Here’s a look at seven things we learned…
Aston Villa Gained Nothing From Thrashing Liverpool
Momentum is everything in football, but Aston Villa have the wrong kind of negative momentum at the worst time of year, with games coming thick and fast.
Villa have lost all four Premier League games they have played in December and clearly didn’t get a positive boost from beating a team of Liverpool teenagers 5-0 in the Carabao Cup last week.
Defeats to Chelsea and Leicester might have been understandable, but Villa failed to lay a glove on Sheffield United on 14 December and were beaten at home by fellow relegation strugglers Southampton, who leapfrogged them out of the relegation zone in the process.
Dean Smith has denied an imminent need to sell players in order to balance the books because of reported Financial Fair Play implications, but the next few months could be bleak.
Newcastle Are (Quietly)…Good?
Remember all the hate directed at Steve Bruce and Newcastle when he was appointed Magpies manager in July? In hindsight, it would seem that it was rather unfounded.
A poor start to the season, which it must be said included wins over Tottenham and Manchester United, has been put to one side and Bruce’s Newcastle have found their groove. Since the start of November, they have won five of eight Premier League games, as well as drawing with Manchester City, to rise to within touching distance of a European place.
Close to a year after his arrival from MLS, former record signing Miguel Almiron scored his first goal in Newcastle colours to beat a tough Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Wilder for Manager of the Season Already
Is it more impressive that Jurgen Klopp could guide Liverpool to the Premier League title, continuing momentum that began last season, or that Chris Wilder has firmly installed newly promoted Sheffield United as ‘best of the rest’ behind the top four?
The Blades beat Brighton on Sunday to make it three wins in a row. Remarkably, they are still unbeaten away from home all season.
This, a squad built from the lower leagues and largely devoid of Premier League experience, showing the undeniable importance of intelligent tactics and positive application.
Man City Are Not Ready to Roll Over
After half a season of ‘human’ results from a previously ‘superhuman’ team, Manchester City were impressively able to rally on Saturday when they went a goal down to a plucky Leicester.
The fightback from Pep Guardiola’s team, masterminded by the on-fire Kevin De Bruyne, showed that the reigning champions are not ready to give up on the title race just yet. Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus got the goals to win 3-1.
The result ensured that Liverpool remain 10 points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand, but if anyone is to make a dent in that lead over the second half of the season, it will be City.
Everton & Arsenal Need New Manager Syndrome
Everton and Arsenal both had new managers watching on ready to start their jobs in Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta respectively when they met on Saturday.
Each man would have walked away at the final whistle knowing there is work to be done after a 0-0 draw that featured just two shots on target (both from Arsenal) in 90 minutes.
Arsenal have only won once in the Premier League since 6 October. Everton have only won twice since 19 October. New manager syndrome is a must to save both of their seasons.
The Apprentice Beats the Master (Again)
Jose Mourinho organising a team at home to get one over on one of his former clubs would have seemed like a sensible and infinitely plausible prediction ahead of Tottenham hosting Chelsea on Sunday. Clearly, nobody gave the script to Frank Lampard.
Lampard, who famously played under Mourinho, was one step ahead of his old boss. And not for the first time either, with Derby knocking Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup last season.
Willian’s first half brace was the difference, before Son Heung-min’s second half red card, decided by VAR, compounded Mourinho’s and Spurs’ misery.
Man Utd Are Impossible to Understand
‘Beat the best, lose against the rest’ is the bizarre tagline that perfectly sums up Manchester United this season, with a woeful defeat against bottom club Watford the latest in a growing list of poor results against teams below them in the Premier League table.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer accused his team of treating the game like a ‘testimonial’.
So far this season, United have won just six Premier League games – four of which have come against Chelsea, Leicester, Tottenham and Manchester City. They are also the only team all season that has taken points off leaders Liverpool.
And yet, they have failed to win against Watford, Aston Villa, Southampton, West Ham, Everton, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Arsenal, Wolves and Sheffield United.
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Source : 90min