For years, the New England Patriots have been the model NFL franchise. They have represented consistency, discipline and, above all else, good coaching.
As they head into the final two weeks of the 2022 season, it is hard to think of three qualities that are less representative of this version of Bill Belichick's team.
The Patriots are still in the mix to reach the playoffs this season and may yet sneak is in as a Wild Card for the second successive season.
But their 2021 campaign ended with the Patriots being blown out by the Buffalo Bills, and all the signs point to this season coming to a conclusion in similar circumstances.
Indeed, any veneer of the Patriots as a postseason contender who could cause problems for the AFC's elite has been emphatically removed by a pair of dramatic finishes that both produced agonising defeats for New England.
The Patriots followed up their last-gasp defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders on Jakobi Meyers' inexplicable failed lateral with another heartbreaking finale that saw Rhamondre Stevenson fumble the ball into the arms of the Cincinnati Bengals safety Vonn Bell.
Those successive losses leave the Patriots at 7-8 and, while they are still only a game behind the 8-7 Miami Dolphins, their consecutive failures over the course of the past two weeks in situations where New England would normally thrive are significant enough to raise significant questions about the direction of a team whose success saw them established as the NFL's modern dynasty.
Most of those questions surround the offensive side of the ball. Last year, the Patriots let the draft board come to them and selected quarterback Mac Jones 15th overall, and looked to have themselves a steal as the former Alabama signal-caller impressed in helping New England to the playoffs.
But a failure to adequately replace offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who has been succeeded by the bizarre combination of Joe Judge and Matt Patricia, has seen Jones fail to take the next step and the New England attack fail to deliver the explosive production needed to truly compete in a very competitive AFC.
According to Stats Perform's advanced data, Jones has actually been more accurate than his rookie season. He delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 80.1 per cent of his pass attempts in 2021, and that rate has increased to 82.1 per cent in 2022.
Yet Jones has thrown just nine touchdowns after tossing 22 last season, his struggles in that regard reflective of the Patriots' overall problems in punching the ball into the endzone, which they have done on only 15.4 per cent of their offensive drives, scoring six points on 26 of their 169 offensive series.
Their inability to turn possessions into touchdowns is in part a product of their lack of investment in the offensive skill positions. The Patriots rank 21st in win rate in pass coverage matchups, the starting wide receiver triumvirate of Meyers, Nelson Agholor and DeVante Parker unsurprisingly failing to consistently create the separation required for Jones to build a productive rapport with his receivers.
The Patriots' offensive issues are as much a failure of scheme as they are of personnel. Theirs is an offensive system that does not play to the strengths of Jones, who came from an offense built around the run-pass option at Alabama.
In 2022, the Patriots have used RPOs on just 1.3 per cent of their pass game snaps, below the average of 2.8. On top of that, they have eschewed the opportunity to capitalise on the influence of a run game defenses have committed at least eight men into the box to guard against 50.1 per cent of the time by leaning on the play-action pass.
The Patriots have used play-action on 9.87 per cent of pass plays, well shy of the league average of 13.3 per cent, limiting the easy buttons for Jones in an attack that is too reliant on the pure dropback game.
New England's offense has run a dropback concept 42 per cent of the time in 2022, nearly 11 percentage points above the average of 31.4 per cent, with the Patriots' primary reply to defensive aggression being a screen game that is overused and predictable. Screen passes have made up 16.3 per cent of New England's passing plays, with the league average being 9.9 per cent.
This static and ineffective offense is not only wasting the second year of Jones' development, but also an excellent season from the Patriots' defense, which ranks sixth with a Success Rate of 36.8 per cent.
The Patriots have two extremely productive pass rushers in Matthew Judon (15.5 sacks) and Josh Uche (11.5) and have pieced things together effectively in the back seven with a mix of rookies, veterans and emerging playmakers such as third-year safety Kyle Dugger, who serves as a tribute to Belichick's ability to develop talent on that side of the ball.
Belichick's defensive genius remains and it is undoubted, but in 2022 it is being cancelled out by the lack of offensive talent and a scheme that does little to elevate its young quarterback.
Jones is obviously a long way from being Tom Brady, and the talent on this Patriots roster is nowhere close to that of the New England teams he helped steer to six Super Bowl titles, yet Belichick has a quarterback and a group that can at be a threat to do damage in the postseason. Belichick excels at making teams into more than the sum of their parts, but it's hard to argue against the fact that, through negligence on the offensive side of the ball, he has missed an opportunity to do that this season.
Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United need to sign a striker to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in the January transfer window, though he says they will only move for the right player.
United are targeting attacking reinforcements after terminating Ronaldo's contract last month – a move which came after the five-time Ballon d'Or winner declared he had no respect for Ten Hag in a controversial interview with Piers Morgan.
The Red Devils have scored 20 Premier League goals this season – a tally bettered by 10 teams in the division, while their top goalscorer Marcus Rashford has netted four times.
While a series of forwards have been linked with a move to Old Trafford, Ten Hag says any new arrival must be of a high standard.
"There are two things. First, goals can also come out of our own club; see [Alejandro] Garnacho, see [Anthony] Elanga, see [Facundo] Pellistri, who made a good impression in the World Cup and in the game against Everton last week in training. That is first," Ten Hag said.
"We are aware we lost a striker, so I think we have to get a striker in, but it has to be the right one.
"The right one will bring quality to the team and not just be an addition to the squad, because that only gives you problems. You know the criteria is high at Manchester United."
Few players have benefitted from Ten Hag's arrival at United more than Rashford, who has equalled last season's tally of four league goals in just 14 appearances this term, but Ten Hag thinks he is capable of more.
"I don't want to pin myself on a number. I said from the start that he is capable of scoring 20 goals in the Premier League, so I am convinced about that," Ten Hag said.
"He now has four but he scored many other goals. He scored three goals at the World Cup, so then you have the potential to score those goals in the Premier League."
One forward who will not be joining United in January is Netherlands international Cody Gakpo, who is set to sign for Liverpool after the Reds reached an agreement with PSV.
Gakpo, who netted three times at the World Cup, is to travel to England in the coming days to finalise a move reportedly worth an initial £37million (€41m) plus add-ons.
Jurgen Klopp called for Liverpool to be "a pain in the backside" for the teams at the Premier League summit after the Reds beat Aston Villa 3-1 on the competition's return on Monday.
Liverpool cut the gap to fourth-placed Tottenham to five points by winning an entertaining affair at Villa Park, as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic netted.
While Klopp concedes the 15-point gap which separates Liverpool from leaders Arsenal may be insurmountable, he says their primary focus is to put pressure on the league's top four.
"Look, we have to be a pain in the backside for everybody. That's how it is. Of course, we have to chase," he said at Monday's post-match press conference.
"We are not in the best position, there's a difference between us and other teams, we all know that. The first two [or] three are maybe too far away. If they win all the games, then we have no chance.
"We have to do our part, we have to do our part and that means winning football games and we will see how close we can get."
Liverpool have never failed to finish in the top four during Klopp's six full seasons in charge, and while the German accepts some of the teams above them have enjoyed terrific campaigns, he remains hopeful regarding their chances of catching them.
"Of course, it must be the target to qualify for the Champions League, and for that we have a lot of games to go for and we all have to go through difficult moments in games, between games, after games, all these kind of things," Klopp added.
"For today, we got three points and that's the best way to get closer to these spots. Of course, we go for that, there's no doubt about it.
"All the teams up there played an exceptional season, but as long as we can see them, we will fight for getting it. That's it."
Liverpool's opening goal saw Salah convert a low cross from Andrew Robertson, who was picked out by an outstanding pass from fellow full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The right-back only played 33 minutes at the World Cup, but Klopp said there was no need for his staff to pick him up after his disappointing campaign in Qatar.
"I think with Trent, everything is fine. I don't think he expected to make all the games in the World Cup with all the players Gareth [Southgate] has available," Klopp said.
"He was there for his country and contributed as well as he could. He didn't like to not play, but he was not especially down and we had to pick him up, the situation was pretty clear and that's fine.
"Now he came back and got ill, that's not cool, that's why he couldn't play at [Manchester] City. And now he was available, but for him it was especially hard."
Mikel Arteta and Bukayo Saka were overjoyed after Eddie Nketiah made a promising start to his spell deputising for the injured Gabriel Jesus in Arsenal's 3-1 win over West Ham.
The Premier League leaders returned to top-flight action on Boxing Day following the World Cup, aiming to pick up where they left off prior to the tournament.
Many had written off their title chances as a result of Jesus sustaining a knee injury in Qatar that will rule him out for three months.
But Monday's win will ensure they are seven points clear at the summit at least until Manchester City play Leeds United on Wednesday.
Nketiah more than played his part in the victory, scoring Arsenal's third goal as they came from behind in the second half.
Saka, who netted the Gunners' equaliser, was thrilled for his fellow Arsenal youth product after silencing the doubters.
Asked about Arsenal spreading the goals around the team, Saka told Prime Video: "That's definitely important.
"Obviously Gabby [Jesus] is going to be a big miss, but you could see I'm so happy for Eddie.
"I feel like we all believed in him, that's all he needs, us to just keep supporting him. He got his goal and that will give him a lot of confidence, so we just need to keep encouraging him.
"Of course, then we've got me, Gabby [Gabriel Martinelli], Granit [Xhaka], Martin [Odegaard], even the centre-backs are chipping in on the goals, so everyone is going to be so important."
Nketiah's goal was greeted by jubilant celebrations, with the delight in Saka's voice after the game very much present in those scenes.
Arteta was just as elated and hopes this goal on what was his first Premier League start of the season helps Nketiah kick on.
"I just gave him a big hug because he deserved that, he totally earned it with the way he played," Arteta added.
"It was a very typical Eddie Nketiah goal. He showed his strength, quality and timing, the composure of the finish. For me, it was an outstanding performance from him.
"You could feel in the last few games he'd been trying but didn't score, even in friendlies, but he has the capacity to do that. We see it every day in training, and that will give him confidence.
"He showed it last year, at the end of last season when we played him more consistently... when you look at his numbers, they are really, really good. I am really pleased to see what he's done today."
But while Jesus will seemingly be missing from the pitch until at least February, Saka credited the Brazilian for having a strong off-field influence.
The same has been said of Oleksandr Zinchenko, who also joined Arsenal from Manchester City in pre-season, and Arteta is adamant the pair have brought more than just quality on the pitch.
"They've been in probably the most successful team the Premier League has seen for many, many years," he said.
"They have the belief in their team-mates and what we are doing, that we are able to play to those standards, and these guys have brought this confidence to the team."
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was placed in the NFL concussion protocol on Monday and his status for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots is in question.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel announced the injury on Monday a day after Tagovailoa played all of Miami’s 26-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
"It was something he met with doctors today and discussed some symptoms," McDaniel said.
It's uncertain if Tagovailoa suffered a concussion, but McDaniel said he had the symptoms to justify being placed in the league's protocol.
If Tagovailoa is not cleared, Teddy Bridgewater will get the start in the Dolphins' extremely important game at New England.
The Dolphins are 8-7 after Tagovailoa threw three interceptions in Sunday's setback at the hands of the Packers and have lost four in a row and own the tiebreaker over the 7-8 Patriots for the final playoff spot in the AFC.
Tagovailoa missed two October games after suffering a concussion in Miami's 27-15 Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He was hospitalised after being whipped around and flung to the ground by the Bengals' Josh Tupou, causing his head to snap back onto the turf.
He then laid flat on his back with his hands in front of his face while his fingers bent at awkward angles in a 'fencing response' caused by a traumatic blow to the brain.
The Dolphins were heavily criticised for having Tagovailoa on the field for that game four days after what transpired in a 21-19 win over the Buffalo Bills.
After being pushed to the ground by linebacker Matt Milano, Tagovailoa's helmet slammed into the turf. He managed to get back on his feet quickly, but after shaking his head and looking woozy, he appeared to lose his balance as he stumbled back to the ground.
He went to the locker room to be assessed by the team's medical staff, with the Dolphins announcing a head injury that made him questionable to return.
He only missed three snaps, however, returning for the start of the third quarter – a decision that prompted the NFL and National Football League Players Association to conduct a joint review of how the decision was made to allow Tagovailoa to return.
McDaniel maintained, however, the proper protocols were followed and that Tagovailoa was cleared by the team and the independent neurologist.
The neurotrauma consultant who evaluated and cleared Tagovailoa was later fired by the NFLPA.
The Premier League is back, and in many ways, it felt like it never left.
A number of teams picked up where they left off for the World Cup in Monday's action, with leaders Arsenal securing a win against West Ham, though having to come from behind to do so.
Tottenham repeated their party trick of recovering from losing positions, though had to settle for a point at Brentford as Harry Kane kept up his superb Boxing Day record.
Liverpool came back with a hard-fought win at Aston Villa, with teenager Stefan Bajcetic scoring his first goal for the club, while Newcastle United blew away Leicester City in the first half at the King Power Stadium.
Stats Perform takes a closer look at some of the more interesting stats from the day.
Arsenal 3-1 West Ham: Gunners keep up record to fighting back against Hammers
Arsenal went in 1-0 down at Emirates Stadium at half-time after Said Benrahma's penalty, but came from behind thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah. It made it the eighth time they have come from behind to beat West Ham in the Premier League, more than they have against any other opponent.
Hammers boss David Moyes has now lost 15 Premier League away games against Arsenal, equalling Harry Redknapp for the most away defeats against a specific opponent in the competition (15 vs Manchester United).
In the presence of Arsene Wenger for the first time since he left the club, the Gunners won their 10th consecutive Premier League home game, the first time they have managed that since April 2019, while this is the first time they have done so while scoring two or more goals each time since November 2017.
Saka seems to enjoy his Christmas, as he has scored in three consecutive Boxing Day games (also 2020 vs Chelsea and 2021 vs Norwich City), the first Arsenal player to do so since Thierry Henry between 2002 and 2004.
Today was the second time Arsenal playmaker Martin Odegaard has provided two assists in a single Premier League game, with the other coming on Boxing Day last season against Norwich.
Brentford 2-2 Tottenham: Kane puts penalty woe bee-hind him
Following on from his agonising penalty miss in England's World Cup quarter-final loss to France, Kane kept his composure to plant a header past David Raya as Spurs came from 2-0 down to earn a point on Monday.
Kane has now scored more Premier League goals on Boxing Day than any other player in the competition's history (10), finding the net in all seven of his appearances on December 26, while he has also scored against all 32 teams that he has faced in the Premier League – the best such 100 per cent record of any player.
One thing that will concern boss Antonio Conte is that Spurs have conceded the opening goal in each of their last six Premier League matches; their longest run of conceding first in the competition since April 2014 under Tim Sherwood (also six). They have also conceded two or more goals in six consecutive league games for the first time since May 2003.
Brentford are now winless in their last 14 meetings with Spurs in all competitions (D5 L9), since a 2-0 home win in the second tier in March 1948.
Ivan Toney scored the second for the Bees, making him the first English player to register 30 goal involvements (23 goals, 7 assists) in his first 50 Premier League appearances since Jamie Vardy in 2015 (also 30).
Leicester City 0-3 Newcastle United: Almiron continues to fly
It was a fast start by Eddie Howe's men, going 2-0 up against Leicester inside seven minutes – the earliest they had been 2-0 up in a Premier League game since January 2007 (seventh minute v Aston Villa). In fact, it was the earliest a Premier League team had been 2-0 up on Boxing Day since 2010 (Manchester City v Newcastle, after five mins).
Leicester conceded three goals in the first half of a home league game for the first time since September 2003 against Manchester United.
Miguel Almiron picked up where he left off with a superb strike, and has now scored nine goals in 16 games in the Premier League this season, as many as he had scored in his previous four campaigns in the competition combined (nine in 110 appearances).
Newcastle have won six in a row in the Premier League for the first time since 2012 under Alan Pardew. In fact, the Magpies have won 21 Premier League matches in 2022, their most in a single year since 1995, when they won 23.
Howe is only the third English manager to win more than 20 Premier League matches in a single year (21 in 2022 so far), after Kevin Keegan (24 in 1994 and 23 in 1995 with Newcastle) and Roy Evans (22 in 1996 with Liverpool).
Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool: Robertson provides historic assist
It has not been the best campaign so far for Liverpool, but despite a World Cup being sandwiched in between, this made it three consecutive Premier League wins for the first time since winning their final three games of last season.
Mohamed Salah both scored and assisted in the win, taking his totals to 125 goals and 50 assists for the club in the Premier League. The Egyptian is only the second player with 50+ goals and 50+ assists for the club in the competition, along with Steven Gerrard (120 goals, 92 assists).
Andrew Robertson provided the ball for Salah's fifth-minute opener, his 54th Premier League assist, making him the all-time leading assister among defenders in Premier League history, one more than Leighton Baines (53), while 10 of his assists have come for Salah, with only Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane providing more for him (12 times each).
Bajcetic came off the bench to seal the win, scoring his first Premier League goal for Liverpool aged 18 years and 65 days, making him their third-youngest Premier League scorer, behind only Michael Owen (17y 143d) and Raheem Sterling (17y 317d). Bajcetic is also the second-youngest Spaniard to score in the competition, behind only Cesc Fabregas in 2004 (17y 113d).
Another youth prospect, Ben Doak, came off the bench for Liverpool to make his Premier League debut aged 17 years and 45 days, becoming the youngest ever Scottish player in the competition's history, overtaking Nigel Quashie in 1995 for Queens Park Rangers (17 years, 163 days).
Jurgen Klopp is certain the goals will soon arrive for Darwin Nunez after his "exceptional" performance in Liverpool's Boxing Day win against Aston Villa.
Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic got on the scoresheet as Liverpool returned to Premier League action with a 3-1 victory at Villa Park, where Nunez gave a tireless display.
Nunez led all players on the pitch for shots (six), attempts on target (four), expected goals (1.15 xG) and touches in the opposition area (12), but the striker failed to convert any of his four big chances.
While some have criticised Nunez for his inconsistency in front of goal, Klopp has no concerns about the Uruguayan's progress.
"It's incredible, what a game he played," Klopp told Amazon Prime Video after the win, which put Liverpool within five points off the top four.
"Of course, he will score. I was in this situation very often with strikers, and everything will be fine. His game was exceptional."
Liverpool have now won three consecutive Premier League games for the first time this season, and Klopp was pleased with their ability to withstand strong pressure from the hosts.
"It was a top performance in a difficult game," Klopp said. "We played exceptionally in the first half, even though Villa had their moments. We were really good, I liked what I saw.
"In the second half we missed the last step a little bit. Aston Villa were pushing hard, that's normal in a home game. We knew that would happen. You have to get through these periods."
Salah converted a low cross from Andrew Robertson to open the scoring, as the left-back surpassed Leighton Baines to become the defender with the most assists in Premier League history (54).
Speaking to the club's official website, Robertson admitted he had been eyeing the record throughout the World Cup break.
"Full-back has evolved a lot and it's about going forward now as well as defending," Robertson said. "But first and foremost, I want to defend and things like that – but it's a big part of our game.
"During the break I just wanted to try to get back and beat it. First game back, it's always nice. Look, I'm not really into individual things, I'm all for the team.
"But when you do stuff like that and you're in the Premier League against some unbelievable defenders, it's always nice to put yourself at the top there."
Arsenal made light of Gabriel Jesus' absence as each of the Gunners' attacking trio scored in Boxing Day's 3-1 win over West Ham on their return to Premier League action.
The blow of losing Jesus for three months due to a knee injury suffered during the World Cup had seen many write off the league leaders' title chances, but at Emirates Stadium their mentality shone through.
Arsenal – who had a fifth-minute Bukayo Saka goal wiped out – looked to be in trouble when Said Benrahma scored a penalty on the stroke of half-time.
But their dominance eventually brought chances, and while they benefited from a hint of luck, Saka coolly levelled before Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah secured a deserved win.
Nketiah, the man tasked with replacing Jesus, was encouragingly key in the build-up to the early disallowed Saka goal.
But Arsenal initially missed the Brazilian's presence, with their only other first-half chance seeing Martin Odegaard scuff wide from close range in the 24th minute.
They then conceded from the next meaningful attack.
William Saliba was penalised for a desperate lunge on Jarrod Bowen, and Benrahma converted emphatically from the spot.
An Arsenal penalty was overturned on the stroke of half-time, with the ball striking Aaron Cresswell's face rather than his arm.
West Ham's resistance ended early in the second half, though, Saka controlling Odegaard's miscued shot and sweeping past Lukasz Fabianski.
The Hammers' goalkeeper was arguably culpable when beaten at his near post five minutes later, Martinelli blasting goalwards after darting beyond Vladimir Coufal.
And Nketiah fittingly completed the scoring, cleverly spinning away from Thilo Kehrer before finishing clinically into the bottom-left corner.
Jesse Lingard accused Manchester United of making "false promises" to him during his final months at the club ahead of his first return to Old Trafford with Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
Lingard came through United's academy, spending 22 years at the club before his departure on a free transfer at the end of last season.
The England international had been largely a rotation option during his time in United's senior squad, but he fell well down the pecking order in the 2020-21 campaign as he failed to make a single Premier League appearance in the first half of the season.
That led to him joining West Ham on loan and reinvigorating his career in London, scoring nine Premier League goals – a personal best for a single campaign – in 16 appearances.
Such form suggested Lingard still had a future at United and the club reportedly refused several transfer offers, but he remained a bit-part player in 2021-22; his 22 appearances across all competitions included just four starts.
His lack of minutes at the club during his final couple of years at United remains a source of bewilderment for Lingard, who will hope to prove a point in Forest's first league game since the World Cup.
"I don't know why I wasn't playing," Lingard told the Telegraph.
"I don't know what the problem was, whether it was politics or whatever. I still haven't got an answer to this day. I didn't even ask.
"I'd rather that someone, out of respect for me being there that long, told me 'this is why you're not playing', but I never got that.
"It was false promises. I was training hard and I was sharp, I was ready to play those games. When you're working hard in training and don't play at the end of it, it's very frustrating.
"I had to grind out that last year because I knew I'd be [leaving] on a free [transfer].
"I'm not really the type of guy to sulk. Around the dressing room, I'm always that bubbly character with good vibes.
"I was getting on with my training and doing my work, then here and there I'd come on and try to give my best. The last year was difficult."
Despite the frustration Lingard holds on to regarding his final years at United, resentment does not appear to have taken root.
Generally regarded a popular figure in the dressing room before he left the club, Lingard is not going to Old Trafford on Tuesday with revenge on the mind.
Instead, he is looking forward to finally being able to bid farewell.
"It will be an enjoyable one, but we want to win the game," he added.
"You can't get caught up too much emotionally, [but] it's a chance to say my goodbyes because I never really got that."
Forest go to Old Trafford second from bottom in the Premier League with only 13 points, while United will be hoping to reduce the gap to the top four back down to one point.
Liverpool made a winning return to Premier League action as Mohamed Salah starred and Stefan Bajcetic scored his first senior goal in an entertaining 3-1 Boxing Day win at Aston Villa.
Salah handed Liverpool a strong start when he converted Andrew Robertson's delivery from close range – making the left-back the defender with the most Premier League assists in history.
The Egypt star then teed up Virgil van Dijk to steer home a deflected second, though Liverpool came under pressure after Ollie Watkins halved the arrears with just over half an hour remaining.
However, Jurgen Klopp's side made the points safe late on as substitute Bajcetic rounded Robin Olsen to score his first Premier League goal, moving Liverpool within five points of the top four.
Liverpool needed just five minutes to take the lead, with Salah on hand to tap home Robertson's cross after the left-back latched onto a sublime outside-of-the-foot pass from Trent Alexander Arnold.
A lively first half saw both goalkeepers forced into action, though Watkins should have done better when heading at Alisson before Robin Olsen was tested by Darwin Nunez's volley.
After a series of narrow escapes, Villa failed to prevent Liverpool from striking again 37 minutes in, as Van Dijk's left-footed volley struck Ezri Konsa before finding the bottom-right corner.
The offside flag denied Watkins a goal soon after the restart, but there was to be no reprieve for Liverpool when he nodded Douglas Luiz's cross home after 59 minutes.
Liverpool then went close to a third through Nunez, but 18-year-old Bajcetic stepped off the bench to calm any nerves, latching onto a loose ball to round Olsen and lash a left-footed finish home.
What does it mean? Liverpool back in the groove
Liverpool entered the World Cup break seven points adrift of a top-four place after an inconsistent spell, leading Klopp to acknowledge his side will be playing catch-up from here on in.
However, the Reds have now won three consecutive Premier League games for the first time this season, and with over half the campaign remaining, they remain a strong contender to reach the table's upper echelons.
Salah hits the ground running
Egypt's failure to qualify for the World Cup ensured Salah enjoyed a seven-week break ahead of Liverpool's return to action in the EFL Cup last week, and the winger looked every bit refreshed as he netted his 55th away Premier League goal for the club – a joint-high tally alongside Michael Owen.
Salah's assist then made him just the second Reds player to reach a half century for both goals and assists in the Premier League (125 goals and 50 assists), alongside Steven Gerrard (120 goals, 92 assists).
Van Dijk exploits Villa frailties
Though Villa looked menacing on the break throughout, they struggled to cope with Liverpool's attacking threat – including from set pieces.
Van Dijk lost marker Emiliano Buendia with ease to double Liverpool's lead. Since the start of the 2018-19 season, the Dutchman's tally of 15 Premier League goals is more than any other defender.
What's next?
Liverpool host Leicester City in their final Premier League game of the year on Friday, while Villa's 2022 is over – they are next in action at Tottenham on New Year's Day.
Mike White will return as starting quarterback for the New York Jets in the Week 17 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
White has been sidelined for the past two games due to a rib injury suffered during the defeat to the Buffalo Bills in Week 14, with the Jets losing the two games since as part of a four-game losing streak that has hindered their playoff push.
However, first reported by the New York Post, White has been cleared by doctors and will be back to lead the offense in Sunday's road trip against the Seahawks – in which both teams will essentially be in must-win mode as they seek to clinch a Wild Card berth.
His return provides a welcome boost for the Jets, who saw last year's second overall pick Zach Wilson continue to struggle when placed back in as starter in last Thursday's defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wilson was benched for practice squad quarterback Chris Streveler in the second half of that loss.
In order to clinch a spot in the postseason, the Jets must win against the Seahawks and in their following trip to face the Miami Dolphins, but they also require at least one defeat from the New England Patriots from their two remaining games.
The Jets sit at 7-8 for the year and have not had a winning season since 2015 (10-6), while their last playoff appearance came 12 years ago.
Antonio Conte had "zero doubt" about Harry Kane's mentality to move on from his World Cup heartbreak after netting in Tottenham's draw with Brentford.
The England captain was playing for the first time since his crucial penalty miss in the Three Lions' quarter-final defeat by France in Qatar.
Kane was subjected to abuse by a section of the Brentford fans, who chanted "you let your country down" during the 2-2 draw.
Nevertheless, the striker responded with a header that inspired Tottenham to earn a point from two goals down, taking his Premier League goal tally for the season to 13.
Kane has now scored the most Premier League goals on Boxing Day (10), and Conte believes his number 10 has already moved on.
"About Harry, I have zero doubt about his mentality," Conte told BBC Sport.
"He's facing a strange situation. He had a really good World Cup and also the team played to the quarter-final, then he missed a decisive penalty.
"If you are strong mentally, you move on, and Harry did this. I think the fans were scared because he is playing for Tottenham, not for what happened with England."
Kane's team-mate Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who scored the Spurs equaliser, added: "To underestimate his strength is a big mistake.
"He is a machine. He has the quality to be number one in the world. The biggest mistake you can do in football is to doubt Harry Kane."
The Denver Broncos have fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett after under a year in charge.
A 51-14 Christmas Day defeat to the Los Angeles Rams left the Broncos 4-11 on the season, the joint-third worst record across the NFL, with Denver set for their seventh consecutive losing season.
Former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Hackett was hired in January for his first head coach position and was expected to produce improvements to a struggling offense, which saw quarterback Russell Wilson added to its ranks in March in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks.
However, performances have been disappointing, with the Broncos' points-per-game average of 15.5 standing as the lowest in the NFL.
The Broncos were thrashed 51-14 by the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, a result that proved the final straw.
In a statement, owner and CEO Gregg Penner said: "Following extensive conversations with George Paton and our ownership group, we determined a new direction would ultimately be in the best interest of the Broncos.
"This change was made out of respect for everyone involved and allows us to immediately begin the search for a new head coach.
"We recognise and appreciate this organisation's championship history and we understand we have not met that standard.
"Our fans deserve much better and I can't say enough about their loyalty during such a challenging stretch for our team.
"Moving forward, we will carefully evaluate every aspect of our football operations and make whatever changes are necessary to restore this franchise's winning tradition."
The Broncos finish the season with a road trip to face the Kansas City Chiefs and a home game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Andrew Robertson surpassed Leighton Baines as the defender with the most assists in Premier League history by teeing up Mohamed Salah's early goal at Aston Villa on Monday.
Liverpool needed just five minutes to hit the front on their return to league action, with Robertson playing a key role by breaking Villa's offside trap to deliver a low cross for Salah to convert.
That represented Robertson's 54th Premier League assist – one more than former Everton and Wigan Athletic left-back Baines managed before his retirement in 2020.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – who sits third on that list with 45 assists – showcased his own vision for Liverpool's opener with a sublime pass to release his fellow full-back Robertson.
Robertson's assist was also his fifth in the Premier League this season, more than any other player has managed for Jurgen Klopp's side – Salah is second with three.
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