Updated at 12.00
1. Injury-plagued City starting to build up a head of steam
THERE HAS BEEN an assumption, since the season’s early stages, that Chelsea would stroll to the title. That surmise could still materialise but the defending champions Manchester City aren’t prepared to relinquish their crown easily — not yet anyway.
After today’s 3-0 win over a stubborn Crystal Palace, Manuel Pellegrini’s side have moved level with the Blues — albeit having played a game more — and have now won eight games on the bounce in all competitions.
It was far from vintage City but that was hardly surprising when their battery of strikers were sidelined with various injuries. Pellegrini was forced to deploy James Milner as an auxiliary striker and while they huffed and puffed during a flat first-half display, they soon clicked into gear and turned the screw.
For one reason or another, City have gone under the radar this term. They have, however, been ruthlessly efficient — as evidenced today — and are building up a considerable head of steam as we enter the festive period. With games against West Brom, Burnley and Sunderland to come, City will be confident of extending their winning streak and applying further pressure to Chelsea.
Afterwards, Pellegrini admitted the Christmas and New Year period would be a defining one and although their injury list shows no sign of shortening, just yet anyway, City find themselves in a strong position with plenty left in the tank.
- Ryan Bailey
2. Is Christian Eriksen the Premier League’s most underrated player?
Tottenham’s secured a nervy, unconvincing 2-1 win over Burnley to move up to sixth in the league today, leaving them four points off a Champions League spot.
Erik Lamela scored the spectacular winner — his first goal in 26 league appearances for Spurs — however Eriksen again was especially influential in the victory.
For Harry Kane’s opening goal, the Danish international showed his footballing intelligence, refraining from touching a through ball when in an offside position and thus letting Nacer Chadli run on to it and set up the striker to head home.
In addition to being a consummate creator, in 2014, excluding penalties, no player has scored more goals than Eriksen, and the 22-year-old has twice scored last-minute winners for the Londoners, including during a tricky away fixture against Swansea last week.
Others such as Raheem Sterling have attracted far more praise and links to Real Madrid, in recent times, but on current form, Eriksen looks as promising as any young midfielder in the league.
- Paul Fennessy
3. Stewart Downing enduring a new lease of life for high-flying West Ham
After a big move fails, many players struggle to recover and gradually fade into obscurity thereafter (Eric Djemba Djemba is one player that springs to mind).
However, Stewart Downing has seemingly responded in the best possible fashion to his Liverpool setback.
The 30-year-old winger scored a stunning goal earlier as West Ham beat Leicester 2-0 to consolidate fourth place in the table.
Downing, along with another ex-Liverpool player, Andy Carroll, made the difference against a Leicester side who have failed to win their last 12 games, and are consequently bottom of the table on 10 points.
And there’s no doubt that the former Middlesbrough star has been a key part of their excellent form, climbing towards the top of the assists table to boot.
- Paul Fennessy
4. United get reality check from an unlikely source
https://vine.co/v/OXApOiOzwXT
Talk this week of United challenging for the title always seemed a little premature, and the Red Devils did little to dispel this feeling against Villa today.
United still managed to secure the record unbeaten run in the Premier League of any fixture, as they have now gone 19 games unbeaten away against Villa, who last defeated them in 1995, leading Alan Hansen to infamously claim that “you can’t win anything with kids”.
The visitors dominated in possession this afternoon, but all too often lacked the ingenuity in attack to break Villa down, as Ireland’s Ciaran Clark was among those to impress in defence for the Midlands club.
And despite their recent winning run, there remains a sense that Louis van Gaal still doesn’t know his best team — the experimentation continued today as the manager switched to a 3-4-3 formation in the second half and put Wayne Rooney in midfield, as they searched in vain for a late winner against the 10-man hosts.
- Paul Fennessy
5. Hull and Leicester slip deeper into the mire
It would be fair to say there won’t be too much festive cheer around the KC and King Power Stadiums this Christmas. Two more defeats today for Hull and Leicester City mean the clubs remain firmly in the red zone and there is little evidence to suggest they’ll muster the resolve to climb free.
Both will be all too aware of the Premier League ‘curse of Christmas’. Except for two seasons, the side bottom of the standings on Christmas Day have been relegated come May. This year is likely to be no different.
Today’s reversal at West Ham means Leicester are firmly rooted to the foot of the standings and it would take a brave punter to back Nigel Pearson’s side to pull off a miraculous escape.
Hull are in a similar plight. Steve Bruce’s side have now gone 10 games without a win in the Premier League and only Leicester sit beneath them. The Tigers, who were last season’s FA Cup runners-up, aren’t a million miles from safety but their form, and lack of fire-power, is disconcerting for the KC Stadium faithful.
However, there may be a glimmer of hope. Hull host Sunderland on Boxing Day before a clash with Leicester two days later could well define each side’s season — for better or worse. Either way, both need to find some semblance of form over the coming weeks or else they’ll face the prospect of being cut adrift.
- Ryan Bailey
