Aston Villa continued their relentless winning run to further clear along with leaders Arsenal and Manchester City, as we look at the five stories from the weekend.
The Premier League weekend ended without any major changes across the top half of the table, although we have seen some pace setters in the title race. Aston Villa made the headlines with a tenth win in a row across all competitions, with Unai Emery bringing in a sense of a title-challenging season at Villa Park.
There will be questions whether they can sustain the same in the long season, but the teams above them are certain to be the prime contenders this term. Those being the leaders Arsenal and the chasing pack of Manchester City, with the duo registering important wins at the weekend.
Away from the title race and focusing on the top four battle, Liverpool gained momentum while Chelsea stuttered once again. It was a strange win for the Merseysiders, given they only began hurting Tottenham after the Londoners went down to ten men.
As for Chelsea, they lost ground in the top four race, despite retaining the fourth spot. Now there are questions being asked whether Liverpool truly have had a bad season so far, considering the Merseysiders are level on points with Chelsea after the latest gameweek.
Manchester United completed the storyline of the weekend, as the Red Devils succumbed to a Morgan Rogers masterclass. There will be some analysis into their injuries as well as AFCON-led absentees, which may severely hurt their chances of a top-four finish.
Arsenal and Man City steer clear
Arsenal posted a crucial away win at Everton, with a solitary strike from Viktor Gyokeres from the penalty spot, sealing the three points. The Swede needed this to boost his confidence after plenty of criticism was directed towards him in recent times for his lack of goalscoring output.
Overall, Arsenal looked to be closer to their defensive best, as the team responded to Mikel Arteta’s criticism from the win over Wolves. There are still defensive injuries on the side, as the Gunners boss will want this hectic festive period out of the way, and see his side still leading the league in the new year, as well as enter the Carabao Cup semifinals.
As for Manchester City, some might say it was a routine and expected win over strugglers West Ham United, but it was important from Pep Guardiola’s perspective. The Catalan will want these kinds of results, where his team kept another clean sheet and built momentum towards a crucial period of the season.
There are some tough games ahead for Man City, and should they come out of some tricky away fixtures, then they can consider themselves firm contenders alongside Arsenal. There are still some lingering doubts over their overall ability to stay focused in the title challenge, but they have every chance to prove their doubters wrong.
Aston Villa make another statement
Aston Villa continued their relentless form, and despite not being the best team on the night against Manchester United, they still came out on top. A Morgan Rogers masterclass proved enough to down the Red Devils, as it was Villa’s tenth consecutive win across all competitions.
Unai Emery is positively leading his charge, given how his team started this season, but the current form they are in makes them the best in the league at the moment. However, there are big questions about sustainability in the title race, which may be due to a lack of proper squad depth.
However, for now, they are firmly in the title race, and it is up to Emery’s management to keep them there. It will be interesting to see whether they can sustain themselves in it or fade out of relevance, and at least compete for a top four place.
Liverpool still performing questionably
Liverpool fans have dwelled upon a six-game unbeaten run, but keep forgetting that they lost three games before that run began. Hence, taking into account the ten games they have played recently, there is still a lot to be desired.
While they managed to collect three points against Tottenham, there were concerns over their performances as well as the grim injury to star striker Alexander Isak. The Swede suffered a lower leg injury and has since undergone ankle surgery, which may keep him out for the long haul.
Spurs were the better side until they went down to ten men, and it’s only after Xavi Simons’ sending off that Liverpool picked up form. Hence, there’s a lot to be desired if they are to re-enter the title race at any point in the current campaign, although for now they are progressing well in their quest for a top-four place.
Are Chelsea worried?
That said, we are referring to Chelsea fans, who were pushing this team to challenge for the title in the aftermath of a top-notch performance in the draw with Arsenal. However, they have fallen off a cliff since, and dropped massive points against teams most would have expected them to collect wins.
While a trip to St James’ Park was always difficult, the manner of Chelsea’s performance in the first half, coupled with a brace from Nick Woltemade, ensured the Magpies had a considerable lead. However, the Blues fought back to relevance in the second period with a superb performance, and made their chances count through Reece James and Joao Pedro.
The Blues are widely seen as a firm contender for a top-four place, but given they are level on points with Liverpool, who are having the worst season in a long time, there are questions about Chelsea and whether they are actually progressing in their quest.
What about Manchester United?
Another week, another result that can be brushed under the carpet, and Manchester United losing further relevance in their quest to qualify for the Champions League. They stumbled again away at Villa, and this time the loss came at a cost.
Not only were Manchester United missing their key AFCON trio of Noussair Mazraoui, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, but they have also now lost Bruno Fernandes to a serious hamstring injury. The attacking midfielder and skipper is set for a spell on the sidelines, which may prove detrimental in their quest for the top four places.
For that to happen, Amorim needs to find a formula to play well without their influential skipper to achieve their objectives. However, as things stand, there are considerable doubts over their chances in the top four race, especially if teams above them pick up consistent race of results.
