6 Truths: Giroud the genius, City slump and Dele destined for greatness

You wait forever for a scorpion goal to be scored in the Premier League and then two come along at once. Yes, less than a week after Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a sensational effort against Sunderland, flicking a volley over his head with his heel, Olivier Giroud went and did exactly the same for Arsenal against Crystal Palace – except even better. Much better in fact (even if we are asking for your opinion elsewhere on the website...)

Manchester United fans may dispute the claim, but there’s no argument for this column. For a start, Mkhitaryan was offside. Then there’s the fact that Giroud’s was far more aesthetically pleasing: the execution was cleaner and it cannoned off the underside of the bar before bouncing up off the turf and back into the roof of the net. Oh, and Giroud was instrumental in the build-up with a clever backheel deep in midfield.

The goal of the year? Yes, of course. It's New Year's Day. The goal of the season? Almost certainly. The best goal ever? Maybe not, but it was probably up there. That's two goals in two starts for Giroud by the way, although Sky pundits Graeme Souness and Jamie Carragher were still left discussing his limitations and why he'll never be a title-winning striker. Pick your moments, eh lads?

Tottenham were briefly cut adrift from the top four due to their inability to convert draws into wins, with a static frontline seeing them toil in attack. But Harry Kane’s return to fitness and form has completely changed that. Thirteen goals in their last four games – over a third of their season total – has helped them climb into the top four after beating Watford 4-1.

But the question shouldn’t be ‘can they stay there?’ Oh no. Mauricio Pochettino will rightly view Wednesday’s game at Chelsea as the chance to narrow the gap at the top to seven points. Why can’t they challenge for the Premier League? They have the best defence – boosted by Toby Alderweireld’s comeback – an in-form striker and a hungry, young squad. Who knows how Chelsea will react when they belatedly suffer a setback, when their ridiculous grasp on momentum is finally ended. Don’t rule out Spurs just yet.

Jack Wilshere was named man of the match when Bournemouth beat Swansea 3-0 on Saturday, but this weekend was not a profitable one for the England man if he still harbours ambitions of making a career of things at Arsenal. If he wasn’t out on loan for the season, Wilshere would have had an excellent chance of stepping in for Mesut Ozil for the win over Crystal Palace with the German missing out due to illness. But as it was, that honour fell to Alex Iwobi – and boy did he take it.

The 20-year-old went off the boil for a few weeks earlier in the season but after netting with a header against Palace he now has three goals in six games in all competitions. But it wasn’t just his goal. Moving into the centre having played most of the season on the wing, he enjoyed his best performance since the 3-0 win over Chelsea back in September. No one made more key passes in the match.

With a surfeit of options in the deep midfield spots already, any potential path for Wilshere as a No. 10 at Arsenal may have just been closed off too.

The words ‘second season syndrome’ haunted Dele Alli at the start of the campaign. The PFA Young Player of the Year seemed incapable of matching his high standards – a spell as impact sub beckoned.

Not anymore. The 20-year-old – yes, still just 20 – has rediscovered his groove, with five goals in his last three outings. He has amazing vision, covers vast amounts of turf despite an ungainly appearance and possesses the required feistiness to fend off any opponents preying on his slight stature. All the components are in place for him to become one of his generation’s finest midfielders. And with Kane and a flurry of other young talent also tied down to long-term deals, the trophy cabinet at Spurs will be getting some much-needed additions soon.

Here’s a stat for you: thanks to wins for Arsenal and Tottenham today, this is the first time since 1991 that neither Manchester United nor Manchester City have been in the top four at the halfway point of the season (thanks, Sky). We knew Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola both had big rebuilding jobs to do but these clubs were priced as the two favourites for the league at the start of this season. It is an astonishing turn of events.

United are down in sixth, three points behind City, but the picture actually looks rather more promising for Mourinho. United have won six games in a row in all competitions and summer signings Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are getting better and better. City, by contrast, suffered a damaging defeat away at Liverpool on New Year’s Eve and ever more searching questions are being asked of Guardiola, his methods and the team he has constructed (yes, Claudio Bravo, you most of all) after Arsenal and Spurs edged ahead of them.

Few would have imagined that recruiting the old clasico combatants would have seen the Manchester clubs battling for a Europa League place. But at least at Old Trafford hope is ascendant. City are in a state of crisis.