5 Talking Points from the festive period in the Premier League

While the rest of Europe's prominent leagues took time off during the festive period with a winter break, England alone endured a busy footballing schedule. The hectic festive season saw teams play four times in the space of 13 days.In that period, various shocks and surprises were witnessed. Starting from Jose Mourinho's unlikely defeat against Tottenham Hotspur which helped Manchester City gain ground on them to managers being sacked in the league for the first time this season.We take a look at the five key conclusions from the festive period in England.

#1 Chelsea are no longer invincible

Not long ago, many were expecting Chelsea to repeat the ‘Invincibles’ feat achieved by Arsenal in the 2003/04 season. A defeat to Newcastle early in December ended those discussions. It went even worse for them by the turn of the new year, as the Blues let their lead slip at the top of the table.

The festive period began perfectly for Chelsea. Playing at one of the toughest grounds in England, the Blues beat Stoke 2-0 at the Britannia and followed it up with another 2-0 win against an in-form West Ham side.

Just when everything looked to be going according to plan for the Blues, they faced a minor blip with a draw against Southampton at St. Mary’s. Things went from bad to worse for Chelsea as they suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on New Years Day. After initially taking the lead in the match, Chelsea conceded four goals in the space of little more than 20 minutes to lose the match 5-3 at White Hart Lane.

This has allowed Manchester City to go level on points as well as goal difference with the Blues. A Mourinho team has always won the league when it has led at the end of the year, but Chelsea's dip in form has given Manchester City hope.