In Manchester the happier Christmas

The busy Christmas fixture program has already seen two rounds of fixtures, and will see two more after the big man has dropped off his presents.

The happiest Christmas will be celebrated in Manchester, with City and United leading the league and locked in a two horse race for the title.
City bounced back from their first defeat of the season at Chelsea with home wins against Arsenal and Stoke to hold a two point lead at the top of the Premiership. Roberto Mancini's impressive squad continues to power forward and it's hard to imagine them slipping up.

United are hot on their trail though, comfortable wins on the road in London at QPR and Fulham underlined that they won't be giving up. Rooney, Nani and Co, are beginning to look like the United of old now that the distraction of Europe is out of the way. Speaking of the United of old, congratulations to Ryan Giggs, who once again proved that he's got plenty left to offer - his goal against Fulham in midweek meaning that he has now scored a goal in every season since the Premier League was launched twenty years ago.
Behind the Manchester battle, the Londoners are fighting it out for the other two ECL spots.

With Spurs in prime position for third, sitting two points ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal, but with games in hand on both. Chelsea continue to lurch from impressive to implosive, beating Manchester City before drawing with Wigan, whilst Arsenal maintain good form going into Christmas with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa. Robin Van Persie grabbing yet another goal, his 20th of the season, and his 34th of 2011. An incredible year for the Dutch striker.
Elsewhere, the happiest supporters in the Premier League are probably on Wearside. Having waved goodbye to departing manager Steve Bruce they have welcomed the very popular Martin O'Neill, and have seen two wins from his first three games - both by last minute strikes...

At the same time they've seen the wheels come off the wagon at local rivals Newcastle, with the previously unbeaten Magpies picking up just two points from their last six games. Next up the Geordies play desperate Bolton, before a trip to Liverpool and a home tie with Manchester United. Newcastle have done enough in the first half of the season that they don't have to look behind them with any real sense of fear - but with goalkeeper Tim Krul rumoured to be interesting Spurs, January could be a nervous time for the supporters.

Who's the Grinch? Blackburn's Steve Kean, subject of campaigns from the supporters and the local press, will know that the chances of him being a football manager in 2012 are very slim. Successive home defeats by fellow strugglers West Brom and Bolton have underlined just how bad Blackburn are this season.