1. Rogers and Emery Combine for Heist
Do the final scores be misleading? That is the question. Aston Villa's winning streak was extended versus Manchester United, alongside the persistent questions. 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). Once again, the victory was by a narrow margin. Consistently, expected goals (xG) painted a different picture: according to data United had the slight advantage 1.31-1.02. Yet the reality is games are decided on the pitch, not on spreadsheets. They are won by collective effort, shrewd management and individual talent – and Villa possess each ingredient. Villa's emerging star may be their only star, but he’s delivering like Father Christmas. Unai Emery is wily, battle-hardened, significantly more advanced of Ruben Amorim. Should Rogers have benefited from a positional error, that was probably because the manager identified that Yoro was playing out of position, and directed his attacker to take up a wide position, drive inside and cause him problems. Individual brilliance and coaching, in perfect harmony.
2. Persistent Problems for Amorim's United
When Manchester United beat Brighton 4-2 on 25 October, their fans felt optimism return. They managed three league games in a row for the first time under Ruben Amorim. They had risen to fourth. And the wins were all good ones – over Brighton (one of their many bogey teams), Liverpool (on the road!) and Sunderland (at home, facing a team fresh from the Championship, but still – an untroubled victory). Their keeper provided stability, Bryan Mbeumo offered threat and morale was high. But then United slipped into a slump. Over the next eight fixtures, a mere pair of successes, six games without a win. In the recent fixture they were superior for large periods without ever looking like winning. Yes, Matheus Cunha scored an excellent finish, but he also failed to convert a golden opportunity. Yes, United were cursed by absentees (to key players), but they conceded soft goals. After 13 months in England, the manager has yet to solve how to win consistently.
3. Below-Par Gunners Get on Their Grind
It was an evening fixture on the holiday period but a noticeable shortage of fluency in the opposition box made for a sobering evening. For Everton, the issue came as no surprise with creative forces absent, and their star man failing to inspire an entire team on his own. In many respects it is astonishing that Everton occupied a European spot in the table two weeks earlier given they have played the entire season without a proven goalscorer. For Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, while he enjoyed a merited victory and ascending to the summit of the table, the flaw should be just as worrying given their ambitions for the Premier League. The manager claimed that winning margins will inevitably become bigger with graft and determination. But it is fairly soon in the season for a team that can start with world-class talents, while leaving quality substitutes on the bench, to be needing to win ugly.
4. Guardiola's Strict Festive Regime for Champions
On Christmas Day Pep Guardiola will monitor the scales to ensure his Manchester City players have not overdone the festive fare. Guardiola said the team wanted to have a rest day after their 3-0 triumph but he refused because the performance was insufficient. So it's recovery, sessions for the fringe men, and post-holiday, then brief training for the upcoming match. The manager outlined how improvements can be made. “I’m good at reading what happens in the game, locating the gaps – if the players were in these positions, we could be more potent.” The boss also plans to enjoy a rest: “I'm taking a break with the family to relax. A trip to Barcelona is planned – I recommend it, the food is top.”
5. Liverpool's Joy Tempered by Isak Blow
Alexander Isak’s goal at Tottenham felt, for a brief instant, like an arrival. This was the very purpose Liverpool paid all that money for him to do, to unlock stubborn defences with his intelligent runs and finishing ability, and the assurance with which he converted from an incisive ball looked extremely positive. So the image of him leaving immediately, the victim of a reckless attempt, was a major worry for Arne Slot and a shame for any neutral who would like to see an extraordinary talent perform at his best again. Reports suggest Isak has picked up a serious leg injury and he likely faces a long time on the sidelines. It would be a significant setback with the Reds having quietly moved into the top four, putting together a solid undefeated streak bookended by Isak’s maiden league strikes in their colours. Their fortunes this season appear tied up with those of their record signing.
6. A Contentious Call Saves Chelsea
Managers often complain about contentious refereeing decisions as a means of deflecting media attention from matters they wish to avoid discussing. The significant tally Newcastle have dropped from winning positions this season appears relevant. Their manager certainly did not seem too willing to mention that unfortunate habit following his side’s failure to protect a 2-0 lead against Chelsea in a game they eventually tied. Yet Howe 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 their winger. With the score then 2-1, a spot-kick could have altered the outcome. Was the decision to offer the Chelsea defender the benefit of considerable doubt informed by the player's history for being expert at earning fouls and sometimes going down too easily? Comments by a former England striker was revealing. “He anticipates the contact,” was the analysis. “He expects the tackle and he braces for it. I think he intends to hit the deck. But the nature of the contact there … it constitutes a foul.”
7. Statistical Doom for Struggling Wolves
Brentford’s initial success on their travels this season spelled relief for Keith Andrews. More than just enjoying the victory, Andrews sympathised with Wolves, the club he started his career with. “A large chunk of my life was here,” he said. Wolves’ situation is increasingly desperate; data analysts state – possibly kindly – their likelihood of the drop at virtually certain, leaving nothing to play for beyond professionalism. A experienced defender brutally spelled out|bluntly outlined|frankly
