LONDON — THE MOST fascinating Premier League title chase ever reached the half-way stage on Boxing Day.
It is usually a two-horse race and could still be that way but the domination of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United faces a realistic challenge from Aston Villa whose manager, Martin O'Neill, is fighting a losing battle trying to play down his team's chances.
Villa have broken into the elite league within the Premier League and show signs of being able to stay at English football's altitude level because the Big Four are not firing on all cylinders.