1) Lloris’s top-four focus is telling after derby defeat to Arsenal
After challenging for the title for the past couple of seasons, it was significant to hear Hugo Lloris contemplate looking over Tottenham Hotspur’s shoulder more than in front of them at the end of a derby defeat. “Oh, before we think about [the leaders] Man City it’s important to stay in the top four. This is the main target for our team,” he said. “We heard from outside that Tottenham play for the title, blah, blah, blah. The most important thing is to stay consistent in the league.” The difficulty imposing themselves on the most challenging away fixtures remains a sticking point. Having lost at Old Trafford and Arsenal in recent weeks, next month they visit the Premier League’s pace setters at the Etihad Stadium. Spurs found it hard to penetrate Arsenal’s defence, and when Mauricio Pochettino subbed off Harry Kane and Dele Alli neither could feel they had been at their most influential. “The spirit was good, we were in the fight and able to develop our game with the ball in the floor. But in the final third we need more aggression and movement,” Lloris said. “Now we need to carry on. It’s true that we wanted to do more against Manchester United and Arsenal. Unfortunately we couldn’t do that so now it’s important to have a run of victories because we need to keep our place at the top.” Amy Lawrence
Match report: Arsenal 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Mustafi insists Arsenal have belief to defy the doubters
2) Wilson making up for lost time at Bournemouth
When Callum Wilson broke his Premier League duck, it was with a hat-trick in a 4-3 win against West Ham United in August 2015. The future looked bright for the Bournemouth striker, but little has gone right for him since then. Two serious knee injuries in the space of two seasons were the cruellest of blows, curtailing the development of a richly promising career, and there must have been times when Wilson wondered if he would get back to his best, while Bournemouth suffered without his pace, movement and finishing. Against Huddersfield, however, Wilson gave Bournemouth a spectacular demonstration of what they have been missing in attack. The 25-year-old ripped the visitors apart, announcing his return to form with a hat-trick in a 4-0 win that carried Bournemouth towards calmer waters. It was the most cathartic of experiences for a very talented player. Jacob Steinberg
Match report: Bournemouth 4-0 Huddersfield Town
The Dozen: The weekend’s best Premier League photos
3) Burnley on course to reach 40 points by New Year’s Day
Strange as it sounds, Burnley are on course to finish this season with 70 points. Not that they are thinking of things that way. A team one point off fourth place and 17 ahead of the bottom-placed Crystal Palace are still concentrating on staying up. “The reality is still out there; 40 points is a big marker,” said Sean Dyche. Jack Cork echoed his manager. “We’ve just got to stay grounded and aim for that 40-point mark,” the goalscorer said. “After that, we can set new targets, but that will always be the aim.” Staying grounded has been a strength but carry on at their current rate and they will reach 40 on New Year’s Day. An ostensible focus on 40 points allowed Claudio Ranieri to deflect questions about Leicester’s surge two years ago. Burnley will not become the next shock champions but, like Leicester, their talk of avoiding relegation could prove a useful diversionary tactic. Richard Jolly
Match report: Burnley 2-0 Swansea City
4) Potential ban for Niasse is no comfort for Hodgson
The Football Association is expected to refer footage of Oumar Niasse’s tumble to the turf on Saturday via the process for reviewing potential simulation incidents on Monday, with the three-man panel – comprising a former player, a former manager and a former official – to determine whether or not, in their opinion, the striker dived to win his team their early penalty. Each would examine the clip independently but their decision over whether this was “a clear and obvious case of simulation” would have to be unanimous for Niasse to incur a two‑match ban. Given the panel will presumably note the contact between Scott Dann’s shoulder and Niasse’s chest – there was no trip – and have been split on similar incidents involving Richarlison and Bernardo Silva to date this season, a ban seems improbable. “If they want to take action, good luck to them,” said the Crystal Palace manager, Roy Hodgson. “But I won’t get any satisfaction from it. It doesn’t change the result.” Dominic Fifield
Match report: Crystal Palace 2-2 Everton
5) Leicester on the up despite defeat to Manchester City
Playing against Manchester City is perhaps not the best time to judge a side. On the one hand, you are likely to be beaten. On the other, you have the chance to prove yourselves against the likely champions. Let’s acknowledge, then, that Leicester gave Pep Guardiola’s team a game here. The 30 seconds that went from Harry Maguire hitting the post to Kevin de Bruyne killing the match was decisive, but until then the Foxes had been well in the game. Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez both imposed themselves and the duel between the speed merchants Demarai Gray and Kyle Walker was Gray’s on points (thanks largely to one audacious backheel flick over Walker’s head). Most hopeful was the combination between Vicente Iborra and Wilfred Ndidi, the pair playing together for the third consecutive league match and forming a partnership of strength and athleticism. Paul MacInnes
Match report: Leicester City 0-2 Manchester City
De Bruyne sees freedom and discipline as key to City surge
6) Klopp feeling the benefit of Salah’s evolution
Jürgen Klopp offered a simple explanation for Mohamed Salah’s transformation from the player who toiled at Chelsea into the Premier League’s leading goalscorer with Liverpool, and it had nothing to do with José Mourinho’s mistrust of young talent at Stamford Bridge. “Physicality,” the Liverpool manager proposed after the £36.9m signing took his tally to 14 goals in 18 games for his new club with two goals against Southampton. Klopp admits Salah’s disappointing spell at Chelsea may have served as motivation but he also believes that Liverpool, more importantly, bought the finished article from Roma this summer. “Maybe what happened [at Chelsea] was one reason he came back,” the manager said. “For sure he wanted to show he’s better than that, but everyone knew it already. He was a kid [21] when he went to Chelsea and in that time they were really successful. It was quite difficult to come through. A little bit less muscle, a little bit less physical, and you will fly through the Premier League – but not like he’s flying now. I mean, one body-check and you are flying out of the game. With his body shape that’s now different. He’s a man now. He was a kid at Chelsea, now he’s a man.” Andy Hunter
Match report: Liverpool 3-0 Southampton
7) Pogba not in Gerrard’s class … yet
After Rafael Benítez saw Newcastle United lose following a mini Paul Pogba masterclass he remained in no doubt that the Frenchman is not yet in Steven Gerrard’s class. Of comparisons with the midfielder who was his captain when he managed Liverpool, the Spaniard said: “No, they are different. Stevie was a top-class player for so many years. He was very consistent and could make the difference in every game, with or without the ball. He was a top-class player. Pogba is a great player, but he still has to be consistent for years like Stevie was for 10 or 15 years.” Benítez, whose side are five points above the drop zone, was less sure if he will be granted money in January to strengthen. “I don’t know what will happen. I will keep working until January as hard as I can to improve my players, and if we can do something, we will. If not, I will try it improve the players that are available to me.” Jamie Jackson
8) Manchester derby likely to come down to midfield face-off
Pogba’s performance in Manchester United’s 4-1 defeat over Newcastle reminded the Old Trafford supporters what they had been missing during his two-month layoff, his skill crucial to the equaliser and his timing vital to finish United’s third. At least his injury came at a time when league games were more sporadic – he has returned in time for an upcoming run of 10 league encounters in 37 days, a critical period in which just maybe that slick high-energy football of Pep Guardiola’s could come unstuck. If there is to be a title race in Manchester then Pogba is surely United’s answer to Kevin De Bruyne across the city; when the two teams finally meet on 10 December the buildup will inevitably focus on the managers’ rivalry, but it is via one of these two exceptional midfield talents that a potentially defining derby is most likely to be won. Lawrence Ostlere
Match report: Manchester United 4-1 Newcastle United
Ibrahimovic says injury was ‘more severe than revealed’
9) Silva hails his conquering wide men
Marco Silva clearly is not one for rushing new signings into his teams. Marvin Zeegelaar arrived at Watford from Sporting Lisbon on deadline day and in eight league games since had made the bench just twice, and never played. “Of course he had to adapt to a different country, a different culture,” Silva said. “He knows better now our style of play.” He made his first appearance against West Ham, while Will Hughes – who had an almost identical introduction to life in Hertfordshire, spending two of his first nine league games on the bench and the remainder out of the squad altogether – made a first home start. Both impressed, with Hughes giving Watford intriguingly contrasting options on the flanks. Richarlison rampaged down the left, Hughes offered angles and options on the right and without ever being static allowed the overlapping Kiko Femenía to do the serious running. He received a standing ovation when he was taken off in the 84th minute. “He deserved the moment,” Silva said. “He didn’t give up, even when he didn’t get in the squad. He tried to improve every day. It’s a good moment for him and I’m happy.” Simon Burnton
Match report: Watford 2-0 West Ham United
Moyes calls for unity as fans turn on club hierarchy
10) Yacob erratic but still a better option than Krychowiak
There was an amusing scene at the Hawthorns on Saturday just before the referee, Jon Moss, booked Claudio Yacob for a foul. Justifying his decision, Moss pointed to all the places where Yacob had committed similar offences after being introduced at half‑time. There were so many of them that the referee almost looked like a teacher doing a head-count at weekly assembly. This was Yacob’s first appearance since the Carabao Cup defeat by Manchester City in September, when his most memorable contribution to the game was an unruly tackle from behind on Ilkay Gundogan, who was making his first start after nine months out with a broken leg. There is, then, an objectionable side to Yacob’s game. But he also had an admirable dynamism, which is more than was shown by the man he replaced on Saturday, Grzegorz Krychowiak. The Pole has been an expensive disappointment since arriving on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. Paul Doyle
Match report: West Bromwich Albion 0-4 Chelsea
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