The concertina effect at the top of the English Premier League table means that no fewer than five teams will have designs on top spot in today's traditional Boxing Day fixtures.

For the first time in the post-1992 EPL era, just two points separate the top five teams on Christmas Day, and the erosion of Arsenal's seven-point lead has also given hope to seventh-place Tottenham Hotspur and No. 8 Manchester United.

Arsenal's bruising 0-0 draw at home to Chelsea on Monday left Liverpool top at Christmas for the first time since 2008. However, the new leader faces a stern test today when it visits a Manchester City side which has won all eight of its home games to date this season, scoring 35 goals.

City, a 4-2 victor at Fulham in its last outing, will leapfrog Liverpool if it prevails at the Etihad Stadium and visiting manager Brendan Rodgers says that his side must not get carried away by its early-season form.

"You don't get the rewards at Christmas. It is a nostalgic time and people always want to know where the team is at around Christmas Day," he said.

"We want to be there, but we want to be there at the end of the season and for that there is a lot of hard work ahead."

Rodgers remains without Steven Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge and Jose Enrique due to injury, but in 19-goal top scorer Luis Suarez he can call upon the outstanding player of the season so far.

City's own leading man, Sergio Aguero, is currently sidelined with a calf complaint, and having seen Liverpool rout Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 in its last away game, manager Manuel Pellegrini predicts a "very difficult" encounter.

Very good moment

"Liverpool is a very good team and Suarez is in a very good moment," said the Chilean.

"But I think this Premier League, we are just finishing the first half, in two more games.

"And this Premier League will not just be Liverpool and Manchester City. Five or six teams will fight until the end."

Arsenal, behind Liverpool on goal difference, will hope to capitalize on any slip-ups by Rodgers's side when it visits London rival West Ham United.

Fourth-place Chelsea, meanwhile, hosts Swansea City, with fifth-place Everton hosting bottom club Sunderland.

Chelsea has failed to sparkle during the first half of the season, but with Liverpool only two points ahead of it, captain John Terry knows that Jose Mourinho's side remains very much in contention.

"We all know, and the fans have seen it home and away, that we can get better," Terry told Chelsea TV.

"So whilst everyone is dropping points around us, hopefully in the new year we have to start firing and put ourselves on a good run of games."

Tottenham, four points below the top five, hosts West Bromwich Albion, with Tim Sherwood set to experience life as a full-time EPL manager for the first time after being appointed as the permanent successor to Andre Villas-Boas on Monday.

Defending champion United, meanwhile, will look to close the eight-point gap that separates it from arch rival Liverpool when it visits Hull City.

United has won four consecutive games in all competitions since the shock of successive home defeats by Everton and Newcastle United.

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