Saliba stakes claim for VVD crown, Spurs show resilience - 10 THINGS from EPL

Arsenal sit top of the Premier League table for the second successive Christmas after a hard fought 1-1 draw against Liverpool on Saturday.

The top two sharing the spoils at Anfield will have been the perfect gift for Manchester City as Pep Guardiola's side remain absent after winning the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Aston Villa saw their surprise title challenge dented with a rare slip up at home, while Tottenham battled to narrow home win over Everton.

Man United and Chelsea's stuttering seasons continued with defeats on the road at West Ham and Wolves, while Luton celebrated an emotional home win over Newcastle.

Mail Sport covers all the big talking points in 10 things we learned from the Premier League weekend.

It's rare that a defender takes the acclaim in Premier League football but there was no doubt who was the standout player in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash.

Liverpool fans had attempted to dismiss talk that William Saliba could be surpassing Virgil van Dijk as the best defender in the Premier League.

The Frenchman staked his claim as the heir apparent to Van Dijk's throne with a commanding performance at Anfield.

Saliba looked like a man against boys at times during the second half, with the 22-year-old crucial to helping Arsenal earn an impressive result against their title rivals.

The Frenchman was deservedly named as the man of the match and showed his crucial role to Arsenal's title challenge.

Ange Postecoglou faced questions for first time as Tottenham boss after picking up one point in five matches from November to the start of December.

The run saw his side downgraded to top four hopefuls rather than title contenders, following their blistering start to the campaign.

Spurs, beset by injuries, looked to be