1) The Ighalo Scoop demonstrates Watford’s confidence
What links John Stones, Fabricio Coloccini, Ryan Bennett, James Collins, John O’Shea and Mamadou Sakho? Each of them has been left prostrate this season by Odion Ighalo’s favourite skill move, christened – since Alan Shearer memorably described last week’s example on Match of The Day as “sending O’Shea for an ice cream” – the Ighalo Scoop. So far it has led only once to a goal, Stones getting left behind before the Nigerian scored at Goodison Park on the opening day of the season, although José Manuel Jurado very nearly profited from it against Liverpool. Instead its main thrill – and a thoroughly decent one it is too – appears to be the simple one of humiliating defenders. The Scoop even has its own Twitter account, where users can catch up with Vines and gifs of noteworthy examples. “I saw it on Twitter – the fans are crazy about something like that‚“ he said after the Scoop’s latest outing. “I just try to play my game and do it when it’s possible. It’s not something I put in my mind to do every game – sometimes when I have the space I just try to do it. Sometimes I’m lucky with that, sometimes I’m not so lucky.” Watford, one point and a bit of goal difference off the top four, are getting lucky pretty often. “Some weeks back I was surprised,” said Ighalo when asked if he had anticipated his team’s success, “but now, the way I see the team working hard together, working for each other, fighting for every ball, I’m not surprised any more. We can still cause more upsets if we play like this.” Simon Burnton
• Match report: Watford 3-0 Liverpool
• Klopp angered by Liverpool reaction after Watford defeat
• Watford keep it compact to squeeze life out of Klopp’s baffling lineup
2) Norwich give romantics chance to dream
Just as Leicester City threaten to provide the first truly fantastical story of the Premier League era – a Boy’s Own title win by a team who were apparently certain for relegation – so Norwich City’s victory over Manchester United in their own backyard on Saturday tingles the senses. Louis van Gaal’s team were awful, true, but enough about them. Alex Neil’s Canaries soaked up the early pressure then began a sweet song that bewitched United as twice their yellow shirts swarmed forward to raid the 20-times champions and score memorable breakaway goals.
Take a bow, then, Cameron Jerome and Alexander Tettey for the strikes on 38 and 54 minutes. But the acclaim and the garlands, really, should be for their manager Neil. He came with a gameplan to stick it to United and it worked magnificently. The realist looks at this season’s upsetting of the old order by teams like Norwich and Leicester and thinks it surely cannot last. The romantic looks at the same picture and hopes it is the start of something far longer-lasting. Jamie Jackson
• Match report: Manchester United 1-2 Norwich City
• Pressure builds on Van Gaal as Mourinho waits in the wings
• Van Gaal: I don’t want to end career being sacked
3) Hiddink returns to different Premier League at Chelsea
It’s more than six years since Guus Hiddink ignored Wembley’s non-smoking policy and lit up a cigar in the dressing room after Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Everton in the FA Cup Final. The Dutchman was also pictured dancing a celebratory jig alongside the owner, Roman Abramovich, as his team ended a season that had started so disastrously under Luis Felipe Scolari with yet more silverware in the cabinet. “There was South American, eastern European and African dancing going on,” said Hiddink. “All the players and staff were involved and my whole body was moving in perfect time to an African dance. At least that’s what I told myself.”
Whether Hiddink, now 69 and having had revolutionary stem cell treatment in South Korea last year after his knee cartilage was almost completely worn out, will be dancing again at the end of this spell as Chelsea’s interim manager appears unlikely. The intervening years have not been kind to the man who led PSV Eindhoven to the European Cup in only his second season of management, having been sacked as Holland manager in June.
Like his compatriot and old sparring partner Louis van Gaal at Manchester United, Hiddink will find the Premier League is a different beast these days. Possession football is old hat, with the emphasis now on a high-pressing game and swift counterattacks. As they proved last season Chelsea have the players to get results but they will require more than just a confidence boost from their new manager if they are going to stand any chance of finishing in the top four.It seems unlikely that Abramovich will sanction any heavy spending in January so it will be up to Hiddink to make do with what he has. Ed Aarons
• Premier League slog would take Guardiola into the unknown
• Mutiny in the air at Stamford Bridge as players are booed
• Would risk-averse FA gamble on Mourinho as next England manager?
• Costa and Fàbregas booed by disgruntled Chelsea fans
4) For all Everton’s potential they must solidify their defence
Not for the first time Roberto Martínez spoke of the learning process his young Everton team must go through to fulfil their undoubted potential after falling to defeat at home to Leicester City. Not for the first time he spoke of bright attacking football being undermined by lapses of concentration in defence. The problem is he and Everton do not have much time to turn promise into a tangible reward that can convince the likes of Romelu Lukaku, John Stones and Ross Barkley their fierce ambition can be satisfied at Goodison Park. It is some achievement – not one to be savoured admittedly – for a team possessing several players who are producing the best football of their careers to be 10th in the Premier League at Christmas. Everton have been consistently praised for their pleasing-on-the-eye performances this season. But they have won two of their last 10 league games. Weak defending continues to undermine Martínez’s building work and Claudio Ranieri, only five months into his job at Leicester, exposed that major structural flaw at Goodison Park on Saturday. Andy Hunter
• Match report: Everton 2-3 Leicester
• Premier League transfers: rating all the summer signings
5) Festive fixtures should have afternoon kick-offs
Like reporters, supporters do not like 5.30pm kick-offs and many Newcastle fans are particularly annoyed Saturday’s teatime game against Aston Villa is followed by another 5.30pm start against Everton on Boxing Day. Judging by anecdotal evidence it seems to be disrupting all sorts of family plans on Tyneside and is far from great for travelling Everton fans. Television revenue has made the game rich beyond all measure but it has made life tougher for those who pay to watch their team live - and explains why there is unlikely to be a winter break in England. If Geordies are unhappy it is worse for Southampton and Arsenal supporters. They kick off on the south coast at 7.45pm on 26 December while Liverpool fans must travel to Sunderland for a 7.45pm start on 30 December. That’s not ideal. Louise Taylor
6) Kane shows he is no flash in the pan
Harry Kane’s 100th appearance for Tottenham was celebrated in by-now predictable fashion and it seemed an appropriate time to reflect on the progress of a player making fools of those – this writer included – who were sceptical about his ability to sustain last season’s form. The goal that set his team on course at Southampton owed plenty to the attributes that have taken him this far, the tenacity that allowed him to outdo three defenders and the composure to convert the chance when it arrived. It took him to 11 (10 in his last 10 games) in a season that had begun with an eight-match drought. “His character is fantastic – he is a winner,” said his manager, Mauricio Pochettino. “We trust in him and have a lot of confidence and belief in his quality.”
Kane has now scored 47 goals for Tottenham and his ratio is near-identical to that of Martin Chivers. There is some way to go before he can be placed in that company but Kane has surely done enough now to be treated less as a possible flash in the pan than as a player leading the way for one of the Premier League’s most excitingly managed sides. The rewards Pochettino receives for putting faith in his young English players just keep getting greater – and it is Kane whose consistency is setting the standard for them all. Nick Ames
7) Swansea must act fast to stop the rot
From the outside looking in there is something deeply worrying about Swansea City’s predicament on and off the pitch right now. Maybe Huw Jenkins has something up his sleeve and perhaps we should know better than to question a chairman who has such an excellent track record when it comes to recruiting managers. It is, however, hard to avoid the conclusion that Swansea are in a bit of a mess. It is now 12 days since Garry Monk was sacked and the club’s search for a replacement has taken them to South America and back without making an appointment. During that period Swansea have slipped into the relegation zone, a position they have not previously occupied in the Premier League other than during the first few weeks of a season, before the league table takes shape. They have won only one of their last 13 league games, picked up just seven points across that period and scored only eight goals. Every alarm bell should be ringing at the Liberty Stadium. Swansea need not only a manager to provide some leadership and direction, but also a proven goalscorer, otherwise everything that they have worked so hard to build is at risk of imploding. Stuart James
8) Easier-on-the-eye Stoke must learn the way to goal
- Appearances
- 13
- Goals
- 0
- Shots
- 24
- Shots on target
- 17%
- Offsides
- 5
Marrying talent with consistency is one of the primary arts of management and given the amount of possession enjoyed by Stoke City against Crystal Palace, Mark Hughes must be concerned about his side’s lack of penetration. Just as against Manchester City, Hughes looked to the combination of Bojan Krcic, Marko Aranautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri to unlock the visiting defence, but Alan Pardew’s side defended more deeply and with a sight more commitment and organisation, restricting the Potters to only five attempts on target. The excellent Wayne Hennessey dealt with those, Bojan’s second-half penalty aside.
Shaqiri, the – Alpine Leo Messi, as he was apparently once dubbed – cuts a curiously old-fashioned figure and not just because of his unfeasibly long shorts and/or short legs. He moved to Stoke, he says, in part to be out of the spotlight and the Swiss international looked to lose heart a little as the match went on. With Bojan working hard but struggling to find space on his own up front, an increasing number of Shaqiri’s passes went sideways, or backwards. Stoke are much more pleasing on the eye this season and promise great things, but 14 goals from 17 games – the joint lowest with Aston Villa in the league – is a worryingly sparse return. Hughes may need to go into the market if City are to take the next step. Richard Rae
• Match report: Stoke City 1-2 Crystal Palace
• Palace agree £50m US investment from New Jersey Devils owner
9) Bournemouth now backing their style with substance
Bournemouth’s style of play has been criticised for a while now, with concerns they are too open, too nice. In contrast West Bromwich Albion appear nasty. James McClean’s challenge on Adam Smith was downright horrible and deserving of a straight red card. Later, Salomón Rondón was sent off for a petulant kick at Dan Gosling’s shins. “You have to keep your discipline and I thought we managed certain situations very well,” said the Cherries manager, Eddie Howe. “I’m pleased my lads kept their cool and control.” Rewind to mid-November and after four consecutive defeats, Howe was told he needed to change tack. But now Bournemouth are well and truly on a roll. They have registered three wins from as many matches and sit fourth in the Premier League form table, behind only Leicester, Watford and Crystal Palace. The meticulous Howe will be the last person getting carried away, though. He may have another injury to contend with, after Joshua King pulled up during the warm-up at the Hawthorns. King hobbled off shortly after scoring against Manchester United last week but was deemed fit enough to start. “He had his hamstring scanned after last week and there was no problem so I’m just surprised he felt something in there,” said Howe. “We are hopeful it’s not long term.” Ben Fisher
10) Fitness could be key for Leicester’s challenge
The time has of course long passed since the discussion of whether Leicester are genuine title-contenders was relevant. However implausible and illogical their run has been, they are five points clear at the top and will be at the summit at Christmas, a year after they were stone bottom and heading back to the Championship. The question now, despite Claudio Ranieri’s understandable attempts to lower expectations, is how they maintain that challenge and at least part of the answer is in the January transfer window. After their thrilling, explosive style of play, probably the second most important factor in their success has been their fitness record. They have eight players who have appeared in at least 16 of their 17 games thus far and not just any players either: that group includes Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, Wes Morgan, Kasper Schmeichel, Robert Huth and Danny Drinkwater, the latter two missing their first games of the season this weekend. This record is less likely to last than their relentless march of victories, therefore some judicious strengthening of their squad is probably required in January so they will be able to cope with the injuries that will inevitably come their way. If they do add some depth, then the most unlikely title victory in generations could be a realistic proposition. Nick Miller
• Transformation of Morgan embodies the miracle of Leicester
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leicester | 17 | 13 | 38 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 16 | 16 | 33 |
| 3 | Man City | 16 | 15 | 32 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 17 | 14 | 29 |
| 5 | Man Utd | 17 | 8 | 29 |
| 6 | Crystal Palace | 17 | 7 | 29 |
| 7 | Watford | 17 | 5 | 28 |
| 8 | West Ham | 17 | 4 | 25 |
| 9 | Liverpool | 17 | -2 | 24 |
| 10 | Everton | 17 | 7 | 23 |
| 11 | Stoke | 17 | -2 | 23 |
| 12 | Southampton | 17 | 0 | 21 |
| 13 | West Brom | 17 | -6 | 20 |
| 14 | AFC Bournemouth | 17 | -10 | 19 |
| 15 | Chelsea | 17 | -6 | 18 |
| 16 | Norwich | 17 | -9 | 17 |
| 17 | Newcastle | 17 | -13 | 17 |
| 18 | Swansea | 17 | -9 | 15 |
| 19 | Sunderland | 17 | -15 | 12 |
| 20 | Aston Villa | 17 | -17 | 7 |
