Finishing ability decided the Aston Villa versus Manchester United match. At Villa Park, Manchester United had 15 shots with six on target, compared to Aston Villa's 11 shots with four on target. Manchester United even achieved a better expected goals (xG) metric, 1.31 compared to 1.02.

However, Aston Villa secured all three points by capitalizing on opportunities more effectively, with Morgan Rogers scoring a brace of spectacular goals. Thanks to this match, Rogers increased his tally to 21 goals across all competitions since the start of last season, becoming the youngest player to score 20 or more goals for a Premier League team during this period, at 23 years and 148 days old.

Rogers' stellar performance helped Aston Villa achieve 10 consecutive wins in England's top flight for the first time, their longest streak since 3/1914. Aston Villa now has 36 points and has only celebrated Christmas with more points once before, when they had 39 points in the 2023-2024 season.

Meanwhile, the 1-2 defeat continued to expose Manchester United's struggles in away matches against top teams. Since the start of the 2021-2022 season, the Red Devils have won only one of 14 away Premier League matches when their opponents started the day in the top four, drawing four and losing nine.

Is Pep's perfect ambition realistic? Manchester City's 3-0 victory over West Ham temporarily knocked Arsenal off the top of the Premier League for the first time since September. However, for manager Pep Guardiola, a perfectionist, a simple victory is not enough. He has never been a coach solely focused on results at any cost, as the quality of performance is always prioritized.

Manchester City is applying significant pressure on Arsenal with a five-match winning streak in the league, scoring 18 goals. Despite this, Guardiola meticulously dissected the game and pointed out areas of dissatisfaction. After the match, he recalled the game against Leeds in November, suggesting similarities in the post-half-time situation. In that match, Manchester City allowed Leeds to score two goals early in the second half, only winning with an injury-time goal. Against West Ham, they also allowed the opponent to create an early second-half opportunity, but the difference was not conceding a goal, thanks to three saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma. Had they faced a more clinical opponent, the outcome could have been different.

Manchester City has yet to play a match Guardiola considers perfect, but they are clearly getting very close. Arsenal undoubtedly feels this threat.

Liverpool narrowly navigates difficulties. The aftermath of Liverpool's nine losses in 12 matches has not yet faded. This period of decline eroded team confidence and left a clear mark on the chaotic, breathless finishes in matches against Leeds and then Tottenham.

Against Tottenham, Liverpool led 2-0 and had a man advantage, seemingly securing the victory. However, Arne Slot's squad nearly dropped points, even when the opponent was down to nine men after Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero received red cards. "I think when the opponent is down to nine men, we have to keep them far from our goal," Slot said. "But it felt like we were the team with nine men, and they had 11."

Nevertheless, the Dutch coach affirmed that he still saw many positive signs in most of Liverpool's performance in North London, indicating the team is gradually regaining its desired form. This was their third consecutive victory, helping Liverpool climb to fifth in the Premier League, only behind Chelsea on goal difference.

Positive step for Gyokeres? Viktor Gyokeres' central striker position was questioned as the Swedish forward had not met expectations and faced competition from Mikel Merino and the duo of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, who is set to return from injury.

However, his latest performance at Hill Dickinson, where Gyokeres scored the sole goal from the penalty spot in the first half, can be considered a step in the right direction. The goal was a positive highlight, but not the only notable moment. In the first half, Gyokeres made a clever run to receive a through ball from William Saliba and went one-on-one, but his finish was inaccurate under pressure from the Everton defender. In total, his three shots on Merseyside were more than his total attempts in the previous 180 minutes in the league.

In 10/2023, Kai Havertz, then new to Arsenal, was also given a penalty by teammates to score his first goal for the club. From then on, the German forward gradually improved his form, finishing the season with 13 goals, contributing to Arsenal's title challenge until the final rounds. Gyokeres currently has five goals, but the important thing is that he is showing increasingly clear chemistry with his teammates.

Chelsea on track after Maresca's "positive week". In the first half, Chelsea had four shots, all off target, creating no clear chances, with an xG of only 0.24, and trailed Newcastle 0-2. But everything changed completely after the break. The Blues transformed, unleashing nine shots, four on target, achieving an xG of 1.02, and earning a deserved point.

Manager Enzo Maresca previously made headlines with the statement "just experienced the worst 48 hours" after a 2-0 victory over Everton on 13/12. But after defeating Cardiff to reach the League Cup semi-finals, then securing an impressive draw at Newcastle, Maresca's turbulent week turned into a positive one. "My past week was not complicated; it was a good week," Maresca said after the match. "We beat Everton, beat Cardiff, and drew with Newcastle away. In terms of results, I am satisfied. Of course, there are still things we can do better, but I believe Chelsea is heading in the right direction."

Calvert-Lewin vying for England's number nine? After four seasons affected by injuries and a crisis of form, with just 18 goals for Everton, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is gradually rediscovering himself at Elland Road.

Aside from Harry Kane, no English striker is currently in better form than Calvert-Lewin. He is not only scoring regularly, with six goals in his last five matches, but also showcasing the goal-scoring instinct that seemed to have vanished.

In the 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace, the 28-year-old striker scored a brace, with a sensitive close-range tap-in at the far post and a subtle glancing header. He only needed a left-footed finish to complete a perfect hat-trick. According to Sky Sports, if he maintains this form, Calvert-Lewin could become a physically robust backup option for Kane at the World Cup 2026.

Semenyo shines amidst transfer rumors. Rumors are starting to circulate as the mid-season transfer window prepares to open, and the name most frequently mentioned is Antoine Semenyo. He was also the focal point in Bournemouth's 1-1 draw with Burnley.

The Ghanaian forward was the inspiration for most of Bournemouth's positive attacks, constantly disrupting the opposing defense, exploiting narrow spaces, and repeatedly delivering the ball into the penalty area. It was a pity his teammates could not capitalize on these opportunities.

Early in the second half, Semenyo opened the scoring with a moment of individual brilliance, quickly pouncing on a loose ball and curling a beautiful shot into the top corner of the net. If he had been more clinical, the 25-year-old forward would have scored more goals and helped Bournemouth seal the match.

After the game, manager Andoni Iraola praised Semenyo but avoided discussing transfer possibilities. Whether Semenyo will still be at Bournemouth when the transfer window closes remains a big question. Manchester United, Manchester City, and Tottenham are all closely monitoring the striker.

Wolves' worst historical performance. After a 0-2 home defeat to Brentford at Molineux, Wolves remain at the bottom of the table with two points, almost certainly facing relegation. No team in the history of English football, across all four top divisions, has earned fewer points than Wolves after 17 rounds since 1888.

Jorgen Strand Larsen's disastrous missed penalty was the culmination of another lackluster performance. The 0-2 scoreline was even "lenient" considering what transpired, as Rob Edwards' team played at an alarming level.

In the stands, anger was palpable in the chants criticizing both the players and the management. Some fan groups chose to sing the names of former heroes, from Steve Bull to Ruben Neves, recalling the team under Nuno Espirito Santo. Towards the end of the match, they chanted the name of teenage player Mateus Mane, who at least played with determination when he came on late.

Hong Duy

Photos: Reuters, AP, Shutterstock, PA Wire