Nuno Espirito Santo will rival Arne Slot to win the Premier League’s Manager of the Year award.
That’s the view of ex-Chelsea defender Jason Cundy, who has waxed lyrical over the 50-year-old with Nottingham Forest to spend Christmas in the top four.
Refusing to go away, the Reds, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, are fourth in the table following Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brentford.
The City Ground outfit now sit five points behind leaders Liverpool having won nine out of their 17 top-flight matches.
As for Newcastle, it’s now three wins in a week as they eased to a 4-0 win over struggling Ipswich – with Alexander Isak grabbing a hat-trick.
The striker’s treble has seen him become the first Swedish star since Arsenal icon Freddie Ljungberg in 2003 to score a top-flight hat-trick.
But Portsmouth forward Callum Lang went one better in Pompey’s 4- 1 victory over Frank Lampard’s Coventry.
The 26-year-old scored all four of his side’s goals at Fratton Park to send John Mousinho’s side up to 20th in the Championship.
And it proved to be another horror match for Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City team.
The Citizens lost 2-1 away at Aston Villa to drop down into sixth spot having lost nine out of their last 12 in all competitions.
Like City, Ipswich have been used to defeats of late as they remain in the bottom three, while a certain fan’s astonishing claim shocked talkSPORT co-hosts Cundy and Jamie O’Hara.
Here, talkSPORT duo Jamie O’Hara and Jason Cundy reveal their winners and losers from Saturday’s action on the Game-Day Phone-In.
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Winners
Callum Lang
Portsmouth have struggled all season in England’s second-tier, but have Lang to thank for why they are not in the bottom three.
The 26-year-old, who is on nine goals for the season, has banged in five times in his last three outings – helping his side scoop six points out of nine.
And his masterclass on Saturday left Cundy and former Tottenham midfielder O’Hara almost speechless.
Cundy said: “Callum Lang scores four goals for Pompey, they were 1-0 down, he gets all four, they win 4-1.
“We don’t often dip our toes down in the Championship, but four goals!”
Meanwhile O’Hara simply stated: “Fair play.”
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Alexander Isak
The 25-year-old continues to show why he is regarded as one of Europe’s best strikers on current form.
Isak, linked with moves to Arsenal and Chelsea in 2025, has ten Premier League goals from 15 fixtures this term.
He has found the back of the net in each of his last four top-flight outings, with his display against Ipswich one of the performances of the campaign so far.
Cundy said of his display: “Isak, he got himself a hat-trick, he got his first goal inside 25 seconds. It was punishing for Ipswich.”
Interjecting, O’Hara quipped: “Was you playing centre-half?”
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Nuno Espirito Santo
From being sacked at Tottenham in 2021 after just 17 games to guiding Forest away from relegation and into an unlikely title race, Nuno Espirito Santo take a bow.
His rampant Reds side inflicted a first home defeat on Brentford this season – and now sit just two points behind third-placed Arsenal.
And Cundy believes that if Forest can continue their form into 2025, then Santo could be named as the Manager of the Season.
O’Hara said of Santo: “He’s doing an unbelievable job Nuno.”
Cundy meanwhile remarked: “Nuno Espirito Santo, you talk about managers of the year.
“You’re going to be talking about [Enzo] Maresca, Nuno and [Arne] Slot right now, all of those are in the conversation.
“So well done him.”
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Losers
Pep Guardiola
Things just aren’t going right for City at the moment, who are looking a far cry of the side that have won four league titles in a row.
It’s now three consecutive defeats following losses to Manchester United and Juventus, while City have won just one out of their last eight league games.
And City’s form is music to the ears of Cundy and O’Hara, who have watched the Etihad outfit destroy their beloved Chelsea and Spurs teams in recent years.
Cundy said: “Pep Guardiola has got a season ticket at the moment, he’s there every week, he turns up on the losers [list].
“Pep, every week he’s in the losers, every week!”
O’Hara then joked: “Nine losses out of 12, that’s worse than my record at Billericay!”
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Ipswich fans
It’s been a difficult season so far for Ipswich who are competing in their first Premier League season in 22 years.
While they have impressed many with their style of play, they have won just two matches, and have scored just 16 goals – the third lowest in the division.
And to the surprise of Cundy and O’Hara, Portman Road was getting more empty by the minute as Newcastle romped to victory in Suffolk.
Cundy said: “Ipswich Town fans, they’re a good bunch down there, but they were disappointing. There were lots of empty seats.”
O’Hara then added: “They’ve been waiting over 20 years, then they’re getting pumped, and they’re leaving? Come on lads.”
Cundy then stated: “We know how ruthless the Premier League is, and they’re finding out.”
Having the final say, O’Hara then said: “You couldn’t get a ticket at the start of the season! It’s not good enough.”
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talkSPORT caller Gareth (Derby County fan)
If there’s one thing you don’t do as a football fans, it’s cheer on your arch-rivals.
But that’s not the case for Derby fan Gareth, who phoned up talkSPORT to state he is hoping that Forest will finish the season as champions.
It’s safe to say his view had Cundy and O’Hara shaking their heads in disbelief – earning him a place in talkSPORT’s losers list.
Cundy of the supporter: “And finally, it’s Gareth, the caller, the Derby County/Nottingham Forest fan.
“Wanting Forest to win the Premier League – phoned up – he’s got nothing better to do on a Saturday than to phone up (and praise Forest).”
O’Hara then quipped: “Disgrace. And he was with his wife! I think we put Claire in there as well, just for being a part of it.”
Premier League results – December 21
Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City
West Ham 1-1 Brighton
Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle
Brentford 0-2 Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal
In the Premier League’s two other fixtures, West Ham were held to a 1-1 draw with Brighton at the London Stadium.
Meanwhile Arsenal got back to winning ways against Crystal Palace following draws with Fulham and Everton.
The Gunners ran riot at Selhurst Park as they eased to a 5-1 victory, but it came at a price, with Bukayo Saka going off with a hamstring injury in the first half.
And there are five games taking place on Sunday, with Everton hosting Chelsea, Manchester United at home against Bournemouth, Fulham to welcome Southampton to Craven Cottage and Wolves travelling to Leicester.
Liverpool then pit their wits against Tottenham at Anfield knowing anything but a win could see Chelsea leapfrog them in the table.
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