1<\/p>\n
McFarlane holds own against Guardiola<\/p>\n
Calum McFarlane\u2019s unexpected battle with Pep Guardiola<\/a> brought back memories of the 2021 League Cup final, when Ryan Mason, Tottenham\u2019s 29-year-old interim coach, faced the significant task of trying to outsmart one of the greatest managers in the game\u2019s history. For Mason there was the added baggage of Spurs\u2019 13-year trophy drought; for McFarlane, making his senior management debut, it was Chelsea\u2019s astonishingly bad recent record against Manchester City. Four and a half years have passed since Chelsea last beat Guardiola\u2019s side, when Thomas Tuchel\u2019s team triumphed in the Champions League final, and a draw on Sunday took that winless run to 12 matches. But Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez\u2019s injury-time equaliser, combining with the midweek upheaval at Stamford Bridge<\/a>, made it a triumphant point, something Enzo Maresca didn\u2019t achieve against City during his tenure. Taha Hashim<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n Liverpool fail to shut up shop<\/p>\n Florian Wirtz was one of the positives for Liverpool<\/a> in their 2-2 draw with Fulham but the \u00a3116m summer signing was not happy despite scoring for the second time in three games. \u201cI was happy that I scored but I\u2019d rather take the three points,\u201d Wirtz said. \u201cIt\u2019s not what we want, we want more. We have to get better but it\u2019s still a process.\u201d To get more, though, Liverpool have to be more commanding. They keep letting games run out of control and Arne Slot seems short of solutions. Liverpool\u2019s manager was not impressed with the defending that led to Harrison Reed\u2019s equaliser. It was a stunning and unlikely strike from the Fulham substitute but Liverpool should not make the mistake of thinking they were the victims of misfortune. They almost let 2-0 leads slip against Wolves and Tottenham last month. The season will remain a struggle until they tighten up when ahead. Jacob Steinberg<\/p>\n Florian Wirtz was left frustrated despite scoring his second goal of the season. Photograph: David Cliff\/EPA<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n Rice backs Gy\u00f6keres to fire for Gunners<\/p>\n Viktor Gy\u00f6keres hasn\u2019t found his goalscoring touch for Arsenal yet, but Declan Rice insists the Sweden striker is still having a huge influence for the league leaders. Rice scored twice against Bournemouth<\/a> as Mikel Arteta\u2019s side completed a stirring comeback on the south coast, but Gy\u00f6keres has now gone 10 matches without finding the net from open play. His all-round performance was slightly improved against Andoni Iraola\u2019s side and Gy\u00f6keres played an important role in Arsenal\u2019s crucial second, even if he rarely looked like adding to his seven goals in 23 appearances so far. \u201cIt\u2019s tough for him because defenders are so tight on him, and there\u2019s no space for him at all,\u201d said Rice. \u201cAll the boys are with him because of what he is doing for us, even though he hasn\u2019t scored, how he is helping us as a team to press, hold the ball up. I think good things are going to come.\u201d Ed Aarons<\/p>\n 4<\/p>\n Amorim needs Sesko to sharpen up<\/p>\n With Ruben Amorim starting nine defensive-minded players at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon, the onus naturally fell on the remaining two to lead Manchester United\u2019s attack. Matheus Cunha\u2019s fine form continued with the goal that earned the visitors a point, but Sesko\u2019s travails continued. The Slovenian has scored just two goals since his big-money move to Old Trafford, and none since October. Granted, his service was limited on occasions and United\u2019s attacking play was stunted by so many defensive players on the pitch, but Sesko struggled to make an impact once again, spurning a glorious chance to potentially claim all three points late on. As we enter the new year, there is justification for Amorim to ask for more from a player who is yet to fully find his feet in the Premier League. Aaron Bower<\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n Le F\u00e9e leaves Spurs in a muddle<\/p>\n R\u00e9gis Le Bris made the brave decision to partner Granit Xhaka with Enzo Le F\u00e9e in midfield at Tottenham. The Frenchman was asked to play a deeper role than he is used to and acquitted himself well. With Spurs in the lead, though, Le Bris pushed Le F\u00e9e further forward in the second half and his performance was a delight. Picking up little pockets of space, the former Roma forward became a major factor in Sunderland\u2019s push for an equaliser. After directing a header on to a post from Nordi Mukiele\u2019s pass, Le F\u00e9e then created Brian Brobbey\u2019s goal before Spurs knew how to stop it. A sharp first-time pass back into the striker\u2019s path gave him a chance he could not miss. Sunderland have had plenty of success stories this season but, now he has adapted to the pace of the Premier League<\/a>, Le F\u00e9e\u2019s campaign keeps getting better. Billy Munday<\/p>\n Enzo Le F\u00e9e caused Tottenham all sorts of problems. Photograph: Dalton Bowden\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n Nuno wastes chance to bed in Pablo<\/p>\n Everything about West Ham\u2019s defeat at Wolves was embarrassing, from start to finish. Nuno Esp\u00edrito Santo left three available substitutions unmade, an indication of the confidence he has in his bench. The manager named his new signing, Pablo Felipe, among the substitutes but despite the chronic failings of his team, who failed to have a single shot on target, Nuno decided it would be unfair to send the new recruit on for his debut, having only arrived from Gil Vicente on Friday. Before this season the 22-year-old\u2019s career was relatively nondescript but, after 10 goals in 13 league games in Portugal, the Hammers must harness his newfound confidence and hope he is not a Brazilian Michael Ricketts. West Ham are desperate for goals and Pablo needs to adapt quickly to the Premier League. It would have been a free hit for him at Molineux, especially with a crucial game at home to Forest on Tuesday. Joining in January is difficult but, if Nuno wants him to adapt, he will need to get the striker on the pitch as much as possible. Will Unwin<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n Miley makes another big statement<\/p>\n Lewis Miley dared Eddie Howe to drop him thanks to another outstanding performance out of position at right-back. Quite apart from excelling defensively, never misplacing a pass and creating Newcastle\u2019s opening goal for Bruno Guimar\u00e3es in Sunday\u2019s 2-0 win against Crystal Palace<\/a>, the astonishingly mature 19-year-old midfielder raised the tone in an untidy game. With Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier both fit again and ready to resume at right-back, the question will be whether Howe can find a place for Miley in central midfield against Leeds at St James\u2019 Park on Wednesday night. \u201cLewis has been incredible,\u201d said Newcastle\u2019s manager, who may be tempted to rest Sandro Tonali against Daniel Farke\u2019s team after the Italy midfielder was left bruised by some tough Palace challenges. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t know right-back isn\u2019t Lewis\u2019s natural position. He\u2019s excelled in it. He\u2019s doing a great job for the team.\u201d Future Newcastle sides will surely be built around Miley. Louise Taylor<\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n Is Dyche effect wearing thin at Forest?<\/p>\n Sean Dyche\u2019s initial impact at Nottingham Forest<\/a> has been admirable, but do they have a Plan B? Forest are averaging a point a game since Dyche\u2019s arrival in October (1.4 if Europa League games are included), but they have lost four in a row. Only once this season have they come from behind to win \u2013 against Leeds in November. Their counterattacking abilities remain, though are less effective than when Chris Wood (now injured) and Anthony Elanga (sold to Newcastle) were regulars last season. But they do still look well-organised when defending deep. Forest are generally compact, alert, combative and aligned when the scores are level, or they lead. But when the other team scores first, and they have to commit more players ahead of the ball, the game becomes more stretched. In Saturday\u2019s 3-1 defeat at Villa Park, Forest were easily taken apart after giving the ball away; they cannot afford a repeat in Tuesday\u2019s crucial trip to West Ham. Peter Lansley<\/p>\n Sean Dyche roars instructions from the sidelines, to no avail. Photograph: Manjit Narotra\/ProSports\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n 9<\/p>\n Thiago\u2019s hot streak ends away-day blues<\/p>\n It was hard to reconcile Brentford\u2019s performance at Everton with a team in possession of one of the worst away records in the league, so controlled and dominant were Keith Andrews\u2019s visitors, but despite seven losses on the road this season their ambitions might have to be revised. Asked what Brentford\u2019s target for the second half of the campaign should be, Kevin Schade said: \u201cThe main goal is not to go down, obviously. Then I would say it\u2019s not a goal but a dream we can achieve, if everything goes right, to qualify for Europe. For me, personally, to go to the World Cup, and I need good games for that and the team as well.\u201d With Igor Thiago in such prolific form, Schade and Brentford<\/a> have that platform. Schade said of his teammate: \u201cHe\u2019s very important because we always had players like this, for example Ivan Toney, Bryan [Mbuemo] and Yoane Wissa before, and now him. The link-up play for the team gets better from game-to-game and this is what we need, not only him scoring.\u201d Andy Hunter<\/p>\n There\u2019s been a twisted sense of solidarity among the relegated clubs in the last couple of seasons. They\u2019ve come up together from the Championship \u2013 and instantly gone down together, too. But Burnley\u2019s journey this season has become increasingly lonely, with the other new boys, Sunderland<\/a> and Leeds, appearing safer and safer. As Daniel Farke\u2019s side extended their unbeaten run to seven games and Sunderland made it five without defeat, Scott Parker was forced to confront a new low in Burnley\u2019s loss to Brighton with just two points collected from their last 11 matches. Having praised his side\u2019s application in defeat previously this season, this time there was just a series of glum admissions from the head coach, who pointed to an absence of belief among his players and said they didn\u2019t deserve anything from the match. Six points from safety doesn\u2019t sound too bad, but Parker\u2019s analysis makes it feel pretty dismal. 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