1) It is time for Costa to grow up
How many chances can one player get before a manager decides that enough is enough? Diego Costa seems likely to escape another charge of violent conduct after the Chelsea striker aimed an apparent kick at Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel. He could be reprieved if the referee, Mark Clattenburg, states that he saw the incident in his report and that would be a lucky escape for a player whose inability to control himself has created problems for José Mourinho in the past. The last thing Chelsea’s beleaguered manager needs now is to lose his striker for another extended period. It is often said that players like Costa would not be the same if they curb their more aggressive instincts. But what use are they if they cannot play? It is time for Costa to grow up. Jacob Steinberg
• Barney Ronay: Chelsea lack anger and intensity of title-winning past
• Mourinho defiant and says he expects to stay as Chelsea manager
2) Ranieri’s achievements shouldn’t be diminished
“[Claudio] Ranieri has benefited from all the work Nigel [Pearson] has put in,” said Tony Pulis before his West Brom side were beaten 3-2 by Leicester on Saturday. “It’s very, very nice to step into a football club where everything is in place and at that club it looks like everything is in place … let’s not forget the work Nigel did, the three, four years he was at that club putting them in a position for Claudio now to push on.” It’s undoubtedly true that Ranieri did indeed benefit from a smooth handover, and that Pearson would still be in the job were it not for ‘non-football matters’, but we shouldn’t diminish the job the Italian has done, particularly when set against expectations. Remember that Ranieri’s last gig saw him help Greece to the bottom of a European Championship qualifying group that included the Faroe Islands, so there was general eye-rubbing and bewilderment after Leicester appointed him in the summer. However, since then they have lost just one game (against Arsenal), are an implausible third in the league and have developed a delightful knack of coming from behind; that’s 10 points gathered from losing positions following their comeback against the Baggies. Last season Pearson secured Leicester’s safety in May, but Ranieri has essentially managed it by November, and they are perfectly capable of even more, so the Italian deserves his share of the credit. Nick Miller
3) Wenger’s faith in Campbell pays off
If you were looking for omens that this could be the season of Arsène Wenger’s Grand Vindication, then the things you could point to include: a) Arsenal’s defensive solidity and the emergence of Laurent Koscielny as the Premier League’s best centre-back; b) José Mourinho’s Great Unravelling at a time when the three teams at the top of the table are led by Manuel Pellegrini, Wenger and Claudio Ranieri, venerable managers ridiculed in the past by the Portuguese; and c) the fact that Wenger unleashed Joel Campbell after four years in a remote oubliette and got him to cap a man-of-the-match performance with a fine goal. “I didn’t let him go because in our job you always have to be ready. And when you get the chance, take it – that’s what he has done,” said a chuffed Wenger after the Costa Rican’s role in an important win at Swansea. Paul Doyle
4) Hart’s errors have become as rare as City defeats this season
- Appearances
- 10
- Saves
- 15
- Clearances
- 1
The Joe Hart of 2015 is a more-at-ease soul than the one of two years ago. Then, Manuel Pellegrini had to drop his Manchester City No1 for a series of costly mistakes during the autumn of the Chilean’s first season in charge. On Saturday there was another Hart howler when his dropped cross allowed Cameron Jerome to stab home a 83rd-minute equaliser for Norwich City. To Hart’s relief City scored a late penalty and took all three points. Afterwards 28-year-old displayed his new maturity. “Be nice to me lads,” he said to reporters who were hoping for a word. After the blunder Hart redeemed himself with a smart save from Martin Olsson so the hope was to discuss this with him, as well as the gaffe. But Hart said: “I can’t talk after I’ve thrown one in like that.” He said it with a smile and with the self-depreciating tone of an elite player honest enough to point publicly to a mistake. Most pleasing of all for Hart is the errors have become as rare as City defeats this season. Jamie Jackson
• Match report: Manchester City 2-1 Norwich City
• Is the Premier League the world’s most exciting? Not this season
5) Koné triggers adulation in the stands and a clause in his contract
Roberto Martínez called for improvement from Everton while Sam Allardyce highlighted the positives of Sunderland’s attacking play, albeit with the proviso it will count for nothing unless his new team learn how to defend and quickly. As the managers’ reaction indicates, it was a strange 6-2 victory at Goodison Park on Sunday. Beyond dispute was Arouna Koné’s influence as man of the match and how deserving the Ivory Coast striker was not only of the match ball following his first hat-trick in English football, but the acclaim of the Everton crowd after enduring a nightmare start to his Goodison career. Koné was booed on to the pitch when he replaced Brendan Galloway in the opening game of the season against Watford, an unforgiving reaction to his struggle to recover from a career-threatening knee injury and one silenced by his late equaliser in that game. His name reverberated from the Gwladys Street during the Sunderland game, and long before his hat-trick as supporters recognised the tireless contribution of an honest forward. And a humble character too. That his 35th appearance for Everton triggered a one-year contract extension added to a momentous day for Koné. His ability to sustain this form and understanding with the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Gerard Deulofeu could have a major bearing on Everton’s season. Andy Hunter
6) Palace struggling to find a replacement for Murray
It isn’t just Manchester United who are enduring a bout of goal trouble. Alan Pardew made an expression that was a hybrid of a wince and wry smile when it was put to him that Crystal Palace haven’t had a single Premier League goal this season from anyone that might be classified as a traditional centre forward. “I knew someone would find that out,” he said, almost apologetically. “It is something that worries me, of course it does, because you want your No9 to be off and flying. “That is a negative to come out of the season for us.” With Dwight Gayle, Frazier Campbell and Patrick Bamford yet to get off the mark in the Premier League, it is a bit of an oddity. Pardew spoke of his hopes that Connor Wickham or Marouane Chamakh might soon return from injury to rectify that particular issue. “With those options I think it won’t be long before we start seeing our strikers score,” said Pardew. The sale of Glenn Murray to Bournemouth sharpens the situation. “Glenn was an influential player for us,” Pardew added. “We have missed him. I won’t hide from that.” With Palace’s drive and pace from wide areas, the lack of a scoring striker to aim for and work off remains frustrating. Amy Lawrence
• Match report: Crystal Palace 0-0 Manchester United
• Van Gaal: nine touches are all a striker really needs to score goals
7) Liverpool’s trip to Russia could yet spoil momentum gained at the Bridge
This was a Liverpool performance worth celebrating, and represented the best moment of Jürgen Klopp’s brief stint as manager thus far. Away from all the internet memes and undoubted charm, the German has made an unspectacular start to his time in England prior to this match – three low-scoring draws and a narrow 1-0 win over Bournemouth in the Capital One Cup – but he got his tactics and substitutions spot on during Saturday’s match, with Christian Benteke and Jordan Ibe coming on to great effect. However, Liverpool resume their Europa League campaign on Thursday and are yet to win the subsequent Premier League match this season when they have played Thursday-Sunday. Klopp can tinker tactics and inspire confidence in his players, but he cannot eradicate fatigue, and the 5,000-mile round-trip to Rubin Kazan this week won’t help his players prepare for what should be a tough test at home to 10th-placed Crystal Palace on Sunday. There are encouraging signs, but fans and pundits alike should refrain from trying to forge too much of a narrative about the heights that Liverpool might reach, or where they might finish in May off the back of one result – Klopp was unfortunately forced to answer a question in his post-match press conference about if he thought his side were title challengers. Urgh. Make no mistake, the performance at Chelsea was an excellent one, but let’s not get too carried away: by this time next week, a knackered Klopp and co could be back in the bottom half of with Chelsea. Michael Butler
8) Southampton’s No4 is Clasie by name and nature
Southampton fans have needed longer than expected to acquaint themselves with Jordy Clasie but they are learning quickly that their summer signing may well have been a bargain at £8m. The Dutch midfielder, in whom Ronald Koeman had placed considerable faith when the pair were at Feyenoord, was derailed by injury in the season’s early weeks but made his second Premier League start in the 2-0 win over Bournemouth and the impression was positive. Clasie played alongside Victor Wanyama in Saints’ deep midfield pairing and – like the rest of his side – rarely missed a beat in the first half, showing a fine passing range and playing an important part in Steven Davis’s deadlock-breaking goal when he cut an accurate ball into the feet of Graziano Pellè. The Holland international’s quality does not appear to be in question but he will, of course, still need time. He faded in the second period, again in common with most of his colleagues, and his manager said afterwards that he still has to adjust to Premier League levels of intensity. “Jordy is coming out of the Dutch competition and he’s not the most physical player, which is why I replaced him after 70 minutes,” said Koeman. “He needs to learn and adapt to the Premier League. We will give the boy that time, and today he showed his qualities.” Clasie was effectively signed as a replacement for Morgan Schneiderlin and it will be some achievement if he can match the Frenchman’s influence at St Mary’s, but the cautious early evidence is that he fits perfectly into a Southampton midfield that is beginning to pick itself. Nick Ames
9) Watford’s recent success built on pragmatism of Sánchez Flores
“We didn’t quite tick today for reasons I don’t know,” said West Ham’s Mark Noble on Saturday. “That’s the way it goes sometimes. Everyone didn’t play to their capabilities today and we played against a team who I thought to be honest thoroughly deserved their win.” Slaven Bilic, meanwhile, said: “We were bad today, we were second best. Watford were way better than us and they totally deserved the win.” This is becoming something of a theme. “It’s difficult to explain,” said Stoke’s Philipp Wollscheid a week earlier. “It’s the same team and we felt confident, but you shouldn’t just let bad days happen, you have to fight. They deserved to win and there is no point trying to say otherwise.” Meanwhile Garry Monk, after Swansea’s defeat at Vicarage Road in September, said: “It was a poor afternoon for us and nowhere near the performance levels that we require. We didn’t do any of the things we know we’re good at, and that’s disappointing.”
There is no coincidence here: what is becoming clear is that Watford are organised in defence and are capable of identifying and frequently neutralising their opponents’ strengths. “Quique covers every single point there is which is great for every player going out on the pitch,” said Ben Watson. “You know the strengths and weaknesses of all the players you are up against – since he’s come in he’s been amazing.” On Saturday they concentrated on denying Dimitri Payet possession in central areas within 30 yards of goal, aided by his spending much of the first half on the left flank, and they further benefited from the absence through injury of Diafra Sakho, whose replacement, Andy Carroll, a matchwinner against Chelsea a week earlier, had an awkward afternoon. None of Jamie Vardy’s last eight opponents have been able to stop him scoring, but we can expect Sánchez Flores to have come up with a decent plan by the time his side visit the King Power Stadium next Saturday. Simon Burnton
• Match report: Watford 2-0 West Ham
• Bilic: all clubs in England should hope and dream
10) Is now the right time for Woodman?
Tim Krul is out for the season with a knee injury, Karl Darlow remains a couple of weeks away from recovering from ankle trouble and Rob Elliot looks set to be sidelined by a groin problem. Does Steve McClaren offer his 18-year-old fourth-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman a debut in Saturday’s all-important game at Bournemouth or should Newcastle United’s manager pick up the phone, get an emergency loan sanctioned and perhaps beg Manchester United to release Victor Valdés. The latter course of action perhaps sounds most sensible but Woodman, recently recalled from a spell on loan at League Two Crawley is a very highly-rated England youth international. Should McClaren overlook him now Newcastle may well lose a much coveted prospect to a rival club at the end of the season. Long term that could prove bad business but the Tynesiders have won only one Premier League game and their manager has little option but to concentrate on the short term. What should McClaren do? Louise Taylor
