The biggest title race in the Premier League starts on January 1

Arsenal are top of the Premier League as the new year dawns, with the Gunners hoping 2026 is the year their title drought ends.

The north Londoners last won the competition 22 years ago, but after three consecutive second-place finishes, look well positioned to end that barren run.

Our band-aid. pic.twitter.com/PTMXEF40XP
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 31, 2025

Their current lead stands at four points after the New Year’s games, but how does that compare to the biggest ever lead at this stage of a Premier League season?

The biggest title race in the Premier League heads into New Year’s

Chelsea – 2005/06 (11 points)

Chelsea’s first ever Premier League title is etched in the division’s history as Jose Mourinho’s side were crowned champions after conceding a record 15 goals.

Although often overlooked for that record-breaking success, their second title was equally impressive.

Chelsea flew out of the trap with 20 wins from their first 22 games, making the best start ever in a Premier League defence. On New Year’s Day, the Blues had an eleven-point cushion and ended the campaign nine points ahead of Manchester United.

Chelsea also became the first team to beat every opponent in a single Premier League campaign.

Liverpool – 2019/20 (13 points)

After agonizingly missing out on the Premier League the previous season despite a club record points return, Liverpool started the 2019/20 season determined to secure a drought-breaking title.

Jurgen Klopp’s side set a new record for the best start to a season in the history of Europe’s top five leagues, leaving all challengers behind.

A remarkable run saw Liverpool take 79 out of a possible 81 points to start the season, with their lead as much as 13 points on January 1. By the end of their title-winning campaign, the Reds were eighteen ahead of Manchester City.

Manchester United – 1993/94 (14 points)

Manchester United were the first rebranded top-level winners in 1992/93, ending a 26-year title wait, and went back-to-back the following season.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s defending champions have lost just one of their opening 29 games and were 14 points clear at the top heading into the New Year’s festivities. It is the largest Premier League lead on January 1 in the competition’s history.

Manchester City – 2017/18 (14 points)

Manchester City were an unstoppable force in 2017/2018 as Pep Guardiola won his first Premier League title in record-breaking fashion.

The Citizens set a new points record in the English top flight and became the first team ever to exceed 100 points in a top season.

After reaching the front in September, City never looked back. Their 100 points remains a record that no team has achieved before or since, cementing them in the annals as one of the Premier League’s greatest ever sides.

The biggest title race in the Premier League starts on January 1