With a little more than half the season to go, Liverpool find themselves perched on top of the Premier League table, with Manchester City hot on their heels.
The Reds have gathered 48 points in 18 games, bagging at least one point in every game as they boast an impressive unbeaten record. Champions City are four points behind the league leaders, with a game in hand at the time of writing.
This means that regardless of the outcome from City’s tie against Crystal Palace, Liverpool will be heading into Christmas Day as league leaders.
There will certainly be a lot of festive cheer on Merseyside this year. However, there is a particular stat that Liverpool fans would probably be better off not knowing about.
3 - Liverpool have topped the Premier League on Christmas Day without going on to win the title more times than any other side in the competition's history (3 times). Chalice.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 21, 2018
In eight of the last nine Premier League seasons, the team atop the standings on December 25 have gone on to hoist the title. Liverpool though have topped the Premier League on Christmas Day without going on to win the title more times than any other side in the competition’s history (three).
The only time in the last nine years that the team top at Christmas failed to go on and win the league was in 2013/14. That team? None other than Liverpool.
The Reds have a chance to win their first league title since 1989/90, with only defending champions City at the moment providing a realistic threat to the throne. But they will be hoping that history does not repeat itself as they attempt to win the first trophy of the Jurgen Klopp era.
They also failed to become champions in 2008/09 when a scintillating midfield trio of Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso were supplying the lethal Fernando Torres.
The Spice Boys were also left with a bad taste in their mouths at the end of the 1996/97 campaign – one that began with so much excitement following the emergence of Michael Owen alongside Robbie Fowler.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle have all found themselves top at Christmas, only to be pushed off by season’s end, on two occasions.
Last 10 Premier League leaders at Christmas:
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 21, 2018
—Chelsea 🏆
—Manchester United 🏆
—Manchester City 🏆
—Manchester United 🏆
—Liverpool ❌
—Chelsea 🏆
—Leicester City 🏆
—Chelsea 🏆
—Manchester City 🏆
—Liverpool ❓ pic.twitter.com/sG9WRbYdMb
Klopp knows the margin of error is incredibly tiny, given how City have asserted their dominance this season bar the one defeat that came against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The top two were involved in a goalless draw when they met at Anfield earlier this season and the return leg at the Etihad on January 3 could already prove to be a title decider.
Liverpool will be on top of the table on Christmas day, but they have a tough task ahead of them if they are to stay there during a hectic festive period and heading into 2019 and the business end of the season.
