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1. Rogers and Emery Combine for Heist

Do the final scores be misleading? One must ask. Aston Villa's winning streak was extended versus Manchester United, accompanied by the nagging doubts. They were the lesser team by multiple metrics – a lower shot count (12-15), reduced ball control (43-57), not as many golden opportunities (2-3). As usual, the victory was a slender one. In keeping with form, statistical models painted a different picture: reports suggest United had the slight advantage 1.31-1.02. Yet the reality is games are not won by xG. They are won by solid teamwork, astute coaching and moments of magic – and Villa possess each ingredient. Villa's emerging star could be considered their only star, but his contributions are coming like Father Christmas. The Villa manager is crafty, seasoned, significantly more advanced of Ruben Amorim. Should Rogers have benefited from a defensive lapse, this was almost certainly because the coach had detected that Yoro was playing out of position, and instructed his winger to begin on the flank, move infield and exploit the space. Individual brilliance and coaching, working together.

2. The Amorim Conundrum: Still Searching for Answers

Back in October after defeating Brighton 4-2 on 25 October, their fans felt optimism return. They had won three league games on the bounce for the maiden instance under their manager. Their position climbed to fourth. And the wins were impressive victories – over Brighton (a side they often struggle against), Liverpool (on the road!) and Sunderland (at Old Trafford, against a promoted club, but still – a comfortable clean sheet). The goalkeeper was reassuring, the attack was exciting and morale was high. But then United went back to black. In a run of eight matches, two wins, six games without a win. In the recent fixture they were the more dominant side without ever appearing likely to triumph. Yes, Matheus Cunha scored a good goal, but he also blazed over a simple chance. Yes, United were unlucky with injuries (to key players), but they conceded soft goals. After 13 months in England, Amorim still hasn’t worked out how to secure victories.

3. Below-Par Gunners Get on Their Grind

It was an evening fixture on the festive weekend but a distinct lack of quality in the attacking areas made for a forgettable match. For Everton, the issue was predictable with key attackers absent, and the experienced winger struggling to lift an entire team single-handedly. In many respects it is astonishing that David Moyes’s side were in fifth place in the table recently given they have played the whole campaign without a reliable number nine. For Arsenal and their manager, while he savoured a deserved win and ascending to the summit of the table, the deficiency should be just as worrying given their ambitions for the Premier League. Arteta insisted that positive results will inevitably grow more comfortable with graft and determination. But it is fairly soon in the season for a team that can start with world-class talents, while leaving exciting options on the bench, to be dependent on scrappy victories.

4. Pep's Christmas Weight Watch at City

On Christmas Day the City manager will check the weights to ensure his Manchester City players have not indulged too much. Guardiola said his squad requested to have a rest day after their 3-0 triumph but he refused because they didn’t play good enough. So it's recovery, work for those who didn't feature, and after three days off, then brief training for the upcoming match. The manager outlined 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 generate more chances.” The boss also plans to enjoy a rest: “I have holidays with the family to relax. A trip to Barcelona is planned – it's highly recommended, the food is top.”

5. Isak’s Injury Overshadows Big Moment

Isak's clinical effort at Tottenham felt, for a brief instant, like an arrival. This was exactly what Liverpool invested heavily for him to do, to unlock stubborn defences with his clever positioning and composure, and the calmness with which he finished from an incisive ball boded superbly. So the image of him leaving immediately, the victim of a ill-judged tackle, was a huge concern for the Liverpool manager and a shame for any neutral who would like to see an extraordinary talent reach his peak again. Reports suggest Isak has picked up a serious leg injury and he probably endures a long time on the sidelines. It would be a major blow with Slot’s team having snuck up on the upper echelons, putting together a six-game unbeaten run bookended by Isak’s first Premier League goals in their colours. Their prospects appear tied up with those of their record signing.

6. Did Chelsea Get Away with One?

Managers often complain 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 is a prime example. Eddie Howe 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 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 Anthony Gordon. With the score then 2-1, a spot-kick could have changed the narrative. Was the decision to offer the Chelsea defender the leeway informed by past incidents for being expert at earning fouls and sometimes going down too easily? Comments by a respected pundit was interesting. “Gordon’s waiting,” was the analysis. “He expects the tackle and he’s waiting for it. I think he's looking for the foul. But the force and aggression there … that’s not shielding the ball.”

7. A 99.17% Certainty

Brentford’s first away win this season spelled relief for their manager. Rather than celebrate, Andrews sympathised with Wolves, the club he joined at 16. “I spent nine years here,” he said. Wolves’ situation is increasingly desperate; data analysts state – possibly kindly – their likelihood of the drop at overwhelmingly high, leaving little tangible to fight for beyond pride. A experienced defender brutally spelled out|bluntly outlined|frankly