🔗 Share this article

1. A Tactical Coup: How Rogers and Emery Outfoxed United

Are match outcomes tell the whole story? One must ask. Villa's run of victories was extended versus Manchester United, accompanied by the nagging doubts. They were the lesser team by multiple metrics – a lower shot count (12-15), a smaller share of the ball (43-57), a scarcity of clear opportunities (2-3). Typically, the victory was tightly contested. Consistently, expected goals (xG) sided with the opposition: analysis indicates United had the slight advantage 1.31-1.02. However, supporters understand games are decided on the pitch, not on spreadsheets. They are won by collective effort, shrewd management and sparkling skill – and Villa have all three. Villa's emerging star could be considered their primary talisman, but he is performing with festive regularity. The Spanish tactician is crafty, seasoned, significantly more advanced of the United boss. Should Rogers have benefited from a positional error, it was likely because the manager identified that his opponent was uncomfortable, and instructed his winger to start wide, drive inside and cause him problems. Individual brilliance and coaching, working together.

2. Persistent Problems for Amorim's United

Following United's victory over Brighton 4-2 last month, their fans rediscovered hope. They had won three league games in a row for the maiden instance under Ruben Amorim. Their position climbed to fourth. And the wins were solid results – over Brighton (a side they often struggle against), Liverpool (on the road!) and Sunderland (at Old Trafford, against a promoted club, but still – an untroubled victory). Senne Lammens looked solid, the attack was exciting and morale was high. But then United slipped into a slump. In a run of eight matches, two wins, six games without a win. In the recent fixture they were the more dominant side without ever seeming like taking three points. Yes, their forward scored an excellent finish, but he also blazed over a simple chance. Yes, United were hit by fitness issues (to key players), but they were punished for defensive errors. After 13 months in England, the coach continues to struggle with how to claim three points.

3. Arsenal Grind Out a Vital Victory

It was an evening fixture on the festive weekend but a distinct lack of quality in the opposition box made for a sobering evening. For Everton, the issue was predictable with key attackers absent, and Jack Grealish struggling to lift an entire team by himself. In many respects it is astonishing that David Moyes’s side occupied a European spot in the table recently given they have played the whole campaign without a reliable number nine. For Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, while he relished a hard-fought three points and reclaiming first place of the table, the problem should be just as worrying given their designs on the Premier League. Arteta insisted that victories will inevitably become bigger with graft and determination. But it is somewhat premature in the season for a team that can start with international stars, while leaving quality substitutes on the bench, to be dependent on scrappy victories.

4. Pep's Christmas Weight Watch at City

On Christmas Day Pep Guardiola will monitor the scales to ensure his Manchester City players have not indulged too much. He revealed the players asked to have a rest day after their 3-0 triumph but the request was denied because their display lacked quality. So the schedule involves rehabilitation, sessions for the fringe men, and after three days off, then brief training for the next fixture. The manager outlined how the side can improve. “My strength is deciphering what happens in the game, identifying weaknesses – if the players were in optimal spots, we could create more.” The boss also plans to enjoy a rest: “I'm taking a break with the family to relax. I'm going to Barcelona – I recommend it, the food is top.”

5. Isak’s Injury Overshadows Big Moment

Alexander Isak’s goal at Tottenham felt, for a fleeting moment, as a turning point. This was precisely the reason Liverpool paid all that money for him to do, to break tight games with his clever positioning and composure, and the confidence with which he converted from an incisive ball was highly promising. So the image of him leaving immediately, the victim of a ill-judged tackle, was a significant blow for the Dutch coach and a shame for any neutral who would like to see such a gifted player perform at his best again. It is believed Isak has sustained a fractured leg and he could be in for a long time on the sidelines. It would be a major blow with Slot’s team having steadily climbed towards the upper echelons, putting together a string of positive results bookended by Isak’s maiden league strikes in their colours. Their campaign trajectory appear heavily dependent on those of their prize asset.

6. Did Chelsea Get Away with One?

Managers often lament controversial calls as a means of deflecting media attention from matters they would prefer were not talked about. The 13 points Newcastle have dropped from winning positions this season appears relevant. Eddie Howe certainly did not seem particularly eager to mention that costly trend following his side’s failure to protect a 2-0 lead against Chelsea in a game they ended up drawing. Yet Howe was surely correct to highlight a decision made by the referee not to award his team a penalty following a obvious foul on the England international. With the score then 2-1, a 12-yard award could have swung the momentum. Was the decision to offer the defender the doubt informed by the player's history for being expert at drawing contact and sometimes going down too easily? Comments by a well-known analyst was revealing. “Gordon’s waiting,” was the analysis. “He's prepared for the impact and he's ready. I think he intends to hit the deck. But the force and aggression there … it constitutes a foul.”

7. Wolves' Grim Relegation Reality

Brentford’s initial success on their travels this season spelled joy for their manager. More than just enjoying the victory, Andrews expressed empathy for Wolves, the club he came through at. “I spent nine years here,” he said. Wolves’ situation is beyond dire; statistical models state – perhaps generously – their chances of relegation at overwhelmingly high, leaving little tangible to fight for beyond pride. A experienced defender brutally spelled out|bluntly outlined|frankly