1) City find another way to win

The scoreline suggests a clear and obvious case of déjà vu. But City’s victory at the Emirates Stadium was a little different from their other recent wins against Arsenal. Pep Guardiola started with an unusual 4-2-3-1 formation, with two holding midfielders and Kevin De Bruyne as a No 10, and his team seemed more content than usual to allow the opposition to have the ball. They knew they could slice and dice Arsenal with sudden attacking thrusts, especially with De Bruyne in such regal form. There was a savage ruthlessness to City’s play and Arsenal were 3-0 down after 40 minutes despite having more of the ball. With Arsenal’s spirit broken, the match finished with the familiar sight of City passing the ball around in the opposition half. For once City’s effortless possession did not tell the story of the game. Rob Smyth

• Match report: Arsenal 0-3 Manchester City

Play Video 1:32 Freddie Ljungberg on Mesut Özil's substitution and Arsenal being more 'cynical' – video

2) Newcastle look shot shy

Newcastle ended the match at Turf Moor with four strikers on the pitch but they had failed to muster a shot on target between them. It was the first time in Burnley’s Premier League history that they had stopped their opponents from achieving such a mediocre feat. The Clarets are a well-organised unit but not testing the goalkeeper in 90 minutes is shameful. Andy Carroll was an aerial threat around the box but never in it; his most dangerous moment was when he caught the resilient Ben Mee with an elbow. Carroll has not scored a league goal since April 2018 and his lack of match sharpness means it will be a surprise when he does. Steve Bruce might need a better plan than swapping between him and Joelinton in the hope one finds form. Instead it could be time to give Dwight Gayle another chance to prove he is a top-flight striker. Will Unwin

• Match report: Burnley 1-0 Newcastle

Arsenal defence proves perfect audience for De Bruyne’s one-man show | Barney Ronay Read more

3) Lampard needs improvement

Frank Lampard is not a happy man at the moment. Chelsea have lost four of their last five league games and Lampard was fuming after Bournemouth’s latest victory at Stamford Bridge, questioning whether his players possess the personality to break down opponents who sit deep and disrupt their rhythm. It was another insipid performance in front of their fans from Chelsea, who have only four home wins this season, and it bolsters the argument that they need to spend now their transfer ban has been halved. None of their creative players is showing enough consistency and, with his team’s hold on fourth spot looking uncertain, Lampard cannot tolerate the lack of decisiveness in the final third much longer. Mason Mount is showing signs of fatigue and Willian, out of contract next summer, was poor against Bournemouth. No wonder Chelsea are interested in Fyodor Chalov, Moussa Dembélé, Jadon Sancho, Timo Werner and Wilfried Zaha. Jacob Steinberg

• Match report: Chelsea 0-1 Bournemouth

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ben Godfrey closes down Leicester’s Ricardo Pereira. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images via Reuters

4) Godfrey impresses for Norwich

It has not happened often enough yet this season but Norwich’s brightest talents all came to the fore at once on Saturday, and more performances like the 1-1 draw at Leicester could yet haul them out of the mire. Max Aarons covered a prodigious amount of ground from right-back, Emi Buendía was a bewitching and effective presence on the ball in possibly his best showing of the campaign, while Teemu Pukki did exactly what Teemu Pukki does. But perhaps the most convincing operator of all was Ben Godfrey, who would reportedly set suitors back £50m if Norwich get their way and on this evidence may be worth that kind of investment. Godfrey is only 21 but sailed through on all fronts, his imposing physical frame getting the better of Leicester’s attack and some sublime distribution from the back putting Norwich on the front foot. One raking 60-yard pass almost put Pukki in for the winner late on. If the worst does happen in May then you suspect that, in whatever they receive for Godfrey, Norwich will essentially have an extra parachute payment. Nick Ames

• Match report: Leicester 1-1 Norwich

5) VAR again the focus at Anfield

“I don’t celebrate goals any more,” Jürgen Klopp said with a shrug. As the Liverpool manager’s celebrations are often something to behold, that probably counts as another downside to VAR. Had Watford scored a goal or two at Anfield, and they certainly had the chances, a lot more would have been heard about the disallowed Sadio Mané goal at the start of the second half. The latest VAR ludicrousness could have had a bearing on the title race if Liverpool had dropped points, as it was a fine Xherdan Shaqiri cross and a perfect Mané finish counted for nothing due to the scorer eventually being adjudged offside by an eyebrow or something just as imperceptible. Once again the question must be posed: are these pettifogging and increasingly arbitrary interventions really the future the game wants to embrace? Paul Wilson

• Match report: Liverpool 2-0 Watford

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6) Time for Greenwood to get proper chance

Is it time for Mason Greenwood to get a proper run in the Manchester United side? His superb equaliser against Everton on Sunday means he now has more Premier League goals this season (two) than starts (one) and, though Ole Gunnar Solskjær has largely restricted him to cameos off the bench, the case for starting him – perhaps ahead of Daniel James, who after 26 games in all competitions looks in need of a rest – is becoming increasingly hard to ignore. Part of the issue is whether Greenwood, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford – all quick forwards who like to attack central areas – can truly complement each other in a front three. But it seemed to work a treat against Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League, and there surely comes a point when you just have to suck it and see. Jonathan Liew • Match report: Manchester United 1-1 Everton

Play Video 1:25 ‘We just couldn’t hang on’: Duncan Ferguson praises Everton's draw at Manchester United – video

Duncan Ferguson gives Everton a plan but hunger will get them only so far | Jonathan Liew Read more

7) Smith faces selection quandary

After seeing Aston Villa disappoint during Saturday’s defeat at Sheffield United – their sixth loss in eight league games – Dean Smith has an interesting pickle to chew on. How many of his first-choice players should the Villa manager deploy in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against a Liverpool shadow side on Tuesday? Along with a semi-final spot, an authoritative win could prove a timely boost before a critical run of Premier League fixtures: they have to play all three of the teams below them in the table before the new year. But injuries – or defeat by a band of rookies – would be a painful blow at a tricky time. Paul Doyle

• Match report: Sheffield United 2-0 Aston Villa

8) Saints take another step back

One step forward, two steps back: two wins on the bounce have been followed by back-to-back defeats and a pervading sense Southampton are treading water. After that 9-0 shellacking by Leicester and insipid home displays against Bournemouth and Everton, a desperately flat performance against West Ham on Saturday was the latest worrying episode for Ralph Hasenhüttl, who surely hoped his side had turned a corner. Worryingly, sluggish starts seem to be a recurring theme for Southampton, who have taken eight points from the past 33. “The speed of the ball wasn’t quick enough, in the second half this was better, not always perfect but we tried it,” Hasenhüttl said. “But in the end we lost a very important game.” Next up for Southampton? A trip to Aston Villa, another team stuck in the mud. Ben Fisher

• Match report: Southampton 0-1 West Ham

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Lucas Moura drives in Tottenham’s opening goal. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images via Reuters

9) Mourinho takes another step in right direction

The Dozen: angry Vardy and jubilant Ferguson – the best Premier League pics Read more

José Mourinho was so exhausted by the sight of Tottenham Hotspur fending off Wolves’ lethal wingers that he sighed when asked to discuss his team’s dramatic 2-1 victory over the hosts at Molineux. “Adama [Traoré] and Diogo [Jota]: I don’t even want to speak about them because I get tired just to see them run,” he said. It is for that reason that he will take great pleasure from seeing his team fight until the very end to take victory against such vibrant opponents. In lieu of typical magic from Son Heung-min, Dele Alli or Harry Kane, it was Lucas Moura who stepped up to seal the opening goal and then Tottenham maintained their intensity until the bitter end as Wolves fell. Considering Mourinho inherited a team that had not won an away game this season, this triumph seemed like another solid step in the right direction. Tumaini Carayol

• Match report: Wolves 1-2 Tottenham

10) Rodgers shows his ruthless side

Kelechi Iheanacho was not having a bad game; the striker was at the heart of everything positive going forward for Leicester but Brendan Rodgers knew his presence was creating an imbalance in the team due to the change in formation which helps accommodate the in-form Nigerian. Rodgers acted quickly and decisively, bringing on Demarai Gray in place of the former Manchester City striker, the same happened at the break when Dennis Praet was sacrificed for Harvey Barnes. Rodgers worked with José Mourinho early in his career and this level of ruthlessness has rubbed off on him, it would seem. He might come across as everyone’s mate but Rodgers looks like he means business as he eyes top spot. There is no place for sentiment at the top and Rodgers will not want to repeat any perceived mistakes from the last time he challenge for a Premier League title. Will Unwin

• Match report: Leicester 1-1 Norwich