Having lost four out of their last five Premier League games, Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri is hopeful a fully-fit front line can fire them back up the table.

The Italian claims a lack of opportunities to rest key target man Troy Deeney has seen the forward’s goals dry up, as he remains on 99 strikes for the Hornets.

Last season’s joint top scorer, Odion Ighalo, is stuck on two goals for the campaign, with midfielder Etienne Capoue leading the scoring charts with just five.

The Hornets have scored just 21 goals from their 17 Premier League fixtures so far, but the manager hopes that by getting summer signings Stefano Okaka and Isaac Success Ajayi back to full fitness, he will be able to give everyone more time to rest and find their form.

“For strikers not to have positive moments during the season, it can happen,” he explained.

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

“We’ve had problems with many injuries which hasn’t helped Troy or Odion as they haven’t had a chance to rest, we couldn’t take them out to play other players.

“Troy has always been playing and when Ighalo went out the team for a couple of games, then he came back more rested and he was more positive and he is getting his form back.

“Now we’re hoping to get Success and Okaka back, and this will help both players to rest and come back in form.”

Kasper Schmeichel admitted it had been frustrating kicking his heels on the sidelines after six weeks out with injury.

The Leicester City keeper made his return to action against Stoke last weekend after recovering from a hand injury as the Foxes fought back for a 2-2 draw.

And he revealed that he is not the easiest patient when he’s out, but used his time off to train as an outfield player where he didn’t need to use his hand.

(Michael Regan/Getty Images)

He said: “I feel good. It’s been a long time coming so it’s just nice to get back out there. It’s tough, I’m not good at sitting out so it was a tough period.

“The medical staff had their work cut out with me because I’m a very difficult guy to manage, so a lot of credit goes to them.

“I was training sometimes outfield. It was a good way to stay fit and stay involved with the lads. It’s something that I’ve done before. It’s important for a goalkeeper to be good with his feet and it was also good exercise for me.

“It also gives me a good understanding of what it’s like to play each position around the pitch. It gives me a bit of insight of how to give different types of balls to different positions and how they want to receive the ball.”

Chelsea’s transformation from fallen giants to Premier League leaders has been remarkable this season, and Bournemouth’s Simon Francis knows his side are up against a different beast on Boxing Day.

The Cherries have enjoyed a positive first half of the campaign and sit tenth in the table, but Chelsea are six points clear of Liverpool atop the pile – having won their last 11 games.

Bournemouth beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season in a shock result, but Francis knows the task is far tougher this time around.

“They’re massively different,” he said. “In terms of personnel they haven’t changed their players too much but they’ve changed their formation and seem to have a manager that they’re running through brick walls for.

(Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

“You would have thought you could say that about Jose Mourinho but for whatever reason last season that didn’t happen for them.

“We caught them on a day when we played some great stuff, we matched them and fully deserved the win. That’s something we’ll never forget and can draw experience from.

“They’re a different team this season and it’s going to be a tougher test. They have a couple of players out through suspension but it’s still a massive test for us.

“They’re over ten games unbeaten now, winning all of them; we’ll assess their weaknesses and where we can hurt them but also we’ve got to be aware of their strengths.”

David Moyes may have a return to Old Trafford to contend with but he is entering the Christmas period in a confident mood after Sunderland’s upturn in results.

The Black Cats were adrift at the bottom of the table prior to their 2-1 win at Bournemouth in November – which has sparked a run of four victories from seven games.

The North East club remain in the relegation zone, just one point behind Crystal Palace, and travel to Manchester United on Boxing Day – the first time Moyes has been back since they sacked him in 2014.

But the Scotsman is in a buoyant mood and expects the Black Cats to give a good account of themselves.

ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images

“We’re in a better position; we’ve got ourselves back in it and won some games. We’re back in there fighting and we’ve got to keep doing that,” he said.

“It’s a difficult Christmas period; that’s why the result against Watford was so important to start it off.

“We go there knowing Manchester United are finding some form – we have to try to stop them.

“We’re showing we can fight our way out of it.

“We didn’t play well on the day [against Watford] but we got the result and that’s what matters.”

Mark Hughes believes Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen could reach double figures this season if he continues to play in a more advanced role, as the Welshman prepares to face former club Liverpool.

Allen spent four seasons at Anfield but struggled to establish himself in the team – leading to a £13m move to the Potteries last summer.

The 26-year-old now plays in a more attacking midfield role and already has five top-flight goals – more than he accumulated in his entire Liverpool career.

But Hughes says Allen has always had attacking qualities and does not believe his goal scoring run has been a one-off, as the Potters travel to Jurgen Klopp’s side on Tuesday.

Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images

“We are delighted with the deal that was brokered with Liverpool,” he said.

“I decided to move him into a more attacking role, having seen his qualities, especially his anticipation, in training.

“Logically, because he can anticipate things in a more defensive role we thought he could anticipate them in the penalty area too.

“I think he could go close to getting double figures this year which would be fantastic for us – If we can get a midfielder scoring 10 goals then that would significantly help us.”

Hugo Lloris has revealed that London life played a major part in his decision to stick with Tottenham after signing a new contract at Spurs.

The current skipper at White Hart Lane has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League since joining from Lyon in 2012.

And he signed a new contract this week which will keep him tied to Spurs through to 2022, the latest in a string of contract extensions at the Lane.

Lloris, who is married with two daughters, believes that family life is crucial to performing on the pitch, and explained that he has settled in London in his four years in the capital.

(Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

“As a man, that’s most important thing for me, to know, to feel, to see my family happy, my girls, my wife,” said Lloris, who is also France captain.

“Now we feel very comfortable with London life and we’re enjoying our time in England and it’s a great experience as a professional.

“As I used to say, you cannot enjoy your life if you are not enjoying the professional side and that’s why we work so hard every day, to always try to improve our skills and help the team to achieve great things. As long as I believe I will do everything to help this club.”

Swansea are in a fight for Premier League survival and if they are to stay in the division, defender Neil Taylor is convinced home form will be key.

The Swans have won just two of nine games in all competitions at the Liberty Stadium this term, although those victories did come in their last two home matches against Sunderland and Crystal Palace.

Their poor form means Bob Bradley’s men are currently 19^th in the Premier League – three points from safety and only above rock-bottom Hull City on goal difference.

And Taylor knows that taking care of business on home soil is priority number one.

Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images

“There is no doubt that our home form is going to be vital for us,” said Taylor. “Look at the likes of Burnley – they have picked up 16 of their 17 points at home, and they are higher up the table than us.

“Home form is something we need to address, but having won the last two against Crystal Palace and Sunderland at the Liberty, that gives us confidence.

“We have to make the Liberty a fortress again. We’ve done it before, and now we need to do it again.”

Swansea’s attempt to make the Liberty Stadium a fortress once more begins on Boxing Day when they host West Ham before welcoming Bournemouth to South Wales on the final day of 2016.

“The situation we are in is not good, and we are desperate to get out of the relegation zone,” added Taylor. “We have not clicked yet this season – we have been struggling for form and performances.

“But I can say the lads are working extremely hard to get the results everyone associated with the club wants.

“It will be difficult against West Ham. They are a dangerous side and we will have put in a very good performance if we want to get the result we want.”

Ilkay Gundogan has been managed by both Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola during his career to date and while their styles are very different, the Manchester City midfielder claims he loved playing under both.

Gundogan had Klopp as boss during his Borussia Dortmund days before moving to City over the summer, as Guardiola’s first signing.

The German international appeared to be slotting comfortably into life at the Etihad Stadium but is now likely to be out for the rest of the season after suffering a serious knee injury against Watford just over a week ago.

And reflecting on his two managers, the 26-year-old believes the pair are unique in the way they approach the game.

Photo credit: Getty Images

“Both are world-class coaches with their own qualities and both are passionate, even if it’s in different ways,” said Gundogan.

“Jurgen has an enormous spectrum of things he is able to do. He can fascinate people, make them laugh – you become a fan of him very quickly.

“Pep thinks about every different situation and has solutions for them. There is no coach like him.

“He has great charisma. Everybody who knows him sees that his football was always dominant and he had success every time.”

Aaron Lennon admits experience has taught him that there is no point in getting in a strop every time he finds himself left out of the Everton side.

The former Tottenham winger has been in an out of Ronald Koeman’s side in the Dutchman’s first season in charge of the Toffees.

Yannick Bolasie, who is now out with a long-term injury, has been preferred to Lennon on the right flank for much of the campaign but the 21-cap England international knows better than to get in a huff.

“I want to play every game but a new manager comes in and decides he wants to play a new formation or different player then you have to accept it,” the 29-year-old told Sky Sports News.

“I’m at that age where I know sulking is not going to benefit me and I’ll just work as hard as I can on the training pitch and wait for my time.

(Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)

“I’ve got older and wiser and noticed [sulking] didn’t help me when I’ve done it in the past as a young kid. You see other players it’s not benefited as well.

“It’s not going to help me and not going to help the team, so I try and train and keep a positive attitude.”

Whenever you top the Premier League table you immediately become the hunted, but Chelsea boss Antonio Conte claims he wouldn’t trade his side’s current position for anything.

Having won 14 of their 17 league games so far this season, Chelsea sit top of the pile at Christmas – a full six points clear of second-placed Liverpool.

They have flourished during Conte’s first season in charge in a way few people expected and are now heavy favourites to go on and lift the title.

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

The Italian knows there is still a long way to go before the Blues are crowned champions but he is confident his troops can thrive with the pressure of a target on their back moving forward.

“I don’t trust people who say it’s important to stay behind and to not have pressure in this position,” said Conte.

“No, I prefer to have good pressure and stay at the top of the table. We earned this position and now it’s important to keep this position. It won’t be easy.

“To arrive at Christmas and open the newspaper and see you are top of the table is fantastic.

“If you asked me this before, I must be honest, it was a bit difficult to trust to be top of the table at Christmas, but the players deserve this.

“In my experience you can only keep this position through hard work and by facing every game with great concentration, with great focus, and with a great will to fight and win the game.”