It has been a Christmas period to forget for Liverpool, who have dropped from top to fifth in the space of four days.

The Reds fell to their second defeat in quick succession at Chelsea, which meant that Arsenal's 1-0 win over Newcastle United saw the North Londoners return to the summit.

Elsewhere, Manchester City overcame Crystal Palace 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium, while Manchester United made it four wins from four by the same scoreline at Norwich City.

Sunderland remain bottom despite a late fightback to secure a 2-2 draw at Cardiff City and there was a big victory for Hull City, who hit Fulham for six at the KC Stadium.

Having taken all that into consideration, Sports Mole has picked out the 11 players who made the biggest impression on us.

Joe Hart (Manchester City)
The England number one showed that he was back to his best form in denying a plucky Palace side on numerous occasions.

Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle United)
While the full-back carried out his defensive responsibilities with minimal fuss, he caused his opposite number Kieran Gibbs a number of problems in the final third of the pitch.
Per Mertesacker (Arsenal)
The pressure from Newcastle didn't arrive until the closing stages, but when it did, Arsenal centre-back Mertesacker weighed in with a number of key clearances.
Gary Cahill (Chelsea)
Luis Suarez has been one of Europe's most in-form strikers of late, but he was largely kept quiet by Chelsea centre-back Cahill.
Ezekiel Fryers (Tottenham Hotspur)
In what was only his second Premier League appearance for Spurs, the 21-year-old put in an assured performance against Stoke City.

Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur)
The speedy winger rounded off a positive performance by scoring Tottenham's third goal of the contest at White Hart Lane.
Tom Huddlestone (Hull City)
Such was the quality of Huddlestone's display, it had some calling for Roy Hodgson to take note. Not only did he score his first goal since 2011, the 27-year-old also claimed two assists.
Jordan Mutch (Cardiff City)
The Bluebirds may have thrown away a two-goal advantage, but Mutch's contribution should have provided them with reason for optimism. He scored his side's first goal and then crossed for Fraizer Campbell to double the lead.
Willian (Chelsea)
Jose Mourinho's refusal to play Juan Mata has confused many people, but Willian proved his worth to Chelsea yesterday. Mourinho wants his creative footballers to work hard and the Brazilian did just that against Liverpool.

Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)
He may have only played 45 minutes, but Welbeck had a major impact on United's performance at Carrow Road. He scored the only goal of the match and provided a real attacking impetus for the champions.
Roberto Soldado (Tottenham Hotspur
His goal may have come from the penalty spot again, but the Spaniard's overall display was a positive one. He also showed an unselfish side by laying on an assist.

Numpty of the week

Nicolas Anelka The Frenchman should have been the headlines for his two-goal contribution during West Bromwich Albion's 3-3 draw with West Ham United. However, in celebrating one of his strikes, he has been accused of making an anti-Semitic gesture. Anelka has defended his actions, having insisted that he was supporting a comedian friend. Even so, he would have known how some people viewed the gesture and the forward is now facing a suspension from the Football Association.

Goal of the week

Seamus Coleman (Everton vs. Southampton) The Everton full-back took his tally for the season to five goals with a fine individual effort against the Saints. He cut inside from the right flank, before showing great composure to fire the ball into the top corner of the net.