“December in English football is the hardest month ever,” former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said more than once.
“Go through it and get results,” it read Premier League wise advice from a winner for the holiday season, “then keep your head up and keep going.”
The flurry of games either side of Christmas has taken away countless early players over the years, points have been lost and players lost to injury. This year’s flagship package has been hit again, with all three ArsenalLiverpool and Chelsea fail to record perfect records in this period.
As always, some got through the festive fixture list more easily than others.
Only two clubs won all four Premier League games between mid-December and the first week of January; Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
Not only do Forest boast an unblemished record, they haven’t conceded a goal since December 14th. Nuna Espirito Santo’s Imperial side wrapped up a perfect Christmas spell with a huge 3-0 win over their former employers Wolves on Monday night. That sweet triumph was also the 50th anniversary of Brian Clough’s appointment at the City Ground – but Forest’s current run of six consecutive top-flight wins in a single season was a feat that even Nunn’s legendary predecessor had never achieved.
Newcastle scored just one goal, beating Ipswich Town, Aston Villa and Manchester United before coming behind against Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend.
|
Rank |
Team |
Points |
|---|---|---|
|
1. |
Newcastle |
12 |
|
2. |
Nottingham Forest |
12 |
|
3. |
Liverpool |
10 |
|
4. |
Arsenal |
10 |
|
5. |
Bournemouth |
8 |
|
6. |
Manchester City |
7 |
|
7. |
Wolves |
7 |
|
8. |
Aston Villa |
7 |
|
9. |
Fulham |
6 |
|
10. |
The Crystal Palace |
5 |
|
11. |
Brentford |
4 |
|
12. |
Brighton |
4 |
|
13. |
Ipswich |
4 |
|
14. |
West Ham |
4 |
|
15. |
Chelsea |
2 |
|
16. |
Everton |
2 |
|
17. |
Tottenham |
1 |
|
18. |
Man Utd |
1 |
|
19. |
Southampton |
1 |
|
20. |
Leicester |
0 |
LiverpoolThe lead at the top of the Premier League remains as healthy as it was before the winter period despite drew 2-2 with United on Sunday. Arsenal he could not capitalize on Arne Slot’s rare slip as the injury-hit Gunners were held deadlock with Brighton.
Tottenham and Manchester United they are at the opposite end of the pattern table. Two members of the traditional elite managed to collect as many points as possible as the bottom Southampton – one. Chelsea didn’t fare much better, collecting a couple of draws and defeats during a theoretically easy schedule against Everton (16th in the table), Fulham (ninth), Ipswich (18th), Crystal Palace (15th).
The only club that failed to collect a single point in this period is Leicester City. With new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy a distant memory, the Foxes have shipped ten goals and 54 shots in four games. The Dutch manager’s decision to change goalkeepers midway through the season, dropping veteran Danny Ward for debutant Jakub Stolarczyk, did not pay off.
Leicester’s results may have been as bad as the weather, but they tested Liverpool and delivered Manchester City an almighty fear. Pep Guardiola’s side have slowed their dangerous slide of late, picking up back-to-back wins against the Foxes and West Ham that were cathartic but not entirely convincing.
Yet, as Klopp was only too keen to point out, festive football in England is more about points than performance.
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