1. A Tactical Coup: How Rogers and Emery Outfoxed United
Can results sometimes deceive? One must ask. Villa's run of victories persisted with a win over Manchester United, but so did the nagging doubts. They were the lesser team by several measures – 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. In keeping with form, the xG metric painted a different picture: reports suggest United edged it 1.31-1.02. Yet the reality is games are determined by more than statistics. They are won by cohesive units, astute coaching and sparkling skill – and Villa have all three. Villa's emerging star might just be their only star, but he is performing with festive regularity. Unai Emery is wily, experienced, significantly more advanced of Ruben Amorim. If Rogers profited from a positional error, this was almost certainly because Emery had spotted that Yoro is not a right-back, and directed his attacker to begin on the flank, move infield and exploit the space. Individual brilliance and coaching, combining effectively.
2. Amorim Continues to Fall Short
When Manchester United beat Brighton 4-2 last month, their fans rediscovered hope. They secured three league games in a row for the first time under their manager. They ascended to fourth. And the wins were all good ones – over Brighton (a traditionally tricky opponent), Liverpool (away!) and Sunderland (at Old Trafford, against a promoted club, but still – an untroubled victory). The goalkeeper was reassuring, the attack was exciting and morale was high. But then United returned to poor form. In a run of eight matches, only two victories, six games without a win. At Villa Park they were the better team without ever looking like winning. Yes, Matheus Cunha scored an excellent finish, but he also failed to convert a golden opportunity. Yes, United were hit by fitness issues (to influential figures), but they were punished for defensive errors. After 13 months in England, Amorim still hasn’t worked out how to win consistently.
3. Arsenal Grind Out a Vital Victory
It was an 8pm kick-off on the holiday period but a glaring absence of finesse in the final third made for a forgettable match. For Everton, the issue was predictable with offensive players absent, and their star man unable to spark an entire team single-handedly. In many respects it is surprising that the Toffees were in fifth place in the table two weeks earlier given they have played the entire season without a decent striker. For Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, while he enjoyed a merited victory and reclaiming first place of the table, the flaw should be equally concerning given their title aspirations in the Premier League. He stated that positive results 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 needing to win ugly.
4. Guardiola's Strict Festive Regime for Champions
On Christmas Day the Catalan coach will check the weights to ensure his Manchester City players have not indulged too much. He revealed the players asked to have a rest day after their recent victory but he refused because the performance was insufficient. So it's recovery, training for the squad players, and post-holiday, then 48 hours of preparation for the Nottingham Forest game. Guardiola detailed how improvements can be made. “I’m good at reading what happens in the game, where are the spaces – if the players were in optimal spots, we could create more.” Guardiola will also enjoy a rest: “I'm taking a break with the family to relax. A trip to Barcelona is planned – it's highly recommended, the food is top.”
5. Liverpool's Joy Tempered by Isak Blow
The Swedish striker's finish at Tottenham felt, for a brief instant, like a statement. This was the very purpose Liverpool paid all that money for him to do, to unlock stubborn defences with his movement and range of finishing, and the confidence with which he clipped in from an incisive ball looked extremely positive. So the sight of him departing immediately, the victim of a ill-judged tackle, was a major worry for the Liverpool manager and disappointing for the spectator who would like to see a top-class forward perform at his best again. There are fears Isak has sustained a fractured leg and he probably endures a extended spell on the sidelines. It would be a huge loss with the Reds having steadily climbed towards the upper echelons, putting together a six-game unbeaten run featuring Isak’s initial goals in their colours. Their campaign trajectory appear heavily dependent on those of their record signing.
6. A Contentious Call Saves Chelsea
Managers often lament debatable rulings as a means of diverting the narrative from matters they wish to avoid discussing. The significant tally Newcastle have dropped from winning positions this season seems a case in point. The Newcastle boss certainly did not seem particularly eager to mention that problematic pattern following his side’s failure to protect a 2-0 lead against Chelsea in a game they ended up drawing. Yet Howe was surely justified in criticising a decision made by the match officials not to award his team a penalty following a clear obstruction on their winger. With the score then 2-1, a 12-yard award could have changed the narrative. Was the decision to offer the Chelsea defender the leeway informed by the player's history for being very clever at winning penalties and sometimes going down too easily? Analysis from a former England striker was interesting. “He sees the challenge coming,” was the analysis. “He expects the tackle and he’s waiting for it. I think he’s ready to go down. But the nature of the contact there … it constitutes a foul.”
7. Wolves' Grim Relegation Reality
Brentford’s initial success on their travels this season spelled a welcome result for their manager. Rather than celebrate, Andrews spoke kindly about Wolves, the club he started his career with. “A large chunk of my life was here,” he said. Wolves’ situation is truly alarming; data analysts state – maybe optimistically – their probability of going down at 99.17%, leaving little tangible to fight for beyond honour. A senior professional brutally spelled out|bluntly outlined|frankly
