The Premier League delivered another dramatic weekend of action, setting the stage for a pivotal festive period in the title, top-four, and relegation battles. Arsenal maintained their grip on first place, while Tottenham's discipline crumbled at home, and Wolverhampton Wanderers edged closer to an unwanted place in history.
Arsenal's Festive Lead: A Blessing or a Curse?
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal will spend Christmas Day at the summit of the Premier League for the third time in four seasons. They secured this position with a hard-fought 1-0 victory away at Everton, courtesy of a Viktor Gyokeres penalty. This result ended a run of four Premier League away games without a win on Merseyside for the Gunners.
However, being top at Christmas has historically been a poisoned chalice for the North London club. In the four previous instances during the Premier League era that Arsenal have led on December 25th, they have failed to convert that advantage into the title. This includes the last two campaigns, where Manchester City hunted them down in both 2022/23 and 2023/24.
In fact, the last five times the Christmas leaders did not win the league, Manchester City were the eventual champions. Despite this ominous pattern, manager Mikel Arteta remains bullish. "What gives me belief and confidence is the level of performance and the consistency of that," Arteta told AFP. "That's very, very difficult to do in this league and that means that the team is constantly there." The Spaniard is hoping his side can finally end a 22-year wait for the Premier League crown.
Tottenham's Lack of Composure Costs Frank Dearly
While Tottenham showed fight in their match against Liverpool, a catastrophic lack of discipline led to a damaging 2-1 home defeat. The loss piles more pressure on manager Thomas Frank, whose position looks increasingly precarious.
The game turned on moments of madness from Spurs players. Forward Xavi Simons received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk. Later, defender Cristian Romero, who had already been booked for protesting Liverpool's second goal, was sent off in stoppage time for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate.
Frank attempted to deflect blame onto referee John Brooks for not disallowing Liverpool's second goal, but the self-inflicted damage was clear. This was the eighth red card of Romero's career, prompting scathing criticism from former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp: "To get involved right and kick out at someone right in front of the referee. If my four-year-old did that I would say 'what are you doing?'"
The result leaves Tottenham with a miserable record of just eight points from nine home league games this season; only the current bottom three have collected fewer. Frank now embodies a familiar problem for recent Tottenham managers: failing to build a team that matches the stature of the club's world-class stadium.
Wolves Stare Down Premier League Infamy
At the opposite end of the table, Wolverhampton Wanderers are not just fighting relegation—they are battling to avoid being labelled the worst team in Premier League history. A meek 2-0 home loss to Brentford on Saturday marked their 10th consecutive league defeat, a losing streak unprecedented in the club's 148-year history.
With just two points from their opening 17 matches and still without a win, Wolves are threatening the competition's lowest-ever points total of 11, set by Derby County in the 2007/08 season. They also now share the joint-lowest points tally at Christmas in Premier League history with Sheffield United (2020/21).
The mood at Molineux is one of despair and introspection. Vice-captain Matt Doherty posed a stark question to his teammates after the latest setback: "Do we want to be remembered for fighting until the end of the season, or do we want to be remembered for being cowards?" The answer to that question will define whether Wolves can salvage any pride from a campaign that is rapidly becoming a historic low.
