1. A Tactical Coup: How Rogers and Emery Outfoxed United
Do the final scores be misleading? It's a valid query. The Villans' triumphant run was extended versus Manchester United, but so did the persistent questions. They were the lesser team by a number of key indicators – less attempts (12-15), a smaller share of the ball (43-57), a scarcity of clear opportunities (2-3). Once again, the victory was tightly contested. Consistently, statistical models sided with the opposition: analysis indicates United were narrowly ahead 1.31-1.02. Yet the reality is games are not won by xG. They are won by cohesive units, astute coaching and sparkling skill – and Villa have all three. The young forward could be considered their primary talisman, but he is performing like Father Christmas. Unai Emery is crafty, battle-hardened, five years ahead of his counterpart. If Rogers profited from a defensive lapse, this was almost certainly because Emery had spotted that his opponent was uncomfortable, and directed his attacker to start wide, cut in and torment him. Individual brilliance and coaching, combining effectively.
2. Persistent Problems for Amorim's United
When Manchester United beat Brighton 4-2 last month, their fans felt optimism return. They secured three league games in a row for the maiden instance under Ruben Amorim. They ascended to fourth. And the wins were solid results – over Brighton (one of their many bogey teams), Liverpool (on the road!) and Sunderland (in front of their own fans, facing a team fresh from the Championship, but still – a routine shutout). Senne Lammens looked solid, their forward line sparked and optimism was growing. But then United went back to black. Eight games, a mere pair of successes, six disappointing results. At Villa Park they were the better team without ever looking like winning. Yes, Matheus Cunha scored a good goal, but he also failed to convert a golden opportunity. Yes, United were cursed by absentees (to important midfielders), but they were punished for defensive errors. Since his arrival in England, the coach continues to struggle with how to secure victories.
3. Below-Par Gunners Get on Their Grind
It was a late Saturday start on the holiday period but a noticeable shortage of fluency in the final third made for a forgettable match. For Everton, the issue was predictable with creative forces absent, and Jack Grealish 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 not long ago given they have played the whole campaign without a proven goalscorer. For Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, while he savoured a deserved win and a return to the top of the table, the deficiency should be of similar concern given their designs on the Premier League. Arteta insisted that winning margins will inevitably grow more comfortable with graft and determination. But it is fairly soon in the season for a team that can start with elite players, while leaving talented players on the bench, to be dependent on scrappy victories.
4. Guardiola’s Festive City Investigations
During the holidays Pep Guardiola will conduct fitness tests to ensure his Manchester City players have not overdone the festive fare. He explained the team wanted to have a rest day after their recent victory but he declined because they didn’t play good enough. So they will recuperate, sessions for the fringe men, and following a short break, then two days to prepare for the Nottingham Forest game. The manager outlined how the side can improve. “My strength is deciphering what happens in the game, locating the gaps – if the players were in optimal spots, we could create more.” Guardiola will also enjoy a rest: “I have holidays with the family to relax. A trip to Barcelona is planned – I recommend it, the food is top.”
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 the very purpose Liverpool paid all that money for him to do, to decide close contests with his intelligent runs and finishing ability, and the assurance with which he clipped in from good service boded superbly. So the sight of him departing immediately, due to a rash challenge, was a major worry for the Liverpool manager and disappointing for the spectator who would like to see a top-class forward reach his peak again. Reports suggest Isak has picked up a serious leg injury and he probably endures a lengthy period on the sidelines. It would be a significant setback with the Reds having snuck up on the top four, putting together a six-game unbeaten run featuring Isak’s first Premier League goals in their colours. Their fortunes this season appear inextricably linked to those of their £125m investment.
6. Did Chelsea Get Away with One?
Managers often complain about controversial calls as a means of shifting the focus from matters they wish to avoid discussing. The significant tally Newcastle have failed to secure from leading situations this season seems a case in point. Eddie Howe certainly did not seem particularly eager to mention that problematic pattern 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 justified in criticising a decision made by the referee not to award his team a penalty following a obvious foul on the England international. With the score then 2-1, a 12-yard award could have changed the narrative. Was the decision to offer the defender the leeway informed by Gordon’s reputation for being very clever at winning penalties and sometimes exaggerating? Analysis from a former England striker was revealing. “He anticipates the contact,” he said. “He expects the tackle and he braces for it. I think he's looking for the foul. But the force and aggression there … it constitutes a foul.”
7. Wolves' Grim Relegation Reality
Brentford’s initial success on their travels this season spelled relief 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 – possibly kindly – their chances of relegation at virtually certain, leaving only pride at stake beyond honour. A senior professional brutally spelled out|bluntly outlined|frankly
