6) Burnley need to find goals fast
The last time Burnley were in the Premier League, they won three games away from home, two of which were too little, too late efforts, with relegation already confirmed. They had a similar problem when they were in the top flight in 2009–10 too, that time winning just one, drawing one and losing the rest. The pattern seems to be repeating itself this season: the 2-0 defeat at Stoke on Saturday was their fifth reverse in six games on the road, and the only time they have avoided a loss was a goalless draw at Old Trafford at the end of October. Maybe even more troubling is that they have scored only once away from Turf Moor, a penalty consolation in a 3-1 defeat at Southampton. Sean Dyche was quick to criticise Stoke’s apparent gamesmanship and the refereeing on Saturday, but that is not the reason they’re falling down the table. NM
7) More wins could lead to more Short money
Sunderland’s manager smiled at the suggestion his players were starting to resemble a “David Moyes team”. It has taken time but Moyes is showing his ability by somehow making the Wearside team look much more than the sum of their parts. If specialist defensive tutorials with Lamine Koné and Papy Djilobodji have helped, his attacking work on Victor Anichebe has been transformative. Three vindicating wins in four games have bred optimism but, to maintain the upward trajectory, Moyes wants victory in a trio of key games this month against Swansea City, Watford and Burnley. Such success would represent more than the collection of nine crucial points; it might persuade Ellis Short, the club’s owner, to invest in much needed playing reinforcements next month. Short would welcome a takeover but securing one might involve a little speculating to accumulate, preferably starting with Yann M’Vila’s long awaited importation from Rubin Kazan. Louise Taylor
8) Past performance could be guide to Spurs’ gain
Are Tottenham Hotspur ready to make their move again? When Spurs lost at Chelsea on the Saturday before last, their Premier League record stood at W6 D6 L1 and they sat fifth in the table, which was a mirror image of their numbers from the corresponding point of last season. Last time out they then drew at home against Chelsea, whereas on Saturday they hammered Swansea City. In other words, Spurs are statistically better off now than when compared with their superb season of 2015‑16. What happened last season was they went on an extraordinary run at around this time. Can Mauricio Pochettino’s team fashion a repeat? Their elimination from the Champions League was a blow but they could benefit from a clarity of domestic focus. Harry Kane is back from injury and firing and there were signs of greater collective fluency against Swansea. Pochettino’s players have tended to enjoy a physical dividend from his conditioning programme. He senses a turning point. David Hytner
9) Evans and McAuley will give Costa a true test
When Chelsea try to extend their Premier League winning sequence to nine matches on Sunday, they will be confronted by better defenders than they found at Manchester City on Saturday. Few teams have a central defence as strong as West Bromwich Albion’s Northern Irish-axis. Jonny Evans is a consummate defender whom John Stones, for instance, might have benefited from studying if Evans had not been deployed in midfield when City won at West Bromwich in October. And Gareth McAuley, who turns 37 on Monday, has played every minute of every league match for Albion this season and been superb for most of them: strong, savvy and like Evans, always liable to contribute a goal from set pieces. Watching Diego Costa – on excellent form himself – take on that pair at Stamford Bridge should be one of the highlights of next weekend. Paul Doyle
10) Wenger looks for consistency after difficult November
Even if he famously banned Arsenal’s players from eating chocolate, Arsène Wenger must have been relieved to crack open his advent calendar on Thursday after another disappointing November. Their return of 1.7 points per game in the Premier League was a slight increase on previous years, but a costly Champions League draw against Paris Saint-Germain and the tame defeat of Wenger’s second string by Southampton in the EFL Cup last week showed his side remain vulnerable. The dismantling of a West Ham side in disarray was the perfect response, even if Arsenal’s manager knows there will be much stiffer tests ahead with trips to Everton and Manchester City to come this month. “Recently, we lost a little bit the quality of our game, and we started [to lose] a little bit with results,” he said. “A draw here, a draw there, a draw against PSG that was not completely convincing, and today we found the flow again. So I think we just have to concentrate on the quality of our game and try to repeat that week in, week out.” Ed Aarons
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