Manchester City top the Premier League table at Christmas and will feel the omens look good in their quest for back-to-back titles.
In nine of the last 12 seasons, the team No 1 on 25 December have gone on to lift the Premier League Trophy, with City doing so themselves in 2011/12 and 2017/18.
With Liverpool three points behind, and Chelsea six, City's pursuers can find their own encouragement from seasons past.
In 14 of the Premier League's 29 previous campaigns, or 48 per cent of the time, the Christmas leaders have been overtaken come the season's end.
City were the ones chasing this time last year and they became the first team in Premier League history to win the title after being as low as eighth on Christmas Day.
Eventual champions' position at Christmas
| Season | Champions | Pos | Season | Champions | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992/93 | Man Utd | 4th | 2007/08 | Man Utd | 2nd |
| 1993/94 | Man Utd | 1st | 2008/09 | Man Utd | 4th |
| 1994/95 | Blackburn | 1st | 2009/10 | Chelsea | 1st |
| 1995/96 | Man Utd | 2nd | 2010/11 | Man Utd | 1st |
| 1996/97 | Man Utd | 5th | 2011/12 | Man City | 1st |
| 1997/98 | Arsenal | 6th | 2012/13 | Man Utd | 1st |
| 1998/99 | Man Utd | 3rd | 2013/14 | Man City | 3rd |
| 1999/00 | Man Utd | 2nd | 2014/15 | Chelsea | 1st |
| 2000/01 | Man Utd | 1st | 2015/16 | Leicester | 1st |
| 2001/02 | Arsenal | 2nd | 2016/17 | Chelsea | 1st |
| 2002/03 | Man Utd | 3rd | 2017/18 | Man City | 1st |
| 2003/04 | Arsenal | 2nd | 2018/19 | Man City | 2nd |
| 2004/05 | Chelsea | 1st | 2019/20 | Liverpool | 1st |
| 2005/06 | Chelsea | 1st | 2020/21 | Man City | 8th |
| 2006/07 | Man Utd | 1st | |||
City were eight points off the top at Christmas last season, and some champions have come back from even further.
Arsenal were 13 points adrift on 25 December 1997 but battled back to win their first Premier League title.
Man City's fixtures over the turn of the year will test their ability to stay at the top.
They host Leicester City on Boxing Day and then, after a trip to Brentford on 29 December, they have back-to-back meetings with Arsenal and Chelsea.
Also in this series
Part 1: Man Utd top of the tree for Christmas form
Part 2: Kane targets Boxing Day scoring records
