1. The Villa Heist: Rogers & Emery's Masterclass
Do the final scores be misleading? That is the question. Aston Villa's winning streak persisted with a win over Manchester United, but so did the nagging doubts. They were the lesser team by a number of key indicators – a lower shot count (12-15), less possession (43-57), a scarcity of clear opportunities (2-3). As usual, the victory was by a narrow margin. As usual, expected goals (xG) sided with the opposition: according to data United were narrowly ahead 1.31-1.02. But, as every fan knows games are determined by more than statistics. They are won by solid teamwork, astute coaching and sparkling skill – and Villa possess each ingredient. Morgan Rogers could be considered their only star, but his contributions are coming as a timely gift. The Villa manager is crafty, seasoned, significantly more advanced of his counterpart. The fact Rogers took advantage from a positional error, that was probably because the coach had detected that Yoro was playing out of position, and instructed his winger to take up a wide position, move infield and cause him problems. Individual brilliance and coaching, working together.
2. Amorim Continues to Fall Short
Back in October after defeating Brighton 4-2 on 25 October, their fans began to believe again. They secured three league games on the bounce for the first time under the Portuguese coach. They had risen to fourth. And the wins were impressive victories – over Brighton (one of their many bogey teams), Liverpool (on the road!) and Sunderland (at home, versus a newly-promoted side, but still – a comfortable clean sheet). Their keeper provided stability, their forward line sparked and morale was high. But then United went back to black. Over the next eight fixtures, only two victories, six missed opportunities. In the recent fixture they were the better team without ever appearing likely to triumph. Yes, their forward scored an excellent finish, but he also failed to convert a golden opportunity. Yes, United were cursed by absentees (to influential figures), but they gave away cheap scores. Following over a year in England, the manager has yet to solve how to win consistently.
3. Below-Par Gunners Get on Their Grind
It was an 8pm kick-off on the festive weekend but a noticeable shortage of fluency in the final third made for a sobering evening. For Everton, the issue was predictable with creative forces absent, and Jack Grealish struggling to lift an entire team by himself. In many respects it is surprising that David Moyes’s side sat fifth in the table two weeks earlier given they have played the entire season without a decent striker. For Arsenal and their manager, while he enjoyed a merited victory and reclaiming first place of the table, the problem should be just as worrying given their ambitions for the Premier League. Arteta insisted that positive results will inevitably be more emphatic with dedication and persistence. But it is fairly soon in the season for a team that can start with international stars, while leaving exciting options on the bench, to be needing to win ugly.
4. Guardiola's Strict Festive Regime for Champions
During the holidays Pep Guardiola will conduct fitness tests to ensure his Manchester City players have not indulged too much. Guardiola said the players asked to take a day off after their latest win but the request was denied because the performance was insufficient. So the schedule involves rehabilitation, work for those who didn't feature, and post-holiday, then brief training for the next fixture. Guardiola detailed how improvements can be made. “My strength is deciphering what happens in the game, where are the spaces – if the players were in these positions, we could create more.” Pep also intends to enjoy a rest: “I have holidays with the family and champagne. I'm going to Barcelona – it's a great city, the food is superb.”
5. Liverpool's Joy Tempered by Isak Blow
Alexander Isak’s goal at Tottenham felt, for a glorious few seconds, like an arrival. This was exactly what Liverpool invested heavily for him to do, to break tight games with his movement and range of finishing, and the assurance with which he clipped in from a neat pass was highly promising. So the sight of him departing immediately, the victim of a rash challenge, was a major worry for the Dutch coach and disappointing for the spectator who would like to see such a gifted player reach his peak again. It is believed Isak has picked up a serious leg injury and he could be in for a extended spell on the sidelines. It would be a significant setback with the Reds having quietly moved into the top four, putting together a string of positive results featuring Isak’s maiden league strikes in their colours. Their campaign trajectory appear inextricably linked to those of their record signing.
6. Did Chelsea Get Away with One?
Managers often lament controversial calls as a means of deflecting media attention from matters they want to keep private. The numerous points Newcastle have dropped from winning positions this season appears relevant. The Newcastle boss certainly did not seem overly keen to mention that costly trend following his side’s inability to hold onto a 2-0 lead against Chelsea in a game they ended up drawing. Yet the Magpies' boss was surely correct to highlight a decision made by the match officials not to award his team a penalty following a blatant body check on the England international. With the score then 2-1, a penalty could have swung the momentum. Was the decision to offer the Chelsea defender the leeway informed by past incidents for being very clever at winning penalties and sometimes going down too easily? The take of a former England striker was notable. “He anticipates the contact,” was the analysis. “He expects the tackle and he braces for it. I think he’s ready to go down. But the force and aggression there … it constitutes a foul.”
7. A 99.17% Certainty
Brentford’s initial success on their travels this season spelled a welcome result for their manager. Rather than celebrate, Andrews sympathised with Wolves, the club he joined at 16. “My formative years were here,” he said. Wolves’ situation is beyond dire; statistical models state – perhaps generously – their chances of relegation at 99.17%, leaving nothing to play for beyond professionalism. A veteran player brutally spelled out|bluntly outlined|frankly
