HOT NOT WHAT’S

HOT JORDAN AYEW

THE pirouette, the quick feet, the nonchalant chip — no wonder Crystal Palace fans waited well beyond the final whistle to toast Ayew after his stunning winner against West Ham. Roy Hodgson has seen most things in football — he once managed Ayew’s dad, after all — but even the Palace boss saw this as a moment of magic.

JAMES ANDERSON

BY THE time the next Ashes come around, England’s evergreen seamer will be 39. It is testament to his powers of recovery that playing in that series is not a mere pipe dream. Last summer’s struggles could have signalled the beginning of the end, only for Anderson to dismiss those concerns with a wicket with his first ball in his 150th Test.

ROBERTO FIRMINO

HE led Liverpool to a first Club World Cup with goals in the semi-final and final in Doha, then helped the Reds move a big step closer to the Premier League title at Leicester. The glue that pieces their attacking machine together, Firmino is among Liverpool’s most important players. NOT TANGUY NDOMBELE WHATEVER is to blame for Spurs’ record signing ‘not feeling in condition’ to face Brighton is not important. The issue is that player, manager and club will all lose out unless the £54million midfielder finds his best form. Jose Mourinho hung him out to dry but no one wins if Ndombele is left out in the cold. ENGLAND SPINNERS IT IS a failure of English cricket at all levels that their Test team can head into the series in South Africa without a frontline spinner they trust. In these days of worldwide leagues and ever more hectic schedules, it’s not as if there is a shortage of opportunity to develop talent. MICHAIL ANTONIO WHERE to start? Snowman costume, Lamborghini, bin shed, Christmas Day. The only saving grace is that no one was hurt. With his side in real trouble, Manuel Pellegrini could have done without any unnecessary disruption. But at least Antonio’s Christmas crash took the spotlight off another defeat.