Twas the nightmare before Christmas

If there was ever a time for Manchester United not to be playing away at top of the table Liverpool it is now. United are leaking goals faster than the rain coming through the ancient roof in the stands at Old Trafford and Salah and co are looking to take advantage to beat their bitter […]

If there was ever a time for Manchester United not to be playing away at top of the table Liverpool it is now. United are leaking goals faster than the rain coming through the ancient roof in the stands at Old Trafford and Salah and co are looking to take advantage to beat their bitter rivals on Saturday. United are out of the Champions League and have lost ten games before Christmas and top Liverpool marksman Mo Salah considers this game as his favourite of the season.

Jose Mourinho was sacked by United on a Tuesday at 9.46am following a Sunday defeat but many fans believe it was because he lost to Liverpool at Anfield that the decision was made and Jose was gone. Sir Alex Ferguson was seen shaking his head and looking grim during that defeat and given his tremendous influence at Old Trafford he was instrumental in sacking Mourinho. So far this season Ferguson has backed Erik Ten Hag but if defeated at the hands of the old enemy this weekend, that support could well be over and then the coach will be very vulnerable.

Controversial referee Michael Oliver will take charge and Anthony Taylor will be the fourth official. It should be a spicy contest.

A crowd of 57,000 is expected – a record at Anfield for a Premier League game.

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Liverpool are likely to field a front three of Salah, Nunez and Diaz which will test the United backline and Ten Hag is considering reinstating Raphael Verane after his successful game against Bayern Munich this week despite losing. He will make his decision on Saturday.

Arsenal risk Rice at centre-back

Mikel Arteta could afford to relax and experiment with his team in midweek having already topped their group in the Champions League. He made eight changes to test out some new strategies. Declan Rice was brought on as a centre-back instead of William Saliber. Arteta said it was because last season the Gunner’s title challenge ended in disappointment after Saliber injured his back with 11 games left to play. Arteta originally intended to play with Rob Holding or Jakub Kiwior at the back but Arteta said, “We are very short at the back and I really wanted to try something different in case we are in the same situation as last season and how we will resolve it.”

Using Rice, who is very versatile being able to play in several positions, is now an “emergency” option. He previously played in the position when emerging as a talented player at Chelsea and West Ham. Arsenal signed Justin Timber for £38million from Ajax as a backup for Saliber but the 22-year-old, who can play anywhere across the back line, injured his knee on the first day of Arsenal’s season and he could miss the rest of the season. To make matters worse Takehiro Tomiyasu will be out for five weeks with a calf problem and will then be away at the Asian Cup playing for Japan. Thomas Partey is in the same position being out injured and he too will then leave for the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana.

Villa in top five for Christmas

How much money would you have wagered at the beginning of the season that Aston Villa would spend Christmas 2023 in the Top Five of the Premier League? Not much money I bet!

And yet, here we are with the club setting a new record at Villa Park with 15 straight home victories. That feat has only been managed by four other clubs in the history of the league. Coach Unai Emery, who is being hailed as a God in the Midlands, said, “I’ve never achieved this and I won’t again but we have to understand that we are competing well and the next challenge will be Sheffield United and another tough match. It is brilliant here at Villa Park with our supporters and how they are backing us. Their positive energy transmits to us. We compete well and have a strong defensive structure.”

Emery’s Villa have mastered the offside trap. No side in the league have caught their opponents in an offside trap more than Villa. On the training pitch Emery works tirelessly bringing his players together on the backline and moving them out together catching attackers offside. It is daring and courageous but it works.

Newcastle players running on fumes

It is hardly surprising that Newcastle’s season is unravelling but some crucial questions were answered when I put challenging questions to a number of sources last weekend. The fact is that with such a small squad, Eddie’s Howe’s men are running on empty. They looked shattered against Tottenham and Everton before that and they lost both games pretty convincingly. They have played an enormous amount of football this season already competing in a very tough Champion’s League group which included Paris Saint-Germain, Dortmund and AC Milan. Each time the players have had to dig deep and it takes time to recover from that. Tiredness is something you cannot beat unless you get some rest and the club recognise that but can do little about it. Howe will address the situation in the January transfer window.

Everton beating ten point deduction

After beating Chelsea 2-0 Everton manager Sean Dyche briefly applauded his fans and received a thunderous applause back. Everton are almost equal with the points they had accumulated before being deducted 10 points for breaking financial rules. The Toffees have now won nine points in four games and won three games in a row. They are also four points clear of the drop zone. Dyche has injected belief and a will to win which previous managers had failed to do with more or less the same players. Beating Newcastle and Chelsea has brought back joy and hope to the Everton faithful and they are within six points of Chelsea in the table

No Christmas party for Man City

Every year most clubs throw a big Christmas party and staff and players arrive with wives and girlfriends and are provided with the best food and entertainment, usually in an upmarket expensive restaurant or nightclub. No such thing for Manchester City staff this year. They have all been given £50 per person for food and drink and told to arrange their own parties. City’s involvement in the Club World Cup is given as the official reason why Mr Scrooge is knocking on the Etihad Stadium front door this year!

Haaland injury not serious

After missing the Victory over Luton Town on Sunday, Manchester City’s medical team tell me that Erling Haaland’s injury is not as bad as first feared. A rather annoyed and tetchy Pep Guardiola said, “It is a bone stress reaction in his feet. After the last game against Aston Villa he felt like this and he cannot play.” After reports that the Norwegian has broken his foot Guardiola reacted and said, “Stress. Stress. Just stress. Please don’t ask me if his foot is broken. It’s just a stress bone. I don’t think he will be ready for the Crystal Palace game but hopefully he can play in Saudi Arabia and the Club World Cup.”