Premier League Christmas Fixtures Comparison: Newcastle rises from 12th to 5th, while Chelsea drops down the table.

On January 8, the busy Christmas and New Year schedule in the Premier League has come to an end, and the league officials released a comparative graphic showing the points table before and after the Christmas fixtures, allowing fans to see how each team performed during this period.

From the comparison, it’s evident that Newcastle United has seen the most significant change. They were in 12th place before Christmas, just one point ahead of 13th-placed Manchester United, but have now climbed to 5th, trailing 2nd-placed Arsenal by only 5 points. In cup competitions, they secured a 2-0 away win against Arsenal in the first leg of the League Cup, putting them in a strong position to reach the final at Wembley.

Chelsea struggled during the Christmas and New Year fixtures, earning only 2 points from 4 matches, dropping from 2nd to 4th place. Meanwhile, Liverpool's lead on the table increased from 2 points to 6 points, as their closest pursuers fell behind.
Nottingham Forest enjoyed a four-match winning streak, rising to 3rd place.

Tottenham managed just 1 point during this period, continuing their free fall from 10th to 12th. Bournemouth, Aston Villa, and Fulham saw only minor fluctuations in their rankings.

Interestingly, the rankings from 13th to 16th place remained unchanged, still occupied by Manchester United, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, and Everton.

In the relegation zone, Leicester City suffered four consecutive defeats, dropping from safety to second-bottom, putting their survival hopes in jeopardy. They were replaced in the relegation zone by Wolves, who have improved since changing managers. Ipswich has also picked up points recently, allowing teams fighting to avoid relegation to distance themselves from bottom-placed Southampton, who have only managed 6 points this season.