MAGIC FROM MATA . At times I’ve felt like a bit of an apologist for Juan Mata. At Anfield on Sunday, he showed his class. All game his touch was like velvet and he showed fantastic technical quality with two devastating finishes. I’ve heard some United fans and ex-pros saying he’s got no pace or he can’t do this or that. When he gets in the right place at the right time, he can cut open any team. He has a fantastic football brain and his decision-making is so quick that he doesn’t need to be fast. If you can read the game that well and take up intelligent positions then pace is not necessary. Nothing moves faster than the ball. Juan Mata scored twice as Manchester United beat Liverpool at Anfield - he showed his class throughout . Mata has a fantastic footballing brain his decision-making is so quick that he doesn’t need to be fast . Juan Mata has made 91 passes in his last two games, more than any other Manchester United midfielder . Sunday’s performance was a nod to all those who have written him off. He was good against Tottenham but he was sensational at Anfield. The acid test for any player is how well you perform in big games and they don’t get any bigger than Liverpool against United. It was a game for cool heads and that’s what Mata had. It’s a shame the same can’t be said for Steven Gerrard. Watching on, he will have been at boiling point. He must have been wondering why he was on the bench when players not in his class were struggling to make an impact on the pitch. But even though I have some sympathy, that’s still no excuse. Steven Gerrard will have been fired up after coming off the bench but there is no excuse for what he did . IT'S PERFECT FOR PARDEW . Alan Pardew was delighted after Crystal Palace came back to win at Stoke. And no wonder. When he left Newcastle for Palace, even he couldn’t have seen things going this well. He is at a club where he’s loved and since the switch Palace’s results have been far superior to Newcastle’s. Six wins and a draw means Palace have overtaken Newcastle, so all credit to him. HARRY MUST BE IN DREAMLAND . What a week for Harry Kane. He gets called up for England duty and responds with a first Premier League hat-trick. The boy is on fire. Last month I picked him out as my player of the season. A few people might have laughed at me for that, but I’m sure they’re not laughing any more. Only one player could take it off Kane now, and that’s Eden Hazard, but with three more goals, Harry’s done nothing to make me change my mind. Harry Kane scored his first Premier League hat-trick against Leicester and is still my player of the season . BRISTOL BOOMING . Bristol has always been a big rugby area, but it’s got a great football tradition as well and Steve Cotterill added his own chapter of history at Wembley on Sunday. Bristol City controlled the game in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final and deserved their success. Cotterill is an excellent coach and an ambitious manager and that result should set them up to go on and win League One. With excellent fans and committed backers, it’s time for City to dream big. Steve Cotterill's Bristol City deserve their success and should go on and win League One this season . CHELSEA CLOSE IN . When I saw the score at the KC Stadium go to 2-2, I started to look at the league table. Would this bring City back into the title race? Would it give Arsenal a sniff? Were United even in with a chance? Then Loic Remy scores a late goal and Chelsea keep their lead at the top. When we look back at the end of the season, that could well be the result that wins Chelsea the title. After going out of the Champions League and drawing at home to Southampton, a draw at Hull would have piled the pressure on. Defensively they were poor and John Terry and Gary Cahill found Hull’s pace hard to deal with. Now they have breathing space. They have tough games to come, including Man United and Liverpool at home and Arsenal away, but results like this will help get them over the line. Chelsea's win against Hull on Sunday could prove to be the result that wins them the title . WHAT MORE CAN BIG SAM DO? The last time West Ham had 42 points at this stage of a Premier League season was in 2007-08. That year they finished 10th with 49 points in total . It may not have been a pretty watch at Upton Park on Saturday, but it was a significant win for West Ham and Sam Allardyce. Victory over Sunderland took the club to 42 points, which is more than they won in the whole of last season. And I don’t care what anybody says, Big Sam has done a good job at West Ham. He saved them from relegation last year, rebuilt over the summer and some of their attacking football in the first half of the season was fantastic to watch. But for whatever reason, his face doesn’t seem to fit and I suspect he will move on in the summer. If that happens, I’m sure there will be plenty of suitors for Sam. He is a talented manager and something of a relegation specialist, so don’t be surprised if he waits until a struggling club comes calling. Sam Allardyce has done a good job at West Ham despite what people say - some of their football is fantastic . MEETING THE MAESTRO . It was a privilege to be at the Nou Camp last week to see Lionel Messi put in a magical performance in the Champions League. I used to worry that we might have seen the best of the little magician. Not anymore. His delivery to set up Jeremy Mathieu’s opener in El Clasico on Sunday night was spot on and he was sensational against City last week. The only problem was he wouldn’t stop bugging me and Carra for a photo... Lionel Messi (centre) poses for a photograph with Jamie Redknapp and Jamie Carragher at the Nou Camp .
Juan Mata was excellent against Liverpool and can cut open any team . Alan Pardew deserves credit for the job he is doing at Crystal Palace . Harry Kane is still my player of the season after his first top flight hat-trick . Bristol City deserve success and should dream big after Wembley win . West Ham have more points than last season - what more can Big Sam do?