Premier League hits and misses: Man City not back yet while Nottingham Forest impress again

The Premier League is approaching its halfway mark but the player of the season prize looks like it's sewn up already. Cole Palmer has dazzled. Bukayo Saka has shone. But Mohamed Salah is in a league of his own.

Top of the goals chart. Top of the assists chart. More goal involvements than any player in Europe's top five leagues - an incredible 52 across all competitions. He's scored and assisted in eight different Premier League games - and it's only December. The jaw-dropping stats go on.

And all this from a 32-year-old who is out of contract in the summer. Off-field matters have proved to be no distraction. Perhaps they have been a motivator for the Egyptian; a point to prove? Well he is certainly doing that. He has proven himself to be the best player in the Premier League and Liverpool must surely give this brilliant player a new deal.

He is driving them towards another Premier League title.Peter Smith

"Man City will be back," Pep Guardiola confidently said prior to his 500th game in charge.

His team were able to secure all three points on the afternoon but the performance was far from convincing.

Leicester did enough to win this game. After hitting the post, seeing a clear penalty denied due to the offside flag and a shot cleared off the line, Man City were tempting fate yet again and could have easily come away with nothing.

Erling Haaland being back in the goals and Kevin De Bruyne playing 90 minutes are both positives - but City will need to improve across all fronts if they are to build on this victory in the new year - and no one is more aware of that than Guardiola himself.

"Erling broke his moment and Kevin is back, step by step," he said. "Step by step."Patrick Rowe

If you could bottle and sell Dejan Kulusevski's secret formula you'd make millions.

Ange Postecoglou said after watching star man: "Where does Deki [Kulusevski] get the energy from?"

Such is his relentless energy, there is an argument forming that he might not be human.

Playing his fifth straight 90 minutes in just 14 days, he yet again was Tottenham's best player in possession, creating a goal and three other chances, and their most hard-working without it.

No player on the pitch ran further than Kulusevski's 12.3km total and his 16 sprints was also the most of any player.

He must sleep well at night.

It's clear Spurs are running on empty though. Not only are they missing their best defenders, but their key men in attack also need a rest. Heung-Min Son just can't cope playing this type of relentless schedule now and his penalty miss showed it whilst Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson are giving it their all but are a yard short of their best. Good job Spurs have Kulusevski then.

His shoulders must be aching carrying this side.Lewis Jones

When Everton and Nottingham Forest met in April of this year, there were just two points separating the sides.

This was once a relegation six-pointer in the Premier League, now one team is streets clear of the other. In fact, Nottingham Forest have become the team Everton want to be - and have wanted to be for some time now.

Forest are clinical in both boxes and have the squad depth to produce what Nuno wants from his team.

The difference between the two was best summed up in the 74th minute of this game, when Nuno took off Wood and Gibbs-White knowing full well the result was sealed in the same minute when Beto was brought on by Dyche as Everton tested their third different combination up front.

Forest have a manager who can effectively deal with turmoil. Nuno saw Murillo limp off during the warm-up which forced him to change formation last minute. His players still delivered, with Morato's performance as defensive understudy epitomising this culture.

With blanks in seven out of their last nine matches, Dyche is still working out his formula on how to get results.

There is also a difference between the backing upstairs. Everton have seen years of ownership turmoil, recently ended by the Friedkin Group's takeover, while Forest finally have stability under Evangelos Marinakis. The difference between the two clubs could not be greater.Sam Blitz

"It is a foundation to build on," said Ruud van Nistelrooy after the game. And he was right.

Prior to conceding Savinho's opener on the rebound in the first half, Leicester looked solid defensively and possessed a real - and regular - threat on the counter.

Even after conceding, this threat continued, and Vardy will likely lie awake at night thinking about the chance that he spooned over the bar from close-range.

1.33 xG against the champions and pushing them right to the very end is something to be proud of - but it also highlights the need for investment in the January transfer window.

Leicester created the chances to walk away with something today but if they do not have anyone to finish them, they will be returning to the Championship in the summer.

Vardy and Patson Daka offer solid options to turn to but Leicester need a frontman capable of firing them to safety. Which is a profile Van Nistelrooy will know all about, having netted just under 100 goals in the league.Patrick Rowe

Southampton will have to do what no side has done before in the Premier League to stay up after claiming just six points from their first 19 games.

Only Sunderland in 2005-06 (6) and Sheffield United in 2020-21 (5) have also ever had as few as six points at this stage. Both, of course, were relegated.

Ivan Juric, the new Southampton boss, has lost both of his games in charge but there have been shoots of promise over the two matches, particularly against West Ham on Boxing Day.

The former Roma coach has simplified the system, allowing the players to be more direct when the scenario calls for it while demanding an aggressive press.

Southampton benefited from his tweaks early on at Crystal Palace, before surrendering a first-half lead to suffer a 2-1 defeat after losing their way in the second half.

Juric needs time with his squad to implement his ideas, but he doesn't have any to play with. Keeping Southampton up feels like mission impossible.

For context, West Brom's 2004/05 recovery from 10 points after 19 games is the fewest number of points a team has had at the midway point of a season and avoided relegation.

Repeating that feat, and matching their meagre tally of 34 points, would require the greatest of escapes from Southampton. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that such a small return may be enough - if they can reach it that is.Zinny Boswell

Dango Ouattara came into the game at Fulham nursing an injury. The Burkinabé winger had been in the wars following the goalless draw with Crystal Palace on Boxing Day, but Andoni Iraola had to call upon the man who is quickly becoming his substitute specialist.

In scoring his 89th-minute equaliser at Craven Cottage, Bournemouth have now scored 10 goals in the final five minutes of Premier League games this season, at least three more than any other side.

Two of them have been scored by Ouattara, who also played a role in the first of the Cherries remarkable away rescue acts at Everton back in August.

Iraola said: "I have to appreciate the effort of Dango as he ended the game against Palace with some niggles and probably in a different situation he wouldn't have played. He has done a big effort and I have to appreciate it, because at the end it has been worth it."

Marco Silva was left to rue more points dropped from winning positions. It is now 19 this term, and Ouattara's late intervention ensured they remain above Fulham in the table and dreaming of Europe. It is the sort of resilience that is required to turn those aspirations into reality.Ben Grounds