[BBC]Alex Howell - Football reporter; Chris Collinson - BBC Sport statisticianMon, November 24, 2025 at 11:59 AM UTC·1 min readYes, there are still 26 games left to play for each team this season, we hear you say.
So a six-point lead at this point is surely far from unsurmountable? Correct, but the stats suggest Arsenal's lead is fairly significant.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis is the fifth time Arsenal have been top of the Premier League after 12 matches but - look away now, Gunners fans - they have failed to go on and win the title the past three times they have led the way at this stage.
However, this is the biggest lead they have had at this stage of a Premier League campaign.
And it gets even better for Arsenal fans. No team has failed to win the title with a lead of six points or more after 12 games of a Premier League season.
That stat is a bit misleading, though, as teams have come from further back to win the title.
So, how many times have teams been six or more points behind the leaders after 12 games and still been crowned champions?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt still looks pretty healthy for Arsenal, with the answer being just five times - the most recent being in 2013-14 when Manchester City were six points behind leaders Arsenal.
Chelsea have to be considered title challengers now they are sitting in second spot.
They have won five of their past six league games, winning three in a row without conceding for the first time since 2022.
Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, two and three points behind Chelsea respectively, will also consider themselves challengers.
Read more on Arsenal's position in the title race
