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

Can results be misleading? One must ask. Aston Villa's winning streak continued against Manchester United, alongside the nagging doubts. 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). As usual, the victory was tightly contested. Consistently, the xG metric painted a different picture: reports suggest United edged it 1.31-1.02. However, supporters understand games are determined by more than statistics. They are won by solid teamwork, shrewd management and moments of magic – and Villa have all three. Villa's emerging star might just be their only star, but he is performing like Father Christmas. The Spanish tactician is shrewd, experienced, five years ahead of his counterpart. Should Rogers have benefited from a positional error, this was almost certainly because Emery had spotted that Yoro was playing out of position, and directed his attacker to start wide, cut in and exploit the space. Individual brilliance and coaching, working together.

2. Persistent Problems for Amorim's United

Back in October after defeating Brighton 4-2 on 25 October, their fans rediscovered hope. They secured three league games consecutively for the maiden instance under Ruben Amorim. They had risen to fourth. And the wins were impressive victories – over Brighton (a traditionally tricky opponent), Liverpool (on the road!) and Sunderland (at Old Trafford, versus a newly-promoted side, but still – an untroubled victory). Senne Lammens looked solid, their forward line sparked and there was a positive mood. But then United returned to poor form. Eight games, only two victories, six missed opportunities. In the recent fixture they were the better team without ever looking like winning. Yes, their forward scored an excellent finish, but he also failed to convert a golden opportunity. Yes, United were cursed by absentees (to influential figures), but they gave away cheap scores. Since his arrival in England, Amorim still hasn’t worked out how to win consistently.

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

It was an 8pm kick-off on the Saturday before Christmas but a glaring absence of finesse in the final third made for a drab affair. For Everton, the issue came as no surprise with key attackers absent, and Jack Grealish failing to inspire an entire team by himself. In many respects it is remarkable that David Moyes’s side were in fifth place in the table recently given they have played the whole campaign without a proven goalscorer. For Arsenal and the Spanish coach, while he enjoyed a merited victory and reclaiming first place of the table, the deficiency should be equally concerning given their ambitions for the Premier League. He stated that victories will inevitably grow more comfortable with dedication and persistence. But it is a little early in the season for a team that can start with elite players, while leaving exciting options on the bench, to be needing to win ugly.

4. Pep's Christmas Weight Watch at City

Over the festive period the Catalan coach will conduct fitness tests to ensure his Manchester City players have not indulged too much. He explained the team wanted to take a day off after their recent victory but he declined because they didn’t play good enough. So the schedule involves rehabilitation, sessions for the fringe men, and after three days off, then two days to prepare for the next fixture. He explained how they can get better. “I excel at analyzing what happens in the game, where are the spaces – if the players were in optimal spots, we could generate more chances.” Guardiola will also enjoy a rest: “I will be on vacation with the family to relax. I'm going to Barcelona – it's highly recommended, the food is excellent.”

5. Liverpool's Joy Tempered by Isak Blow

The Swedish striker's finish at Tottenham felt, for a fleeting moment, like an arrival. This was precisely the reason Liverpool splashed the cash for him to do, to unlock stubborn defences with his clever positioning and composure, and the confidence with which he finished from good service looked extremely positive. So the sight of him departing immediately, following a ill-judged tackle, was a huge concern for the Dutch coach and frustrating for fans who would like to see an extraordinary talent perform at his best again. Reports suggest Isak has suffered a broken leg and he likely faces a long time on the sidelines. It would be a major blow with the Reds having snuck up on the upper echelons, putting together a string of positive results bookended by Isak’s first Premier League goals in their colours. Their prospects appear inextricably linked to those of their £125m investment.

6. Did Chelsea Get Away with One?

Managers often complain about contentious refereeing decisions as a means of deflecting media attention from matters they want to keep private. The 13 points Newcastle have failed to secure from leading situations this season is a prime example. Their manager certainly did not seem too willing to mention that costly trend following his side’s collapse from a 2-0 lead against Chelsea in a game they had to settle for a point in. Yet the Magpies' boss was surely correct to highlight a decision made by the referee not to award his team a penalty following a clear obstruction on Anthony Gordon. With the score then 2-1, a 12-yard award could have changed the narrative. Was the decision to offer the opposing player the benefit of considerable doubt informed by the player's history for being expert at earning fouls and sometimes exaggerating? Comments by a former England striker was notable. “He sees the challenge coming,” came the observation. “He knows the challenge is coming and he's ready. I think he intends to hit the deck. But the force and aggression there … it's more than just defending.”

7. A 99.17% Certainty

Brentford’s initial success on their travels this season spelled joy for their manager. More than just enjoying the victory, Andrews expressed empathy for Wolves, the club he came through at. “My formative years were here,” he said. Wolves’ situation is beyond dire; Opta state – maybe optimistically – their probability of going down at 99.17%, leaving nothing to play for beyond pride. A senior professional brutally spelled out|bluntly outlined|frankly