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Everton failed to improve on a poor run of results as they slumped to a 3-1 loss at the hands of Wolves and, while nobody kitted in blue covered themselves in glory, there was one man in particular who is surely disappointed by what he offered to the game, especially considering the influence he usually has on proceedings.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s are tough to beat – they are organised in defence, dangerous on the break and their consistency has seen them rise to seventh in the standings – however, considering their expenditure in recent years, the Toffees should really be giving them a game and, had their star man been at the races, they may have.

Richarlison followed Marco Silva to Everton from Watford in the summer as the Portuguese brought his 2017 signing to Goodison Park and the forward got off to a flying start, netting twice against none other than Wolves on the opening day as the Toffees held the newly-promoted side to a 2-2 draw.

The absence of a goalscoring striker has often seen the Brazilian deployed up front – he is naturally a winger – and he usually puts in a decent shift, as five goals from 12 appearances at centre-stage will tell you. The 21-year-old was surely hoping he would be able to have the kind of impact he had at Molineux as Everton hosted the return fixture on Saturday, but it wasn’t to be.

Richardson’s silky, South-American close control was absent as he uncharacteristically struggled to get a foot on the ball and drive at the defence – the number 30 took 6 unsuccessful touches, as Wolves hunted him down effectively and bullied him out of the game.

Blessed with pace, the forward can usually be relied upon to get in behind the opposition and cause problems with his trickery, but he completed zero dribbles and thus gave the Wolves back four little to worry about all game.

Being deployed as a central striker, the Everton ace showed his instinct as a wide man to drift out to the wing and whip in a cross – he did this twice, but neither were accurate – and, while his new role offers him more opportunities to have a pop at goal, he took zero shots and so failed to trouble Rui Patricio.

Offering little to his team on the front foot, the attacker did still work his socks off as he chased down every ball and made four tackles – the most in his side.

The pressure is rising on Silva to start delivering results more consistently – the Merseyside outfit sit ninth in the table but have lost five of their last eight in all competitions.

There is no doubt that the winger is far more effective on, well, the wing, and Director of Football Marcel Brands’ failure to bring in a competent striker to relieve him of his centre-forward duties is really starting to cost both Richarlison and Silva.

Who is West Ham’s worst ever signing? Check out the video below for a pretty strong candidate for the dubious honour…

Many question marks were posed when Jan Vertonghen was confirmed as Tottenham Hotspur’s left wing-back against the destructive Borussia Dortmund.

Indeed, many Spurs fans would have feared Dortmund and Sancho would thrive on Vertonghen’s weak mobility on the flank, with both Danny Rose and Ben Davies ruled out.

Well, big Jan had other plans.

The Belgian defender produced a masterclass, flooring Dortmund with his excellent work on both halves of the field and proved how experience prevails over youthful exuberance. He kept England international Sancho at bay throughout, not allowing the dazzling winger to get a proper swipe at goal.

While Vertonghen was given enough protection by Spurs’ solid three-man backline on the day, his work-rate was exemplary. Not only did he track back to keep BVB at bay, but he also kept on attacking to prove his ability up front. Given freedom by Mauricio Pochettino, he juggled forward and created multiple opportunities with his crosses.

Vertonghen’s persistence would pay off in the 47th minute when his pressing helped win back the ball and he put in an inch-perfect cross for Son Heung-Min to tap in. However, he wasn’t done then. The big Belgian kept on galloping forward and had few swipes at goal, before he showed instincts of a striker, latching onto Serge Aurier’s cross before finishing smartly.

With a complete performance which not only had a goal and assist, but seven ball recoveries, four interceptions and 86% passing accuracy (stats via WhoScored), Vertonghen extinguished many myths surrounding any kind of suggestion he’s on the wane.

Leeds have enjoyed a fantastic start to the season and are already in a commanding position to be promoted back to the Premier League for the first time in well over a decade.

If they are to secure promotion, though, a hectic festive period could be crucial in defining how the rest of their season goes.

Here are three things they need to do over Christmas:

Keep the fans onside

Leeds fans have learnt to deal with fruitless promotion campaigns over the years, and their passionate support could be crucial to Marcelo Bielsa’s men push towards the Premier League. By the end of the season, it will have been 16 years since they were relegated from the top flight. Despite their unbelievable form and an imperious look to their team, keeping the fans in positive spirits may be crucial, especially considering the collapse they suffered towards the end of last season.

Get in the mood for goals

While their defence has been water-tight, conceding just 10 in 21 league games, Leeds have struggled to score. They’ve netted 32 so far, which only puts them ahead of Nottingham Forest for goals scored in the top six. Leeds have scored more than two in a game just once since August, in the 4-0 drubbing of Middlesbrough a fortnight ago. While their defence is very stern, getting their attack firing could catapult them into the top flight in 2020.

Maintain promotion momentum

Bielsa has his side 11 points clear of third-placed Fulham. It’s a huge lead, especially so early in the season. If they can keep this unbeaten form going over the festive period, it’ll surely be very difficult to miss out on automatic promotion. Huge fixtures against promotion rivals Fulham and Preston North End could define the rest of the season for the Whites, who can keep up their momentum by potentially stretching their advantage at the top of the table.

Who saw that coming then? Having brushed aside Premier League rivals Tottenham and Manchester City, the mood at Old Trafford would no doubt have been lifted considerably. But in typically disappointing fashion, Manchester United let themselves down on Sunday afternoon with a wretched performance that saw them deservedly lose 2-0 to Watford – a side rooted to the bottom of the table.

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And whilst the team as a whole under-performed – the Red Devils missed three big chances and couldn’t convert any of their eight shots on target – one man in particular seemed overwhelmed by the whole game. Scott McTominay has received his fair share of the plaudits this season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer even remarking in recent weeks that he looks “undroppable” and that he would even fit into some of the club’s best sides of the past.

But against Watford on Sunday, the Scotland international was nowhere near that level, and when looking at the underlying numbers behind his performance, it is easy to see why.

As per Sofascore, in the 72 minutes he was on the pitch before he was hooked for Juan Mata, McTominay lost possession 16 times. The United man looked completely overwhelmed in the battle for the midfield, with Watford’s trio of Abdoulaye Doucoure, Etienne Capoue and Will Hughes buzzing around and closing down the space. And despite standing at an imposing 6 foot 4, the 23-year-old struggled to win the physical contests too, losing a total of eight duels in the time he was on the pitch.

He also failed to be a presence at either end of the pitch, failing to complete a single interception or provide a key pass. United desperately needed McTominay to dominate in midfield, and help get a foot-hold in the game. Instead, the Watford midfielders kept him in check and he couldn’t inspire the Red Devils to a much-needed victory. Solskjaer claimed that the academy graduate could fit into some of the sides he played in yesteryear. Well, on the basis of Sunday afternoon’s performance, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Meanwhile, Manchester United’s potential swoop for Erling Haaland would spell bad news for this player.

Tottenham Hotspur face Brighton & Hove Albion on Boxing Day after a dismal defeat to Chelsea in north London.

Manager Jose Mourinho named an unchanged side against the Blues, keeping faith in the team that beat Wolves 2-1.

However, they were disorganised and outplayed by Frank Lampard’s side, who were 2-0 up at half-time thanks to a Willian brace.

Watch Spurs vs Brighton Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

It makes sense for Mourinho to consider changes against the Seagulls, then, with one enforced.

Son Heung-Min was sent off for appearing to lash out at Antonio Rudiger and he will be suspended, while some others could well be dropped.

Football FanCast takes a look at the XI Mourinho should select…

Paulo Gazzaniga conceded a penalty with a crazy tackle on Marcos Alonso but there isn’t really anyone else and he will have to play.

Davinson Sanchez played well at centre-back and Toby Alderweireld is Mr. Consistency so they should stay together in the heart of the defence.

Jan Vertonghen, though, has endured two difficult games in succession at left-back – he struggled against Adama Traore as Spurs beat Wolves – and restoring Danny Rose, a player who would give the side some natural width, makes sense, while Serge Aurier should also be dropped.

He did not need to concede the corner kick that led to Chelsea’s first goal and was then too slow to tackle Willian; bringing in Kyle Walker-Peters, so rarely seen in the starting XI, and allowing him to stake a claim would be the right thing to do.

Mourinho’s produced some incredible footballing stars – how much do you know about them?

Moussa Sissoko, like Sanchez, emerged from the game with some credit but his midfield partner, Eric Dier, was hooked at half-time. Partnering France international Tanguy Ndombele with his compatriot in midfield would add some dynamism.

Further forward, Ryan Sessegnon is the obvious option to replace Son on the left wing, while Giovani Lo Celso could offer more going forward than Lucas Moura did against the Blues.

That leaves Dele Alli and Harry Kane in attacking midfield and up front respectively but Spurs will have to ensure that the latter is given the proper support and the former is not consistently dropping back to help out a struggling midfield.

Meanwhile, one Spurs star has been slammed by Gary Neville.

Loads of Rangers fans have been discussing a controversial moment from Sunday’s Old Firm referee Kevin Clancy, as footage appears to show Scott Brown being booked before his first official yellow card.

The Celtic captain was cautioned in the 38th minute for a foul on Glen Kamara, but Gers fans have been left outraged by footage that has emerged from earlier in the match.

In the 33rd minute, when Nikola Katic conceded a penalty for shirt-tugging, the clip seems to show Clancy showing two separate yellow cards.

After showing a card to the towering Croatian, Clancy appears to brandish the card again in the direction of Brown, five minutes before he was actually booked.

Brown can be seen in a tussle with Gers captain James Tavernier during the penalty incident, leading loads of supporters to believe it was indeed him that was shown the yellow card, even though the match report shows no bookings besides Katic in the 33rd minute.

The Daily Record have claimed referee Clancy simply wanted to be sure Katic had seen the card and that is why he flashed it a second time, but check out some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where some of the Ibrox faithful are furious…

Christian Eriksen has to stop taking corners for Tottenham Hotspur.

On the chalkboard

The Denmark international is the club’s designated corner taker and, yet, he is remarkably awful at taking them.

Per WhoScored, in his last four appearances in the Premier League, against Southampton, Norwich City, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Chelsea, Eriksen has completed two successful corners from 15 attempts.

That’s a success rate of 0.13 per game.

Spurs, this season, have taken 108 corners, per the Premier League’s official website, but they have scored just four goals from set-pieces this season.

That, of course, includes free-kicks and is a disgrace of a statistic for Jose Mourinho’s men.

It is all the more frustrating when one considers that Eriksen has the ability to deliver game-changing balls into the box, as he did for the club’s late winner against Wolves at Molineux, with Jan Vertonghen heading the ball home.

But if the club are to make genuine strides forward – they are currently six points off the top four and have not won any of their last three games in all competitions – they need to ensure that every weapon in their armoury is maximised.

A vital change

This is an easy but important change for Spurs to make.

There is something of a long-running joke when it comes to Eriksen that he cannot beat the first man from a dead-ball situation and it is holding the club back.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

Effectively, it has blocked off their potential to score from corners and allowed them to become predictable and easy to defend against.

If Spurs want to start winning games again, removing Eriksen from such duties is a no-brainer.

It should start against Liverpool this weekend.

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho has made a huge transfer demand. 

Leeds United are seemingly ready to go all out in their quest to be promoted from the Championship this month.

The Whites are reportedly ready to meet Southampton’s demands for Che Adams, and if you haven’t already seen, that involves an obligation to buy the striker next summer for at least £10m.

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The Yorkshire club should have no problem in affording that if they are promoted as the Premier League TV deal will provide them with a huge financial windfall, but if they fail in their quest to go up, there could be trouble afoot.

Leeds are already cutting it fine with FFP, and with £15m already committed to buy Helder Costa next summer the Whites’ spend this summer would already be at least £25m if they get the Adams deal over the line.

With the EFL breathing down their necks about FFP, the Whites wouldn’t be able to spend much more than the minimum amount they’d already be committed to if they signed Adams. Consequently, that could see them miss out on a transfer that was seen as a no-brainer just last week.

Indeed, Leeds being at least £25m in the red next summer before the transfer window even opens would put them in a sticky situation financially, and that means they’d likely have to pass up on the opportunity to sign Jack Harrison despite having an option to buy him for £8m.

It just wouldn’t be viable to spend a minimum of £33m next summer if they don’t go up as FFP is already an issue for the Whites, and it’s only going to get worse once Adams and Costa are paid for.

Harrison’s future at Elland Road could well be in danger.

In other news, our writers have been considering whether or not one youngster would be a good signing for Leeds.

Sunderland have recovered in terms of results in recent weeks but the future of the club away from the pitch is still in doubt after Stewart Donald said he would sell the club earlier this month.

It may have appeared to be a bit of a hasty decision given Donald only took over in the summer of 2018, but a perceived lack of investment and a decline in performances led to frustration amongst the fanbase.

The sacking of Jack Ross also seemed to backfire in the early part of Phil Parkinson’s reign, as the current Black Cats boss had, at one point, just two wins from his opening 14 games.

Since then an unbeaten run of seven matches has lifted the north-east outfit back into the playoff spots, but the remainder of the transfer window could be vital to sustaining their promotion bid.

So far targets have been confined to free agents and loan players, with Kyle Lafferty arriving on a free and Bailey Wright on loan, while Greg Docherty is also rumoured to arrive on a temporary basis.

Watch Sunderland Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Takeover talk

As a result, there is an apparent need for further investment from the top, as Donald seems unable to finance a promotion campaign by himself – or a Championship side for that matter.

A £9m loan taken out from American investment group FPP was evidence of that, with the Sunderland owner describing the partnership as beneficial for the club and the north-east.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

He also suggested that Sunderland made a £30m profit last year, which puts them in a healthy position to appeal to potential owners, and the Sunday Mirror [19/01], as reported by Sporting Life, suggest that the American group are in “pole position to take over”.

That is very encouraging news for supporters, as billionaires Glenn Fuhrman, John Phelan and Michael Dell are involved with FPP, while Michael Platek’s estimated worth is unknown.

As a result, a takeover could provide the Wearside outfit with tremendous resources and allow them to plot a route back to the Premier League.

If that is Donald’s legacy then it will be one he should be proud of, and Black Cats fans could come to appreciate his tenure even if there have been setbacks and calls for protests against his ownership.

Until then, the owner should look to back Parkinson in any way that he can. Making a statement signing now would provide everyone at the club with an extra boost, and one that could set them on the way to regain their Championship status.

Elsewhere, Keith Downie has revealed a big development in one potential transfer dealing.

Southampton have a number of expensive recruits out on loan as things stand.

£16m Mohamed Elyounoussi is currently on a season-long loan to Celtic, as is £10m Fraser Forster.

£19m Guido Carrillo is also away at Leganes, while £18.1m man Mario Lemina is spending the campaign with Galatasaray.

Elsewhere, Wesley Hoedt – who cost £15m in a deal from Lazio – is also away with Royal Antwerp, but isn’t having the best of times.

What happened?

In his most recent outing for the Belgian side, Hoedt did not even last the first ten minutes of the match.

The Netherlands international was given his marching orders in just the seventh minute of the Jupiler League encounter against Cercle Brugge, in which his side were already a goal down following a second minute penalty from Kevin Hoggas.

Humorously, Hoedt’s teammates then went on to find an equaliser just six minutes after he had been dismissed, before going on to snatch a winner in the 55th minute – one could argue that they performed better without him.

Another nightmare outing

It really isn’t going to plan for the 25-year-old over in Belgium.

At the start of December, we detailed another terrible performance of the Dutchman’s, this time in a Belgian Cup tie against Genk.

Hoedt scored an own goal while his side were leading 2-1 in the 81st minute, which saw the tie go to a penalty shootout.

The centre-back decided to take a spot kick himself, only to see his effort fail and also see his side lose the shootout by four goals to three.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

In total, Hoedt has made 19 appearances this season, but his side have only managed to keep four clean sheets in those outings – that isn’t to say that this terrible defensive record is all his fault, but he really isn’t shining during his loan spell in Belgium.

In other news, David Ornstein has delivered an interesting update on Southampton’s hunt for a transfer specialist…