Paper Talk: Brendan Rodgers questions referee appointment, Rooney's 150th, Jose's lament Brendan Rodgers couldn't believe what he saw in Manchester. ONE match took billing on Boxing Day but it was an interesting mix of results that shows how tight the EPL is at the moment. Paper Talk brings you the best of the wash-up from the overnight action. Don't forget there's more EPL on your box this weekend, as well: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was unhappy with referee Lee Mason after his side's 2-1 defeat by Manchester City and questioned the official's appointment. However, prior to Coutinho's goal, Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling was incorrectly flagged offside when one on one with Joe Hart, and the visitors had two penalty appeals in the second half for challenges on Luis Suarez by Joleon Lescott. Rodgers queried why Bolton official Mason was handed the game between the title rivals and was upset at the overall standard of officiating. Highlights of Manchester City's 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Etihad Stadium. When asked about the incidents, Rodgers said: "Where do you want me to start? I thought we never got any decision. The linesman on the offside one - he wasn't even on the same cut of grass. If you're working at this level you have to get it right. It's not even a difficult one. It is a perfectly-timed run and he is given offside when he is through one on one on goal. These are big moments in big games. There is another incident when Luis (Suarez) doesn't get a free-kick when Joleon Lescott went right through him. It is arguable it is a penalty at the end. Luis Suarez can't jump because he is tugging at his shirt. I thought it was throughout the evening. Hopefully we don't have another Greater Manchester referee again on a Liverpool-Manchester game. Brendan Rodgers had plenty to say after the game. A look back at some of the best spots over the years in the English Premier League. Rodgers seldom questions officials, but said he needed to protect his players after a performance he felt showed they were worthy title contenders. I was very proud of the players. I thought they were outstanding and they had no help from the officials," he added. I don't want it to cloud the performance of my team. I never speak about officials, I normally stay clear of that, but I feel I need to protect the players. The officials make mistakes, I just felt the mistakes made tonight shouldn't have happened at this level. This is a big game. While the dropped points sees Liverpool slip from first to fourth, Rodgers says the performance sends a strong message. I think people go away and look at us as a team that is hopefully going to be up there challenging. Our main intention is to set up camp in the top four. That is what the club has been striving for for a number of years. We have shown this year we are hopefully going to be up there and doing that. Performances like tonight and Tottenham (a 5-0 win) show we have the quality to do that. Read more: http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11669/9089713/premier-league-brendan-rodgers-unhappy-with-referee-after-liverpool-lose-at-man-city Sir Alex Ferguson dressed in full Manchester United gear. David Moyes in the shadow of a club legend. It's fitting that, with Fergie in the stands, United showed great comeback qualities again. We can only try to hang on to the teams that are above us," he said. So short of defensive cover, Brendan Rodgers selected a 19-year-old left-back on his bench. Brad Smith is an Australian-born Englishman who has come through the Reds' academy. Big Sam. Big trouble. West Ham is in the bottom three and has copped three goals or more five times in the last eight league games. That doesn't even tackle the issues up front. Crystal Palace and Fulham leapt them on Boxing Day. It really stinks at West Ham at the moment. Arsene Wenger reportedly won't sign a second striker in January and perhaps we saw why against West Ham. Lukas Podolski, although occupied on the left, made an immediate impact upon replacing the injured Aaron Ramsey after 65 minutes, 1-0 down. Santi Cazorla took a spot in the middle, and the duo were involved in each of Arsenal's three goals. Mark Hughes flings his coat in disgust. Martin Atkinson's dismissal of Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson saw Stoke's clash with Newcastle turn in favour of Alan Pardew's side. The 5-1 win has the Toon Army singing, while Stoke copped its biggest defeat of the season. Hughes, marched to the stands, didn't even dare talk back to the referee or fourth official. "I could not trust myself," Stoke manager Mark Hughes admitted while explaining why he hurled his jacket in disgust. I did boot the ball back on the pitch. But it was frustration, and I apologise for that. "They kill me," Jose Mourinho said of his profligate side. Every game I am tired. At half-time we should be relaxed with a comfortable result and we weren't. There were more botched chances from Samuel Eto'o and goodness knows how Chelsea would have conjured a goal but for Eden Hazard. Tim Sherwood seems to be taking to the public elements of management. He declared he'd offer himself a 10 year deal at Spurs and then the club surprised everyone by offering the job. Now, he's brushing off questions of his credentials after a 1-1 draw with West Brom. "If we win all the games, then we win the league and they bring someone else in then I'm going to Real Madrid," he declared. Speaking of Real Madrid, while Sherwood tries to make something of the rabble of signings at the club, two gaping holes from the club are kicking back enjoying Christmas in the Spanish capital. Devastated Hull defender James Chester came through the ranks at United. But it was his own goal - a brilliant headed finish! - that helped United escape against Steve Bruce's side. Wayne Rooney is the first Man United player in the EPL era to score 150 goals for the club. In terms of one-club men, only Thierry Henry has scored more. After five wins on the trot, and with a generous festive draw, Rooney hints that confidence is on the way back up at Old Trafford. That was one of my best goals. It was a big goal for us. We had some bad results at the start of the season but we are showing our quality now. We are fighting hard and hopefully we can surprise some people now. Another beauty from Wayne Rooney. Big blow for Stoke; Bosnian Asmir Begovic is out for six weeks with a broken finger. Thomas Sorensen made a rare EPL appearance against Newcastle, while Jack Butland returns a day early from his loan spell at Barnsley. It appears Everton's determination to play out from the back forced the incident that led to Tim Howard getting sent-off, but Roberto Martinez won't change his ways. It's the decision making, not the style, that's important, he says. It doesn't need to happen. It's one thing to play in a certain way, but a style shouldn't bring risks. Making good decisions is important. There is always a transitional period in whatever you want to do. You need to develop experience, and we'll learn from it. Today, that incident because of the sending-off, put a major difficulty in the rest of the game, but when you look at the amount of chances and the performance of Mannone, he had two outstanding saves and we should have taken advantage of a couple of other good opportunities.