TOP OF THE LEAGUE AT CHRISTMAS


This is a list of the teams that were top of the league at Christmas each season, and if they were champions at the end of the season.

Records | Divisions 1 and 2 | Divisions 3 and 4 | Forest On Top | When the Top Spot Changed on Christmas Day!

These are the teams that were top of the First Tier and the Second Tier at Christmas.
Green = the team top at Christmas won the League at the end of the season. Red means they didn't!

Division 1 (Percent: 48.4%) Division 2 (Percent: 62.2%)
Season Christmas (Final Pos) Winners (Christmas Pos) Christmas (Final Pos) Winners (Christmas Pos)
1888-89Preston North End (1)Preston North End (1)
1889-90Preston North End (1)Preston North End (1)The Wednesday (1)The Wednesday (1)
1890-91Everton (1)Everton (1)Stoke (1)Stoke (1)
1891-92Bolton Wanderers (3)Sunderland (3)Nottingham Forest (1)Nottingham Forest (1)
1892-93Preston North End (2)Sunderland (2)Darwen (3)Small Heath (1)
1893-94Aston Villa (1)Aston Villa (1)Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)
1894-95Everton (2)Sunderland (3)Bury (1)Bury (1)
1895-96Everton (3)Aston Villa (4)Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)
1896-97Aston Villa (1)Aston Villa (1)Notts County (1)Notts County (1)
1897-98Aston Villa (6)Sheffield United (2)Burnley (1)Burnley (1)
1898-99Aston Villa (1)Aston Villa (1)Manchester City (1)Manchester City (1)
1899-00Sheffield United (2)Aston Villa (2)The Wednesday (1)The Wednesday (1)
1900-01Nottingham Forest (4)Liverpool (2)Grimsby Town (1)Grimsby Town (1)
1901-02Everton (2)Sunderland (3)West Bromwich Albion (1)West Bromwich Albion (1)
1902-03West Bromwich Albion (7)The Wednesday (5)Manchester City (1)Manchester City (1)
1903-04Manchester City (2)The Wednesday (3)Preston North End (1)Preston North End (1)
1904-05Newcastle United (1)Newcastle United (3)Bolton Wanderers (2)Liverpool (3)
1905-06Liverpool (1)Liverpool (3)Bristol City (1)Bristol City (1)
1906-07Everton (3)Newcastle United (2)Nottingham Forest (1)Nottingham Forest (1)
1907-08Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)Derby County (6)Bradford City (5)
1908-09Everton (2)Newcastle United (2)West Bromwich Albion (3)Bolton Wanderers (2)
1909-10Blackburn Rovers (3)Aston Villa (6)Glossop North End (6)Manchester City (3)
1910-11Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)West Bromwich Albion (1)West Bromwich Albion (1)
1911-12Newcastle United (3)Blackburn Rovers (4)Burnley (3)Derby County (1)
1912-13Manchester City (6)Sunderland (9)Burnley (2)Preston North End (2)
1913-14Blackburn Rovers (1)Blackburn Rovers (1)Notts County (1)Notts County (3)
1914-15Oldham Athletic (2)Everton (4)Derby County (1)Derby County (1)
1919-20Burnley (2)West Bromwich Albion (2)Tottenham Hotspur (1)Tottenham Hotspur (1)
1920-21Burnley (1)Burnley (1)Cardiff City (2)Birmingham City (3)
1921-22Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Nottingham Forest (1)Nottingham Forest (1)
1922-23Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Notts County (1)Notts County (1)
1923-24Cardiff City (2)Huddersfield Town (3)Leeds United (1)Leeds United (1)
1924-25West Bromwich Albion (2)Huddersfield Town (2)Derby County (3)Leicester City (4)
1925-26Arsenal (2)Huddersfield Town (3)Derby County (2)The Wednesday (2)
1926-27Burnley (5)Newcastle United (2)Hull City (7)Middlesbrough (1)
1927-28Everton (1)Everton (1)Chelsea (3)Manchester City (4)
1928-29The Wednesday (1)The Wednesday (1)Notts County (5)Middlesbrough (3)
1929-30Manchester City (3)Sheffield Wednesday (2)Blackpool (1)Blackpool (1)
1930-31Arsenal (1)Arsenal (1)Everton (1)Everton (1)
1931-32Everton (1)Everton (1)Leeds United (2)Wolverhampton Wanderers (2)
1932-33Arsenal (1)Arsenal (1)Stoke City (1)Stoke City (2)
1933-34Arsenal (1)Arsenal (1)Grimsby Town (1)Grimsby Town (1)
1934-35Arsenal (1)Arsenal (3)Brentford (1)Brentford (1)
1935-36Sunderland (1)Sunderland (1)Leicester City (6)Manchester United (10)
1936-37Arsenal (3)Manchester City (11)Blackpool (2)Leicester City (5)
1937-38Brentford (6)Arsenal (3)Sheffield United (3)Aston Villa (3)
1938-39Derby County (6)Everton (2)Blackburn Rovers (1)Blackburn Rovers (1)
1939-40
1946-47Wolverhampton Wanderers (3)Liverpool (2)Birmingham City (3)Manchester City (2)
1947-48Arsenal (1)Arsenal (1)Birmingham City (1)Birmingham City (1)
1948-49Portsmouth (1)Portsmouth (1)West Bromwich Albion (2)Fulham (4)
1949-50Liverpool (8)Portsmouth (6)Tottenham Hotspur (1)Tottenham Hotspur (1)
1950-51Middlesbrough (6)Tottenham Hotspur (2)Manchester City (2)Preston North End (4)
1951-52Arsenal (3)Manchester United (2)Sheffield Wednesday (1)Sheffield Wednesday (1)
1952-53Wolverhampton Wanderers (3)Arsenal (2)Sheffield United (1)Sheffield United (1)
1953-54West Bromwich Albion (2)Wolverhampton Wanderers (2)Leicester City (1)Leicester City (1)
1954-55Wolverhampton Wanderers (2)Chelsea (5)Blackburn Rovers (6)Birmingham City (12)
1955-56Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)Sheffield Wednesday (1)Sheffield Wednesday (1)
1956-57Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)Leicester City (1)Leicester City (1)
1957-58Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)Liverpool (4)West Ham United (3)
1958-59Bolton Wanderers (4)Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)Sheffield Wednesday (1)Sheffield Wednesday (1)
1959-60Tottenham Hotspur (3)Burnley (3)Aston Villa (1)Aston Villa (1)
1960-61Tottenham Hotspur (1)Tottenham Hotspur (1)Sheffield United (2)Ipswich Town (1)
1961-62Burnley (2)Ipswich Town (4)Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)
1962-63Everton (1)Everton (1)Chelsea (2)Stoke City (5)
1963-64Blackburn Rovers (7)Liverpool (3)Leeds United (1)Leeds United (1)
1964-65Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)Newcastle United (1)Newcastle United (1)
1965-66Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Huddersfield Town (4)Manchester City (2)
1966-67Liverpool (5)Manchester United (1)Wolverhampton Wanderers (2)Coventry City (2)
1967-68Manchester United (2)Manchester City (3)Birmingham City (4)Ipswich Town (5)
1968-69Liverpool (2)Leeds United (2)Derby County (1)Derby County (1)
1969-70Everton (1)Everton (1)Blackburn Rovers (8)Huddersfield Town (1)
1970-71Leeds United (2)Arsenal (2)Leicester City (1)Leicester City (1)
1971-72Manchester United (8)Derby County (5)Norwich City (1)Norwich City (1)
1972-73Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Burnley (1)Burnley (1)
1973-74Leeds United (1)Leeds United (1)Middlesbrough (1)Middlesbrough (1)
1974-75Liverpool (2)Derby County (9)Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)
1975-76Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Sunderland (1)Sunderland (1)
1976-77Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Chelsea (2)Wolverhampton Wanderers (2)
1977-78Nottingham Forest (1)Nottingham Forest (1)Bolton Wanderers (1)Bolton Wanderers (1)
1978-79Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Crystal Palace (1)Crystal Palace (1)
1979-80Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Newcastle United (9)Leicester City (4)
1980-81Liverpool (5)Aston Villa (2)West Ham United (1)West Ham United (1)
1981-82Swansea City (6)Liverpool (12)Luton Town (1)Luton Town (1)
1982-83Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Queens Park Rangers (1)Queens Park Rangers (1)
1983-84Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Sheffield Wednesday (2)Chelsea (2)
1984-85Tottenham Hotspur (3)Everton (2)Blackburn Rovers (5)Oxford United (2)
1985-86Manchester United (4)Liverpool (2)Norwich City (1)Norwich City (1)
1986-87Arsenal (4)Everton (2)Portsmouth (2)Derby County (3)
1987-88Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Middlesbrough (3)Millwall (7)
1988-89Arsenal (1)Arsenal (2)Chelsea (1)Chelsea (1)
1989-90Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Leeds United (1)Leeds United (1)
1990-91Liverpool (2)Arsenal (2)West Ham United (2)Oldham Athletic (2)
1991-92Manchester United (2)Leeds United (2)Blackburn Rovers (6)Ipswich Town (3)
1992-93Norwich City (3)Manchester United (3)Newcastle United (1)Newcastle United (1)
1993-94Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)Crystal Palace (1)Crystal Palace (1)
1994-95Blackburn Rovers (1)Blackburn Rovers (1)Middlesbrough (1)Middlesbrough (1)
1995-96Newcastle United (2)Manchester United (2)Derby County (2)Sunderland (4)
1996-97Liverpool (4)Manchester United (3)Bolton Wanderers (1)Bolton Wanderers (1)
1997-98Manchester United (2)Arsenal (6)Middlesbrough (2)Nottingham Forest (2)
1998-99Chelsea (3)Manchester United (4)Sunderland (1)Sunderland (1)
1999-00Leeds United (3)Manchester United (2)Manchester City (2)Charlton Athletic (3)
2000-01Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)Fulham (1)Fulham (1)
2001-02Newcastle United (4)Arsenal (2)Burnley (7)Manchester City (2)
2002-03Arsenal (2)Manchester United (3)Portsmouth (1)Portsmouth (1)
2003-04Manchester United (3)Arsenal (2)Norwich City (1)Norwich City (1)
2004-05Chelsea (1)Chelsea (1)Ipswich Town (3)Sunderland (2)
2005-06Chelsea (1)Chelsea (1)Reading (1)Reading (1)
2006-07Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)Birmingham City (2)Sunderland (11)
2007-08Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)West Bromwich Albion (1)West Bromwich Albion (1)
2008-09Liverpool (2)Manchester United (3)Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)
2009-10Chelsea (1)Chelsea (1)Newcastle United (1)Newcastle United (1)
2010-11Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)Queens Park Rangers (1)Queens Park Rangers (1)
2011-12Manchester City (1)Manchester City (1)Southampton (2)Reading (6)
2012-13Manchester United (1)Manchester United (1)Cardiff City (1)Cardiff City (1)
2013-14Arsenal (4)Manchester City (2)Leicester City (1)Leicester City (1)
2014-15Chelsea (1)Chelsea (1)Bournemouth (1)Bournemouth (1)
2015-16Leicester City (1)Leicester City (2)Derby County (5)Burnley (5)
2016-17Chelsea (1)Chelsea (1)Newcastle United (1)Newcastle United (2)
2017-18Manchester City (1)Manchester City (1)Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)
2018-19Liverpool (2)Manchester City (3)Leeds United (3)Norwich City (2)
2019-20Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)West Bromwich Albion (2)Leeds United (1)
2020-21Liverpool (3)Manchester City (5)Norwich City (1)Norwich City (1)
2021-22Manchester City (1)Manchester City (1)Fulham (1)Fulham (1)
2022-23Arsenal (2)Manchester City (3)Burnley (1)Burnley (1)
2023-24Liverpool (3)Manchester City (5)Leicester City (1)Leicester City (1)
2024-25Liverpool (1)Liverpool (1)Leeds United (1)Leeds United (1)
2025-26