Football: Canaries seeking a feather in their cap: Phil Shaw examines the pick of the Boxing Day football

WHAT a strange mixture of emotions Norwich City followers must have experienced in the run-up to Christmas. Four points clear in the Premier League, yet beaten in their last two matches, the Canaries go into Boxing Day's home game with Tottenham keen to prove wrong those who believe they will turn out to be turkeys in the title race.

After finding the net in every match Mike Walker's side failed to score at Old Trafford and Ipswich, maybe another indication that they are about to slalom down the table. Spurs, who have lost three of their last four, might be ideal opponents for a team out of touch.

Form, though, tends to mean little over the Christmas period (none of the football fraternity uses the misnomer 'holiday programme'). It is traditionally a time for high scoring - as evinced by the dozen instances of a record victory or defeat falling at this time of year - and unexpected results.

Never more so than on Boxing Day 1963, when Blackburn won 8-2 at West Ham only to go down 3-1 at home to the same opponents 48 hours later; Fulham overwhelmed Ipswich 10-1 then lost the return 4-2; and Manchester United succumbed 6-1 at Burnley before winning the instant re-match 5-1.

A year earlier Oldham had beaten Southport 11-0, though curiously their heaviest defeat came on the same day in 1935, a 13-4 trouncing at Tranmere. Even last year, the Latics lost 6-3 against United.

In the context of recent events, three points for Leeds at Blackburn or for Arsenal at home to Ipswich would rank as an upset. The champions are now only three points off the relegation zone, a slide accelerated by just three points from 10 away matches. Reinforcements are on the way: Mel Sterland, Scott Sellars and David Batty played in the reserves last night, with the former probably closest to being fit.

George Graham's patience, like that of Howard Wilkinson, appears to be running out after the pre-season favourites' haul of one point and one goal from four games. Highbury can expect another look at Mark Flatts and perhaps other young Gunners against Ipswich, whose two defeats in 20 matches make them England's hardest team to beat.

The biggest crowd will be at Hillsborough to see Sheffield Wednesday take on Manchester United, whose draw at Chelsea last week confirmed for many that they have the resilience to go one better than last season. Eighteen miles of undersoil-heating pipes should ensure the match goes ahead, with similar systems encouraging confidence at Arsenal, Blackburn, Everton and Manchester City for what is usually the best-attended day of the season.

Crystal Palace and Chelsea have invested in the condom principle, with industrial, double-skinned sheeting covering their pitches. That leaves only Norwich and Oldham, who are leaving it to fate and a forecast of rising temperatures, without protection among the home clubs in the Premier League.

Coventry, who had hot-air blowers on their pitch yesterday, are anxious for their all-ticket confrontation with Aston Villa to beat the frost. After humbling Liverpool 5-1, they have the luxury of being able to recall Peter Ndlovu after his absence on World Cup duty for Zimbabwe. In the corresponding fixture last year, Ndlovu scored his first, spectacular goal, but Bobby Gould hinted yesterday that he will stick with a winning team.

Villa, stuttering a little, will have to split the Dalian Atkinson-Dean Saunders partnership if the former fails to recover from injury. Cyrille Regis, an old Sky Blues' favourite, stands by to link with Saunders, who has scored only three times in his last 12 matches.

The First Division offers three enticing prospects. Newcastle, the leaders, who receive Wolves, must correct the impression that they are beginning to falter; Tranmere, in second place, entertain Millwall, fourth, with entertain likely to be the apposite word; and Brentford play host to a Derby side who are seeking a remarkable eighth consecutive away win.

Stoke, top of the Second Division, should extend their long unbeaten run at Reading, while West Bromwich have shown festive spirit and enterprise by arranging transport to ferry their fans from around the Black Country to the match against Chester. The most attractive contest, however, could well be between Rotherham (second) and Stockport (sixth).

But the fixture computer will find no friends among the long-travelling players and supporters of Wolves, Bury, Burnley, York and above all Barnet, who because of police intransigence are due at Scarborough, a mere 240 miles away, for an 11am start.

There is no place like home at this time of year, and there will be few fans prouder than Rochdale's on Boxing Day. It has not always been so - the 'Dale's record defeat, 9-1 to Tranmere, was on Christmas Day 61 years ago - but on this occasion they are to open a pounds 1.2m stand, with 1,800 seats and a special lift for disabled spectators.