1) Not a lot has modified for Arsenal beneath Arteta
Mikel Arteta has been the Arsenal supervisor for just below a yr, and although some issues have improved beneath him – angle, depth, FA Cup tally – it’s nonetheless not clear what the plan is, particularly going ahead. And whereas it is very important emphasise how a lot Thomas Partey is being missed, the sensation persists that it actually doesn’t should be like this. When Arteta was appointed, he was gifted half a season of minimal expectations, that means he might experiment with a view to discover the personnel and formation greatest in a position to execute his beliefs. However although he did brilliantly to win a trophy, he settled on little or no, so his present place just isn’t dissimilar to the one through which he started – besides now, he’s beneath strain. Perhaps it’s time to give Bukayo Saka, Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock prolonged runs as a result of actually, how a lot worse – and extra tedious – might issues get? Daniel Harris
• Match report: Arsenal 1-2 Wolves
2) Klopp can be clever to select his battles
Some extent was truly an honest consequence for Liverpool in a wierd, cut-and-shut season, and with second- and third-string gamers at centre-back, right-back and central midfield. Not that you simply’d comprehend it listening to Jürgen Klopp. He has backed himself into an unhelpful nook, prattling on about workloads, carping at fellow managers and assuming victimhood in a pointless battle with the identical individuals – broadcasters – who gave him the cash to fund his group within the first place. Participant welfare is of important significance, after all. However many exterior the soccer bubble will battle to grasp the fixed harping, at a time when everyone seems to be stretched and only a few of us have a weekly TV spot to broadcast our skilled woes. One factor is for certain: speaking endlessly about how drained you might be, making it an unwinnable private campaign, is unlikely to assist Klopp’s gamers. Barney Ronay
• Match report: Brighton 1-1 Liverpool
3) Lampard is let down by his forwards
Frank Lampard might safely predict the technique that José Mourinho would make use of. He would have been conscious that it was his forwards’ job to discover a manner by means of an opponent dug in to defend deeply. That was the place Chelsea fell quick, significantly in a second half the place Tottenham invited them on. Even Olivier Giroud, Lampard’s midweek Pink Adair at Rennes, couldn’t discover a late objective when approaching for the disappointing Tammy Abraham. Timo Werner additionally laboured except for an early offside objective, and Hakim Ziyech was frequently crowded out. Lampard may console himself that his group didn’t fall into the identical traps that did for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City the earlier week. However having improved Chelsea’s defending – one thing his critics stated was past his ken – Lampard is but to marry it with the attacking high quality required for the essential matches that may make or break a title problem. John Brewin
• Match report: Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
4) Palace should dispel one-man-team concept
As Roy Hodgson acknowledged, Crystal Palace’s propensity to not win when Wilfried Zaha is absent should be embarrassing for the remainder of his squad. Successive defeats in opposition to Burnley and Newcastle because the Ivory Coast ahead was sidelined after testing optimistic for Covid-19 prolonged the undesirable run. Hodgson’s aspect have now picked up six factors from a doable 51 with out their talisman since September 2016. “I might be very pissed off with [that] if I used to be one of many different outfield gamers, to have it instructed to me on a regular basis that the one manner you ever win a recreation is that if Wilf performs. However sadly, we will’t deny the actual fact,” stated the Palace supervisor. “Someplace alongside the road we’re going to should be taught to just accept that he isn’t going to have the ability to get us out of a gap each recreation.” Ed Aarons
• Match report: Crystal Palace 0-2 Newcastle
5) Ancelotti’s rearguard are letting the aspect down
There might be comfort in some defeats – even within the social media age – and any appraisal of Everton’s efficiency in opposition to Leeds should acknowledge their contribution to a massively entertaining recreation through which a man-marking job on James Rodríguez couldn’t fully nullify his excellence and a fractional offside denied him a shocking objective. That stated, Everton’s defending continues to undermine Carlo Ancelotti’s makes an attempt to construct a group of substance. In opposition to Leeds – who had been by means of on Jordan Pickford’s objective within the first minute and had 23 makes an attempt – there have been the mitigating components of accidents to Lucas Digne and Séamus Coleman. However Everton have been uncovered as a defensive unit frequently – they haven’t stored a league clear sheetsince the opening-day victory at Tottenham – and Ancelotti’s concern was clear whilst he praised Saturday’s general show. “Each considered one of us has to place in additional work, character, spirit and sacrifice to win extra factors,” he admitted. Andy Hunter
• Match report: Everton 0-1 Leeds
6) Festive season will outline Metropolis’s marketing campaign
Pep Guardiola has Manchester Metropolis in impolite well being following yet one more 5-0 defeat of Burnley, with a have a look at the fixture checklist suggesting a defining interval of the season is about to begin. Champions League video games in opposition to Porto and Marseille are tutorial as Metropolis have already certified and Fulham on Saturday seems a gimme, however the journey to Manchester United on 12 December will likely be a giant take a look at; Metropolis’s neighbours beat them residence and away within the league final season. But with West Brom, Southampton, Newcastle and Everton the opposite league foes earlier than a visit to Chelsea on 2 January, Metropolis have an opportunity to place collectively a run that may ship a message to Liverpool and different title contenders. Conversely, if factors are usually not racked up in these video games, Metropolis can have certainly illustrated they don’t seem to be the true deal in any case. Jamie Jackson
7) Benson supplies spark of hope for crushed Burnley
There have been few positives for Sean Dyche to take from Burnley’s newest drubbing on the Etihad however he did sing the praises of Josh Benson after the sport. Picked up by Burnley after being launched from Arsenal, Saturday’s recreation marked a bittersweet event for the 20-year-old midfielder, who spent a lot of a Premier League debut he’ll always remember battling gamely as Manchester Metropolis ran amok. Benson did look composed on the ball on the uncommon events Burnley had it, and can get different probabilities to showcase his broad passing vary in opposition to much less exalted opposition. “An actual robust debut, we should not neglect that,” stated Dyche. “He did himself no hurt in any respect. He performed himself very well right now. Within the buildup he didn’t look edgy, he appeared calm and I used to be impressed.” Barry Glendenning
• Match report: Manchester City 5-0 Burnley
8) Van de Beek battles his manner into Solskjær’s plans
One of many extra arresting sights through the first half at St Mary’s was how intently Manchester United’s teaching workers had been instructing Donny van de Beek from the touchline, significantly with regard to his defensive positioning. As a comparatively new a part of the system, Van de Beek is clearly nonetheless discovering his ft; maybe this explains why his introduction has been so gradual. In distinction to the roaming temporary loved by Bruno Fernandes, he appears to have a reasonably well-defined function on the left of midfield: constructing play when United have the ball, urgent the opposition right-back once they don’t. After the sport, Van de Beek posted an image of his left foot on-line: his toes bandaged and stitched, his ankle alarmingly swollen. We already knew about his imaginative and prescient, contact and economical passing, however maybe his tenacity and resilience have been underrated. Jonathan Liew
• Match report: Southampton 2-3 Manchester United
9) Stylish Gallagher is exceeding expectations
Slaven Bilic knew he was getting a very good participant when he persuaded Chelsea to let Conor Gallagher go to West Brom on mortgage. However he didn’t know precisely how good the midfielder is. His high quality has develop into clearer this season and he highlighted it by scoring his first objective in opposition to Sheffield United to present West Brom their first league win. “I anticipated him to be filled with power, enthusiasm and motivation… however for a 20-year-old man to be that dependable and have the sport administration to make correct selections and to mainly be so constant just isn’t regular,” stated Bilic. “He’s doing all of the soiled work and managing the sport however then he’s received high quality as properly and that, for a younger boy, just isn’t regular. I’ve seen it earlier than with nice gamers and he jogs my memory of them.” Paul Doyle
• Match report: West Brom 1-0 Sheffield United
10) Leeds Orta be glad about their director of soccer
Their curious maroon shirt – with a “modern tonal front pattern design” – apart, Leeds had been extraordinarily spectacular in opposition to Everton and now sit comfortably in mid-table, with loads of scope for enchancment. A lot of the credit score for it will go to Marcelo Bielsa, however the contribution of his director of soccer, Victor Orta, shouldn’t be underestimated. It was Orta who instructed Bielsa as supervisor, pitched him the membership and now finds the gamers he wants. Illan Meslier was kicking round in Ligue 2 earlier than Leeds got here calling and price simply £5m; Mateusz Klich price simply £3m and frequently stands out within the Premier League. Raphinha, scorer of Saturday’s profitable objective, was persuaded to decide on Elland Highway over the Champions League with Rennes. Leeds are doing a number of the suitable issues; Orta is a number of the explanation why. Daniel Harris
