Leicester's Christmas run will reveal title credentials, Arsenal need new signings, fans start to turn on Manchester United

Seven things we learnt this weekend: Chelsea's collapse as unexplainable as their patience, Liverpool still have some way to go, don't judge Manchester City yet and why Garry Monk is on borrowed time at Swansea

Riyad Mahrez celebrates with Leicester team-mate Danny Simpson after scoring a hat-trick against Swansea (Getty Images)

Next six matches will prove if we should take Leicester seriously

Everyone keeps saying it, but what Leicester are currently achieving is remarkable. None of the ingredients at the King Power Stadium suggest they should be leading the way after 15 matches, yet they continue to defy belief and have suffered just two defeats in their last 25 games – fewer than any other club in the top flight.

Now the hard part begins. Leicester’s festive run will go a long way to deciding where they finish in the Premier League. The Foxes host struggling Chelsea next Monday night before consecutive trips to Merseyside to face Everton and Liverpool. It doesn’t get any easier as they return to Leicester to play Manchester City, before kicking off 2016 with a home match against Bournemouth and trip to Tottenham.

Pre-season expectations would have suggested that Claudio Ranieri’s side could possibly beat Bournemouth and maybe snatch a draw here or there. Now, with top four ambitions well and truly alive, taking 12 from the 18 points available during the run of fixtures would see those ambitions transform into title-winning dreams.

Arsenal victory papers over alarming crisis

Don’t let the 3-1 victory over Sunderland fool you, Arsenal were woeful for the first half-an-hour until Joel Campbell broke the deadlock after another magical assist from Mesut Özil. Their injury list makes grim reading for the club’s supporters, and Mathieu Flamini did nothing to suggest he can cover for Francis Coquelin while the Frenchman sits out the next three months injured.

Arsene Wenger must address this in the January transfer window, as too often Arsenal have been criticised of being one signing too short of realistically challenging for the title. Why leave it to chance in one of the weakest Premier League seasons ever witnessed? With no one stamping their authority in the league, Wenger should finally go and get that player who can sure up the Gunners midfield. Who is that player? Only Wenger knows.

What is happening at Chelsea is unexplainable – why hasn’t Mourinho gone?

Too often managers are disposed of prematurely, so there should be a degree of praise for Roman Abramovich for giving manager Jose Mourinho time to turn Chelsea’s season around. But the big question, following Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Bournemouth, is why has the Russian chosen now to change his ways?

Glenn Murray scores for Bournemouth in the 1-0 win over Chelsea (Getty Images)

Every manager in the past under Abramovich’s reign has been axed when in a similar position (Avram Grant didn’t survive despite finishing second in everything on offer) yet Mourinho is being given a stay of execution. The situation at Stamford Bridge borders on the bizarre, with Mourinho on of, if not the best manager in the world and Chelsea possessing a squad that six months ago won the Premier League. While Wednesday’s Champions League decider with Porto looks important, dropping down to the Europa League could actually present Chelsea’s best methods of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. The Premier League tie with Leicester next weekend looks much more important for Mourinho.

Manchester United content with dull displays, but the fans won’t stick around

Manchester United have won three of their last 10 matches, have already had six goalless draws this season and the football they are playing under Louis van Gaal can be described at best as drab. Yet United are willing to sit down with the Dutchman and extend his deal at old Trafford beyond his current contract expiry date of June 2017.

Manchester United fans booed at the full-time whistle of the 0-0 draw with West Ham (GETTY IMAGES)

That news will be painful to hear for those who venture to Old Trafford week in, week out, and while Van Gaal retains the faith of the United boardroom, the fans will show their frustration more evidently on match days. It’s highly unlikely that the stands will start to empty, but there are plenty of other ways that they will make their feelings known, such as booing the manager, displaying signs and banners and even utilising the now common sight of a stadium fly-over. Should Van Gaal start to lose the fans, the club’s hierarchy may be forced into something they don’t want to do.

Liverpool defeat shows how far they still have to go

Jürgen Klopp highlighted after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Newcastle that it was the media who were suddenly touting the Reds as title contenders, not the German himself. He was right, and it was premature to suggest that the glory days were back at Anfield off the back of two impressive results and performances.

Georginio Wijnaldum scores against Liverpool (GETTY IMAGES)

Liverpool have their key players back and are beginning to look like the side Klopp wants them to be, but Sunday’s display against a Magpies side in disarray showed they still need to learn how to grind out results as well as enjoy the comfortable victories that will crop up during the rest of the campaign. If Klopp can maintain the fitness of Daniel Sturridge, Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi, he has some very imposing strikers to select from. Yet failing to have a shot on target in the first-half for the third time this season shows that Liverpool still have a long way to build before becoming title contenders. Luckily, they have plenty of time to do so in.

City aren’t title favourites if their spine remains broken

The talk following Saturday’s surprise 2-0 defeat by Stoke was that Manchester City should be clear at the top of the Premier League because they have the strongest squad this season. They do, but that doesn’t explain why the current Premier League table sees them down in third and three points behind Leicester. A look at the league’s injury table gives a far more reasonable explanation.

Vincent Kompany has not played since the start of November (GETTY IMAGES)

Any team that loses their best player in each position is going to struggle massively. City manager Manuel Pellegrini had to cope with the loss of Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero, City’s best players in defence, midfield and attack respectively – not to mention Joe Hart had also just returned from injury. No team can be expected to win anything if they lose that many key players, and when you factor in the limited action seen by Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy and David Silva this season, it’s no wonder why City aren’t leading the way. Judge Pellegrini and City when these players are back at full fitness.

Monk on borrowed time as Swans collapse continues

Sadly, the writing is on the wall for Garry Monk at Swansea. A run of one win in 11 matches sees the former Swans defender on the brink of being sacked, and their current form would suggest that relegation could be on the cards come the end of the season. After suffering a comprehensive 3-0 loss to Leicester on Saturday, things don’t get much better as Manchester City come up next on Saturday, and defeat could spell the end for Monk’s reign in charge.

Garry Monk faces an uncertain future at Swansea (GETTY IMAGES)

What makes his position even more unsafe is the options available to the club should they dismiss Monk. Both Brendan Rodgers and David Moyes are currently out of work – the former having already enjoyed a successful spell at the Liberty Stadium – and while Moyes has played down the job, stranger things have happened than talking him into a U-turn. Both Tim Sherwood and Nigel Pearson are also looking for their next venture, and with Monk admitting that his job is on the line, Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins has a very tough decision to make.