A high-stakes batch of festive fixtures awaits the Premier League’s teams, many of them in the hunt for much-needed points as they approach the business end of the campaign.Arsenal remain the oddsmakers’ choice to win the title and Manchester City have provided a real challenge so far, but unpredictability has been the theme of the season so far. This season has had its fair share of surprises, from Sunderland’s rise up the table to Liverpool’s fall from grace a few short months after winning the Premier League title. This weekend’s action was no exception – the Reds were unimpressive despite beating Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, while Aston Villa stayed in third place as Morgan Rogers’ individual brilliance led them to a 2-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday despite the Red Devils’ impressive turnaround this season.Christmas, as a result, serves as a fascinating check-in on each of the top flight’s 20 teams as a competitive race for the title and top four spots – and as the top relegation contenders take on the uphill battle of escaping the bottom three. Here’s a look at how each team has fared so far this season before the Premier League’s busy holiday stretch.1. Arsenal (39 points)Arsenal have become regular contenders in recent years but things really seem to be trending in the right direction this time around and heading into Christmas, they remain the team to beat. The difference this season seems to be their deep squad, which has allowed the team to withstand injury issues and Viktor Gyokeres’ underwhelming start to life in the Premier League. A two point gap may make Manchester City a little too close for comfort but there are few complaints to make about the Gunners’ work so far, their strong start to the campaign is undeniable. Grade: A
2. Manchester City (37 points)Manchester City very clearly entered the season in rebuild mode, a natural result of the previous campaign’s slide to third place after winning four successive titles. They have been obviously imperfect and appear overly reliant on Erling Haaland and yet … they have thrust themselves into the title race. It may feel a little bit like a fluke, which raises a ton of questions about whether or not they can keep this up, but they deserve credit for finding a way to win time and time again, no matter how unlikely those victories have seemed. This grade, though, should not be confused for a…
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2025-12-21 21:32:55
