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1. The Villa Heist: Rogers & Emery's Masterclass

Do the final scores sometimes deceive? One must ask. The Villans' triumphant run persisted with a win over Manchester United, but so did the lingering concerns. 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). Once again, the victory was a slender one. As usual, the xG metric painted a different picture: reports suggest United were narrowly ahead 1.31-1.02. Yet the reality is games are decided on the pitch, not on spreadsheets. They are won by cohesive units, shrewd management and individual talent – and Villa possess each ingredient. Villa's emerging star could be considered their primary talisman, but his contributions are coming as a timely gift. The Spanish tactician is shrewd, battle-hardened, five years ahead of his counterpart. Should Rogers have benefited from a positional error, that was probably because Emery had spotted that Yoro is not a right-back, and directed his attacker to start wide, drive inside and torment him. Talent and management, in perfect harmony.

2. Persistent Problems for Amorim's United

Following United's victory over Brighton 4-2 in late October, their fans felt optimism return. They secured three league games in a row for the maiden instance under Ruben Amorim. Their position climbed to fourth. And the wins were solid results – over Brighton (a traditionally tricky opponent), Liverpool (on the road!) and Sunderland (at home, versus a newly-promoted side, but still – a comfortable clean sheet). The goalkeeper was reassuring, the attack was exciting and there was a positive mood. But then United returned to poor form. Over the next eight fixtures, only two victories, six missed opportunities. In the recent fixture they were superior for large periods without ever seeming like taking three points. Yes, Matheus Cunha scored an excellent finish, but he also failed to convert a golden opportunity. Yes, United were cursed by absentees (to key players), but they conceded soft goals. Following over a year in England, the manager has yet to solve how to secure victories.

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

It was an 8pm kick-off on the festive weekend but a noticeable shortage of fluency in the attacking areas made for a forgettable match. For Everton, the issue was expected with creative forces absent, and their star man struggling to lift an entire team on his own. In many respects it is surprising that Everton were in fifth place in the table not long ago given they have played the whole campaign without a proven goalscorer. For Arsenal and the Spanish coach, while he relished a hard-fought three points and reclaiming first place of the table, the flaw should be just as worrying given their title aspirations in the Premier League. Arteta insisted that positive results will inevitably grow more comfortable with hard work and perseverance. But it is somewhat premature in the season for a team that can start with international stars, while leaving talented players on the bench, to be relying on grinding out wins.

4. Pep's Christmas Weight Watch at City

Over the festive period Pep Guardiola will monitor the scales to ensure his Manchester City players have not enjoyed excessive celebrations. He explained the team wanted to take a day off after their 3-0 triumph but the request was denied because the performance was insufficient. So it's recovery, work for those who didn't feature, and post-holiday, then 48 hours of preparation for the Nottingham Forest game. Guardiola detailed how improvements can be made. “My strength is deciphering 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'm taking a break with the family to relax. I'm going to Barcelona – I recommend it, the food is superb.”

5. Isak’s Injury Overshadows Big Moment

The Swedish striker's finish at Tottenham felt, for a brief instant, like an arrival. This was the very purpose Liverpool paid all that money for him to do, to break tight games with his intelligent runs and finishing ability, and the calmness with which he clipped in from good service was highly promising. So the image of him leaving immediately, due to a reckless attempt, was a major worry for Arne Slot and disappointing for the spectator who would like to see a top-class forward reach his peak again. There are fears Isak has picked up a serious leg injury and he probably endures a extended spell on the sidelines. It would be a huge loss with Slot’s team having steadily climbed towards the top four, putting together a six-game unbeaten run highlighted by Isak’s maiden league strikes in their colours. Their prospects appear heavily dependent on those of their £125m investment.

6. Did Chelsea Get Away with One?

Managers often lament controversial calls as a means of deflecting media attention from matters they want to keep private. The significant tally Newcastle have dropped from winning positions this season seems a case in point. The Newcastle boss certainly did not seem too willing to mention that unfortunate habit following his side’s collapse from a 2-0 lead against Chelsea in a game they ended up drawing. Yet Newcastle’s manager was surely justified in criticising a decision made by the referee not to award his team a penalty following a clear obstruction on the England international. With the score then 2-1, a penalty could have changed the narrative. Was the decision to offer the Chelsea defender the doubt informed by Gordon’s reputation for being expert at drawing contact and sometimes simulating? Comments by a respected pundit was interesting. “Gordon’s waiting,” was the analysis. “He knows the challenge is coming and he's ready. I think he's looking for the foul. But the force and aggression there … it's more than just defending.”

7. A 99.17% Certainty

Brentford’s first away win this season spelled relief for Keith Andrews. Instead of reveling in the win, Andrews spoke kindly about Wolves, the club he came through at. “My formative years were here,” he said. Wolves’ situation is increasingly desperate; data analysts state – perhaps generously – their probability of going down at overwhelmingly high, leaving nothing to play for beyond honour. A experienced defender brutally spelled out|bluntly outlined|frankly