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

Do the final scores sometimes deceive? One must ask. The Villans' triumphant run persisted with a win over Manchester United, accompanied by the nagging doubts. On paper, they were second best by several measures – fewer shots (12-15), reduced ball control (43-57), a scarcity of clear opportunities (2-3). As usual, the victory was a slender one. Consistently, expected goals (xG) was unimpressed: according to data United had the slight advantage 1.31-1.02. But, as every fan knows games are decided on the pitch, not on spreadsheets. They are won by collective effort, astute coaching and sparkling skill – and Villa have all three. The young forward may be their primary talisman, but his contributions are coming like Father Christmas. The Villa manager is crafty, experienced, five years ahead of his counterpart. If Rogers profited from a positional error, that was probably because Emery had spotted that his opponent was uncomfortable, and directed his attacker to take up a wide position, drive inside and exploit the space. Individual brilliance and coaching, in perfect harmony.

2. Amorim Continues to Fall Short

When Manchester United beat Brighton 4-2 last month, their fans felt optimism return. They had won three league games on the bounce for the maiden instance under their manager. They ascended to fourth. And the wins were solid results – over Brighton (a traditionally tricky opponent), Liverpool (on the road!) and Sunderland (at Old Trafford, versus a newly-promoted side, but still – a routine shutout). Their keeper provided stability, Bryan Mbeumo offered threat and there was a positive mood. But then United slipped into a slump. Eight games, a mere pair of successes, six games without a win. In the recent fixture they were the more dominant side without ever seeming like taking three points. Yes, the Brazilian scored a fine effort, but he also missed a sitter. Yes, United were unlucky with injuries (to influential figures), but they conceded soft goals. After 13 months in England, the coach continues to struggle with how to claim three points.

3. Arteta's Men Win Ugly to Return to the Summit

It was an 8pm kick-off on the holiday period but a noticeable shortage of fluency in the attacking areas made for a drab affair. For Everton, the issue was predictable with offensive players absent, and the experienced winger unable to spark an entire team single-handedly. In many respects it is remarkable that the Toffees sat fifth in the table recently given they have played the entire season without a decent striker. For Arsenal and the Spanish coach, while he relished a hard-fought three points and a return to the top of the table, the problem should be just as worrying given their title aspirations in the Premier League. The manager claimed that victories will inevitably be more emphatic with dedication and persistence. But it is a little early in the season for a team that can start with world-class talents, while leaving exciting options on the bench, to be needing to win ugly.

4. Pep's Christmas Weight Watch at City

On Christmas Day the City manager will conduct fitness tests to ensure his Manchester City players have not enjoyed excessive celebrations. He revealed the players asked to take a day off after their recent victory but he refused because the performance was insufficient. So it's recovery, training for the squad players, and after three days off, then brief training for the Nottingham Forest game. Guardiola detailed how the side can improve. “I excel at analyzing what happens in the game, locating the gaps – if the players were in optimal spots, we could be more potent.” The boss also plans to enjoy a rest: “I have holidays with the family for celebrations. A trip to Barcelona is planned – it's a great city, the food is excellent.”

5. A Costly Goal: Isak's Injury Mars Liverpool Win

Isak's clinical effort at Tottenham felt, for a glorious few seconds, like a statement. This was exactly what Liverpool splashed the cash for him to do, to break tight games with his clever positioning and composure, and the calmness with which he clipped in from good service looked extremely positive. So the sight of him departing immediately, due to a reckless attempt, was a significant blow for the Liverpool manager and a shame for any neutral who would like to see such a gifted player hit full tilt again. Reports suggest Isak has suffered a broken leg and he likely faces a long time on the sidelines. It would be a significant setback with Liverpool having steadily climbed towards the top four, 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 record signing.

6. Did Chelsea Get Away with One?

Managers often moan about debatable rulings as a means of deflecting media attention from matters they wish to avoid discussing. The 13 points Newcastle have failed to secure from leading situations 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 had to settle for a point in. Yet Newcastle’s manager was surely justified in criticising 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 changed the narrative. Was the decision to offer the Chelsea defender the benefit of considerable doubt informed by the player's history for being skilled at drawing contact and sometimes going down too easily? Comments by a well-known analyst was notable. “Gordon’s waiting,” was the analysis. “He expects the tackle and he’s waiting for it. I think he’s ready to go down. But the force and aggression there … it's more than just defending.”

7. Wolves' Grim Relegation Reality

Brentford’s first away win this season spelled a welcome result for their manager. Instead of reveling in the win, Andrews expressed empathy for Wolves, the club he joined at 16. “A large chunk of my life was here,” he said. Wolves’ situation is beyond dire; Opta state – perhaps generously – their chances of relegation at 99.17%, leaving little tangible to fight for beyond professionalism. A veteran player brutally spelled out|bluntly outlined|frankly