- It's time United stopped considering Vidic as their first-choice centre-back
- Saturday was the first time Liverpool have won in the Premier League when Luis Suarez played without scoring since March 2013
- Hazard, Suarez or Ramsey? This term's Player of the Year is a tough choice
- Manuel Pellegrini is losing the mind games against Jose Mourinho
- Swansea is a great learning ground for managers, and Garry Monk has showed potential already
After that performance on Sunday, it is time for Manchester United to stop considering Nemanja Vidic their first-choice centre-back. They need to look to the future, assuming everybody is fit.
He was at fault for Fulham’s late equaliser when he should have headed the ball away and it must be better to play the younger players now.
Once you know you are leaving a club, it is normal for your level to drop. I’ve played with people who knew they were leaving a club and it was clear that they had one eye on the future.
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Turn your back? It's time United stopped considering Nemanja Vidic as their first-choice centre-back
You see that in Vidic’s performances — is he giving his all or worried about getting injured? He is certainly making too many mistakes and Phil Jones and Chris Smalling deserve a chance to prove themselves.
I’m not convinced they or Jonny Evans are a long-term solution for United but they must be given the opportunity. Sir Alex
Ferguson said Jones could be a United great but we need to find out now whether that is true.
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Potential: Phil Jones or Chris Smalling (above) may be best suited to replacing Vidic in the long-term
No Suarez goal a great sign
I can’t remember a better all-round performance from Liverpool in recent years. Early goals give teams confidence and Liverpool pressed and harried Arsenal brilliantly.
They didn’t give Arsene Wenger’s side a second on the ball. But what will be most pleasing for Brendan Rodgers was that his side won without Luis Suarez scoring.
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Things can get even better: With Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling getting in on the act, Liverpool can improve further
In fact, it was the first time since March 2013 that they have won in the Barclays Premier League when Suarez played, but didn’t score.
With Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling taking some of that burden off the Uruguayan, Liverpool can only get better.
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Turn up: Saturday was the first time Liverpool won where Luis Suarez played but didn't score since March 2013
Time to banish muddy pitches
I think I speak on behalf of every parent by saying it is time to introduce more artificial pitches in this country.
For the past few weeks, kids playing football and rugby have had their games cancelled because grass pitches cannot handle the rain.
I remember going to Russia v England a few years back and criticising the artificial pitch, but the technology has come on in leaps and bounds.
The 3G and 4G pitches on offer are excellent and we need more. It’s what they have in Germany and Spain and we need the same facilities if we want to develop our young players.
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Time for change: Russia's artificial pitch was criticised in 2007, but it's time to bring them into the game more
Hazard v Suarez for Player of the Year
Picking a Player of the Year this season is going to be very hard. Aaron Ramsey was the star in the opening few games, then Luis Suarez stole all the headlines and now Eden Hazard looks unstoppable.
His hat-trick performance against Newcastle was sensational — he is thriving in a more central role this season. Jose Mourinho is amazed that the Belgian hasn’t won any monthly awards . . . maybe he will end the season with a bigger accolade than that.
Suarez has his nose in front right now but we’ve not reached the business end of the season yet. It’s all to play for.
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Triple threat: Eden Hazard scored his first hat-trick for Chelsea to send the club top of the Premier League
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Candidate: Aaron Ramsey was the star in the opening months of the season and was tipped for the award
Quit the mind games, Manuel
Manuel Pellegrini looked like a ghost on his Match of the Day interview on Saturday night. Jose Mourinho is winning the mind games with the Manchester City manager.
Pellegrini is rising to every Mourinho comment, sniping back at the Chelsea manager’s claims that the London side are a ‘little horse’. Everyone knows that Mourinho is talking nonsense, claiming that his side aren’t in the title race, but Pellegrini doesn’t need to respond to that — let everyone else pick him up on it.
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Don't let him catch you out: City boss Manuel Pellegrini needs to stop rising to Jose Mourinho's comments
Mourinho must find it hilarious. The Chilean’s reaction reminds me of the way Rafael Benitez got wound up by Sir Alex Ferguson when the Spaniard was at Liverpool. There is only one winner.
Pellegrini should be more concerned with his own team right now and the fact they haven’t scored in the past two games.
Of course they miss Sergio Aguero, but the absence of Samir Nasri is just as telling. Playing against David Silva is one thing, facing Silva and Nasri is another and Pellegrini will be desperate to see the return of the Frenchman.
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The mastermind: Mourinho is winning the mind games with the City boss hands down
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All over: Long's touch map shows his influence for Hull against Sunderland
Shane one Hull of a signing
West Brom selling Shane Long to Hull was the transfer that surprised me most in January. He is a good forward who works hard and scores goals.
His two goals in two games for Steve Bruce’s men will have not gone unnoticed at the Hawthorns. Hull were looking a bit shaky, but the win at Sunderland should give them confidence again.
Long and Jelavic will score goals and Bruce playing three at the back means they can, crucially, still play three in midfield.
Tom Huddlestone is having a fantastic season but is not at his best in a midfield two and Bruce knows that.
Swansea safe with Monk
I've rarely seen a young manager look as cool, calm and collected as Garry Monk. You saw from the way that Ashley Williams ran into his arms during the 3-0 win over Cardiff that Swansea’s players want to play for him.
Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers have shown that Swansea is a great learning ground for young managers and Monk has the chance to be just as successful.
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Learning: Garry Monk was the hero in south Wales on Saturday after Swansea's 3-0 win over bitter rivals Cardiff
The only place Monk’s inexperience showed was when I spoke to him after the game on our Saturday Night Football show.
He said he replaced Marvin Emnes with Pablo Hernandez because Emnes was injured. Next time, just let everyone carry on thinking it was a tactical masterstroke!
Jamie's Premier League Number Crunching
14 - Eden Hazard became the 14th player to score a hat-trick for Chelsea in the Premier League after: Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Salomon Kalou, Tore Andre Flo, Gavin Peacock, Gianluca Vialli, Mark Hughes, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Gianfranco Zola, Nicolas Anelka, Samuel Eto’o and Fernando Torres.
36 - West Brom's debutant Thievy was on the pitch just 36 seconds before scoring. But that is only the second fastest goal by a substitute this season; Everton’s Steven Pienaar scored 27 seconds after coming on against Hull.
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Clinical: West Ham scored with their only two shots on target at Villa Park, both through Kevin Nolan
2 - West Ham scored with their only two shots on target in the 2-0 victory against Aston Villa. Their opponents also managed only one shot on target in the whole match.
1995 - Swansea's 3-0 drubbing of rivals Cardiff on Saturday was their biggest derby win in the league since March 1995, when they won 4-1 in the third tier.
4 - Rickie Lambert netted his fourth Premier League goal direct from a free-kick — since Southampton were promoted in 2012 only Luis Suarez, with five, has scored more.
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Finishing touch: Emmanuel Adebayor has been in clinical form this season, scoring 60 per cent of his shots on target
60 per cent - Six of Emmanuel Adebayor’s 10 shots on target have found the back of the net in the Barclays Premier League this season.
4 - Andre Villas-Boas left, Tottenham have won all four league games in which Adebayor has scored.
3 - Only three teams have scored four goals quicker than Liverpool’s 20-minute mauling of Arsenal. In 1998 Leicester hit four past Derby in 15 minutes, in 2003 Arsenal struck four in 19 minutes against Manchester City and that was matched by Manchester United against Fulham in 2006.
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