to end the wait for the title, stretching back to 1967, was unbearable though and Ron Atkinson’s struggled after Christmas, eventually finishing fourth. Liverpool, Everton and West Ham all had a chance going into the final day but Kenny Dalglish’s goal at Chelsea secured yet more league glory for Liverpool.

Norwich (1988/89)

The pride of Norfolk were unlikely Christmas Champions this season as Norwich were two points ahead of Arsenal. Manager Dave Stringer was making the most of his limited resources, with only two defeats from their opening 17 games.

They could not last the pace in the New Year and slipped to fourth, but they did reach the FA Cup semi-finals for only the second time. The title race came down to the last kick of the last game on 26 May as Michael Thomas wrote himself into football folklore as his injury time goal gave Arsenal the title on goals scored over Liverpool, thanks to their dramatic 2-0 win at Anfield.

Norwich (1992/93)

This was the year of the first Premier League season, but despite all the glitz and razzmatazz, unfashionable Norwich were again the Christmas chart toppers, despite having a negative goal difference!

They held a four-point lead over Aston Villa, although Manchester United were ominously lurking only a point further behind.

No one really expected the Canaries to the first winners of this much hyped new competition after 42 games and so it proved.

United struck the killer blow with a decisive 3-1 win at Carrow Road in early April, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s men would eventually land the title by ten points and their first for 26 years.

Norwich had to settle for a best-ever third place and a spot in the UEFA Cup the following season.

Newcastle (1995/96)

Perhaps the most famous Christmas Champions of all. Kevin Keegan’s side had entertained everybody for the first half of this season and lunched on December 25 with a massive ten-point lead over Manchester United.

But a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford two days later was the start of things to come as the Reds slowly clawed back the advantage.

Newcastle suffered a series of heart-breaking defeats in the New Year at home to United, away at Liverpool, away at Blackburn as the title slipped from their grasp. United’s 3-0 win at Middlesbrough on the last day finally extinguished the dream, and the Premier League trophy went to the red side of Manchester, and not to the Geordie Nation.

Liverpool (1996/97)

The Spice Girls were top of the charts and the Spice Boys were top of the Premier League this Christmas. Was this going to be the season when Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler and Jamie Redknapp claimed the big prize to match their big talent? With a three-point Christmas lead over Arsenal under the new management of Frenchman Arsene Wenger, things looked good. But there was not a happy ending as thoroughbreds Manchester United came on a long run for home in the New Year. Their consistency was simply too much for Liverpool to handle, with a 3-1 win at Anfield in April proving particularly decisive. Roy Evans’ side crossed the line in fourth and could only reflect on a wasted opportunity.

Aston Villa (1998/99)

There were unlikely Christmas leaders this season in the form of Aston Villa. John Gregory’s men made a 12-match unbeaten start and maintained that form into the festive period, holding a three-point advantage over Chelsea.

But defeat at relegation threatened Blackburn on Boxing Day was an ominous sign for Villa. A catastrophic spell of one point in eight games between January and March ended their hopes emphatically and they limped home in sixth.

But it was a classic title race with Manchester United winning it by one point ahead of Arsenal on the final day on the way to their unforgettable treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

Leeds (1999/2000)

There threatened to be a power shift across the Pennines in the last Christmas of the 20th century. Leeds had a six-point cushion over Manchester United (albeit having played two games more), and David O’Leary’s ‘Babes’ looked ready to challenge the European Champions in a thrilling Premier League War of the Roses. Unfortunately, the Yorkshire club folded in the New Year, with bad news on and off the pitch, including an infamous nightclub incident involving Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate, and they failed to take advantage of United flying off to Brazil for the inaugural FIFA Club World Championship in January. A 1-0 win for United at Elland Road in February was the beginning of the end as the Reds coasted to the title by a whopping 18 points ahead of Arsenal. In a season that had promised so much, Leeds just about hung on for third, a massive 22 points behind the Champions.

Newcastle (20001/02)

Bobby Robson had rebuilt Newcastle United in the two years he had been in charge. Bottom when he took over in 1999, Christmas 2001 would be their high point with a three-point cushion over Liverpool and Arsenal.

Dramatic away wins at Highbury and Elland Road in the week before secured top spot on Christmas Day, but only six points separated the top six. Newcastle were not ready to challenge for the title but they would eventually finish fourth and still qualify for a Champions League spot the following season. The title turned was decided by a clash between Arsenal and Manchester United, and the Gunners’ victory at Old Trafford in May secured a famous league and cup double.

Arsenal (2007/08)

Most of the ‘Invincibles’ from their incredible unbeaten season of 2003/04 had by this stage left Arsenal. No Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and plenty more.

But Arsene Wenger was building a new young team around the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor and they looked ready to blossom.

They held a one-point lead at Christmas after a terrific start to the campaign, going 15 games unbeaten. But they couldn’t hold their nerve in the run-in, as they dropped points famously at Birmingham and lost leads in crucial games at rivals Chelsea and Manchester United. They could manage no better than third as United pipped the West Londoners to another title on the final day.

To this day, Arsenal are still waiting to add to their last Premier League crown from 2004.

Liverpool (2008/09)

Was this going to be the year that Liverpool brought the title back to Anfield after a 19-year wait? Things were looking good for Rafa Benitez and his team as they had a one-point lead at Christmas over Chelsea. However, Manchester United were seven points behind, having flown to Japan to become World Club Champions.

This title race will be remembered for ‘Rafa’s Rant’ a carefully written document he produced at a pre-match press conference on 9 January, citing how United were favoured above everyone else.

It didn’t do him or his players any favours as Sir Alex Ferguson turned the screw on the field with a run of 11 straight wins from his side that ultimately broke Liverpool’s challenge.

The cold hard ‘facts’ of the campaign show United as Champions, while the Merseysiders’ wait goes on.