Does the team top at Christmas usually win title?

Liverpool will observe Christmas Day apical of the Premier League array after a 6-3 triumph astatine Tottenham, pinch Southampton looking up astatine everyone other from bottommost spot.

But who sits wherever and what tin we publication into it?

And really often do teams enactment successful the cardinal slots if they inhabit them earlier Boxing Day matches?

BBC Sport has a look.

Exactly half the clip - successful 16 seasons retired of 32 - the squad apical of the Premier League array connected Christmas Day goes connected to triumph the title.

Liverpool's grounds though is much, overmuch worse than that.

This is the seventh clip the Reds person stood first connected 25 December - but their only occurrence since the top-flight's 1992 rebrand was successful 2019-20.

Liverpool person been successful this position much than anyone other successful English shot history - 21 times, winning 11 of the erstwhile 20.

On being apical astatine Christmas, leader Arne Slot said: "It tells you we are a very bully team.

"Still 3 games to spell until halfway, but we are a difficult squad to beat. If it was easy to triumph the convention past each squad would do it."

Going backmost to the Premier League era, Arsenal led the array complete Christmas for a 4th clip past play - and, for illustration the erstwhile 3 occasions, grounded to assistance the trophy.

In opposition Chelsea and Manchester City - positive one-time winners Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City - person ever won the title erstwhile they person led the battalion astatine this stage.

On 4 occasions a squad has been extracurricular the apical 4 astatine Christmas and won the title - including past season. Manchester City were 5th astatine the clip - six points down Arsenal, albeit pinch a crippled successful hand, and vanished champions for a 4th successive time.

The others to do truthful were Manchester United, having been 5th successful 1996-97, Arsenal (sixth successful 1997-98) and Pep Guardiola's City again (eighth successful 2020-21).

The apical 4 are presently Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and... Nottingham Forest.

Bournemouth, who beryllium fifth, could onshore a prize Champions League spot depending connected really English teams fare successful Europe this season.

Aston Villa are sixth and Manchester City seventh - which could beryllium the Europa and Conference League places, depending connected who wins the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

Last play only West Ham (in sixth) were successful the apical 7 astatine Christmas, but dropped retired of it, pinch Chelsea (who were 10th) taking their place.

Ipswich, Wolves and Southampton inhabit the relegation slots, pinch the second 2 very precocious changing managers.

It is rather uncommon for the relegation area to incorporate the aforesaid 3 teams astatine Christmas and connected the last time - but it did hap past season.

Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United were 18th, 19th and 20th respectively connected 25 December and 19 May.

The different seasons the bottommost 3 remained the aforesaid (albeit not needfully successful the aforesaid order) were 2001-02 (Derby, Leicester, Ipswich), 2012-13 (Wigan, QPR, Reading) and 2020-21 (Fulham, West Brom, Sheffield United).

The likelihood are akin for the bottommost squad connected Christmas Day staying up - 4 successful 32.

West Bromwich Albion (2004-05), Sunderland (2013-14), Leicester (2014-15) and Wolves (2022-23) were the 4 teams to negociate it.

Southampton are presently successful a bad situation, 8 points adrift, but who other could beryllium successful danger?

Well, 2 teams person been successful the apical 10 astatine Christmas and gone down - Norwich, who were seventh successful 1994-95, and Blackpool, who were 10th successful 2010-11.

Who occupies seventh spot now? Manchester City.