1. Rogers and Emery Combine for Heist
Do the final scores tell the whole story? One must ask. Aston Villa's winning streak persisted with a win over Manchester United, but so did the lingering concerns. On paper, they were second best by multiple metrics – fewer shots (12-15), a smaller share of the ball (43-57), not as many golden opportunities (2-3). Once again, the victory was a slender one. In keeping with form, expected goals (xG) sided with the opposition: reports suggest United had the slight advantage 1.31-1.02. However, supporters understand games are not won by xG. They are won by solid teamwork, shrewd management and sparkling skill – and Villa possess each ingredient. Villa's emerging star may be their primary talisman, but he is performing with festive regularity. The Villa manager is crafty, battle-hardened, five years ahead of the United boss. Should Rogers have benefited from a positional error, this was almost certainly because the coach had detected that Yoro is not a right-back, and instructed his winger to take up a wide position, move infield and cause him problems. Individual brilliance and coaching, in perfect harmony.
2. Persistent Problems for Amorim's United
Following United's victory over Brighton 4-2 on 25 October, their fans rediscovered hope. 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 all good ones – over Brighton (one of their many bogey teams), Liverpool (at Anfield!) and Sunderland (at Old Trafford, facing a team fresh from the Championship, but still – a comfortable clean sheet). Senne Lammens looked solid, Bryan Mbeumo offered threat and there was a positive mood. But then United slipped into a slump. Eight games, two wins, six missed opportunities. Against Aston Villa they were the more dominant side without ever seeming like taking three points. Yes, the Brazilian scored an excellent finish, but he also missed a sitter. Yes, United were cursed by absentees (to important midfielders), but they conceded soft goals. Following over a year in England, Amorim still hasn’t worked out how to secure victories.
3. Arsenal Grind Out a Vital Victory
It was an 8pm kick-off on the holiday period but a noticeable shortage of fluency in the opposition box made for a drab affair. For Everton, the issue came as no surprise with creative forces absent, and the experienced winger failing to inspire an entire team on his own. In many respects it is surprising that David Moyes’s side were in fifth place in the table not long ago given they have played all term without a reliable number nine. For Arsenal and their manager, while he savoured a deserved win and a return to the top of the table, the deficiency should be just as worrying given their designs on the Premier League. He stated that winning margins will inevitably be more emphatic with graft and determination. But it is somewhat premature in the season for a team that can start with elite players, while leaving quality substitutes on the bench, to be dependent on scrappy victories.
4. Pep's Christmas Weight Watch at City
Over the festive period the City manager will check the weights to ensure his Manchester City players have not enjoyed excessive celebrations. Guardiola said the players asked to take a day off after their 3-0 triumph but he refused because they didn’t play good enough. So the schedule involves rehabilitation, work for those who didn't feature, and after three days off, then 48 hours of preparation for the upcoming match. The manager outlined how they can get better. “I excel at analyzing what happens in the game, identifying weaknesses – if the players were in the right areas, we could generate more chances.” The boss also plans to enjoy a rest: “I'm taking a break with the family for celebrations. I'm going to Barcelona – it's highly recommended, the food is excellent.”
5. A Costly Goal: Isak's Injury Mars Liverpool Win
The Swedish striker's finish at Tottenham felt, for a fleeting moment, like an arrival. This was precisely the reason Liverpool invested heavily for him to do, to break tight games with his clever positioning and composure, and the confidence with which he finished from a neat pass was highly promising. So the image of him leaving immediately, the victim of a ill-judged tackle, was a significant blow for Arne Slot and frustrating for fans who would like to see an extraordinary talent perform at his best again. It is believed Isak has picked up a serious leg injury and he probably endures a extended spell on the sidelines. It would be a major blow with Liverpool having quietly moved into the top four, putting together a solid undefeated streak bookended by Isak’s maiden league strikes in their colours. Their prospects appear tied up with those of their record signing.
6. Penalty Debate Rages After Newcastle Draw
Managers often moan about contentious refereeing decisions as a means of diverting the narrative from matters they wish to avoid discussing. The 13 points Newcastle have squandered when ahead this season seems a case in point. Eddie Howe certainly did not seem particularly eager to mention that unfortunate habit following his side’s inability to hold onto a 2-0 lead against Chelsea in a game they ended up drawing. Yet Howe was surely right to question a decision made by the on-field referee and VAR not to award his team a penalty following a blatant body check on their winger. With the score then 2-1, a 12-yard award could have altered the outcome. Was the decision to offer the opposing player the benefit of considerable doubt informed by past incidents for being expert at earning fouls and sometimes simulating? Comments by a respected pundit was revealing. “He anticipates the contact,” was the analysis. “He knows the challenge is coming and he’s waiting 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 maiden victory on the road this season spelled a welcome result for Keith Andrews. Rather than celebrate, Andrews spoke kindly about Wolves, the club he joined at 16. “I spent nine years here,” he said. Wolves’ situation is truly alarming; statistical models state – perhaps generously – their probability of going down at overwhelmingly high, leaving nothing to play for beyond pride. A senior professional brutally spelled out|bluntly outlined|frankly
