Premier League football returned with a bang after the recent international break.
Critical fixtures took place all over the table, from Norwich City’s relegation clash against Burnley, to a potential Premier League title decider between Manchester City and Liverpool. And these fixtures ensured they did not disappoint, with 29 goals being scored across the ten crucial matches which took place.
J urgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola’s sides could not be separated, the battle for Premier League survival took another fresh twist, and Ralf Rangnick’s head was left firmly in his hands again. But after another crucial weekend of domestic football, Mirror Football considers ten Premier League talking points.
1. Classic clash
Manchester City and Liverpool served up a football feast full of incident, goals and quality. But after 90 breathless action-packed minutes that produced a classic contest discovering the identity of the Premier League champions is no closer.
City hold a wafer-thin one-point advantage heading into the final seven games, but know Liverpool are waiting to pounce on any slip. Whatever happens in the run-in, the one certainty is that these two teams are streets ahead of the rest.
2. Capital gains
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Free-scoring Tottenham reaped the dividends in the north London divide as Arsenal crashed again in the race for a top-four spot. Spurs made it 25 goals in seven games, with Son Heung-min scoring his second hat-trick for the club in a 4-0 win at Aston Villa.
Arsenal's third defeat in four at home to Brighton left them three points behind their rivals, albeit with a game in hand. The Gunners also have a daunting run of fixtures before visiting Spurs on May 12.
3. United disconnected
Manchester United's top-four prospects were left as bruised at Goodison Park as the supporter's phone apparently knocked to the ground by Cristiano Ronaldo. The incident - which Ronaldo apologised for - came after an another awful United performance that them six points off the Champions League pace.
Ronaldo responded to his "outburst" by inviting the fan to watch a game at Old Trafford, prompting many social media wags to point out that the victim had suffered enough.
4. Lampard relief
Little more than two months into his reign, serious questions were being asked of Frank Lampard's Everton future. Six points from nine games and an insipid display in losing to relegation rivals Burnley on Wednesday had turned up the heat on Lampard.
But Lampard urged fans not to panic and his players responded with a committed performance in beating Manchester United 1-0. Burnley's 2-0 defeat at Norwich made it an even better weekend for Everton, who now have a four-point cushion above the drop zone.
5. Marsching On Together
As painful as it was to part company with Marcelo Bielsa in late February, Leeds' decision to appoint Jesse Marsch as manager seems a sound decision. Leeds had taken one point and conceded 21 goals in six games before Bielsa's dismissal and looked to be hurtling back to the Championship.
But Marsch has won 10 points from 12 since losing his first two games, and has even made an American accent sound cool in football circles while boosting Leeds' survival hopes.
6. Europa or nothing for Hammers
Brentford marched to one of their most comfortable victories of the season against a limp and fatigued looking West Ham United. Second half goals from Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo have seemingly all but ended David Moyes’ side’s hopes of finishing in the top four.
However, the east Londoners’ ambitions of Champions League football are not over just yet, as they could still qualify for Europe’s illustrious competition by winning the Europa League. Victory across the Channel against Lyon would see Moyes’ men reach the semi-final of the competition, where they would face either Barcelona or Eintracht Frankfurt.
7. 'Are you watching Real Madrid?’
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel said he needed an inordinate amount of chocolate to help him get through a painful second viewing of the Blues’ 3-1 home defeat to Real Madrid. However, the German will be able to enjoy a glass of wine if he chooses to re-watch the Blues’ six goal hammering of Southampton.
While the Saints were poor, the result could not have been better for the current Champions League holders, who were serenaded by their own fans with chants of 'are you watching Real Madrid?' All eyes will now be on the Bernabeu where Chelsea will need to win by a two goal margin just to force extra time against Carlo Ancelotti’s side – if they can bottle the ruthless finishing they displayed at St Mary’s, then Tuchel’s side could make even more Champions League history.
8. Werner’s Hasenhuttl hand
Timo Werner rounded Fraser Forster to slot home his first Premier League goal since Chelsea’s 3-1 victory against Southampton. In the second half, he tapped home an easy rebound to complete his first Premier League brace since Chelsea’s 3-3 draw against, you guessed it, Southampton.
That means, five of Werner’s nine Premier League goals since his arrival at Chelsea have all come against his former RB Leipzig manager Ralph Hasenhuttl. In fact, all three of his Premier League goals this season have come against Southampton - maybe Tuchel should consider bringing Hasenhuttl to the Chelsea dugout?
9. Canaries still chirping
Norwich City kept their slim survival hopes alive with a battling 2-0 victory against Brentford. The Canaries remain bottom of the Premier League, but they are not quite off their Premier League perch yet.
Despite another difficult campaign in the top division, one good result often follows another when Smith’s side are concerned. They have taken four points from their last two matches away to Brighton and Hove Albion and at home to Burnley.
Manchester United are up next, and if anything can be taken from the Red Devils’ turgid display at Goodison Park, Smith and his side have nothing to fear at Old Trafford.
10. Warning for Gerrard
Aston Villa have certainly see a tangible improvement since Steven Gerrard took up the reins in November. However, the former Rangers boss is one defeat away from matching the same record of five consecutive defeats that cost Smith his job at Villa Park.
Defeat away to his former manager Brendan Rodgers, whose Leicester City side are finishing the season strongly with three wins in their last five matches, and Villa could slip down the table even more. Only spectacular collapse from the Midlanders coupled with a remarkable uptake of form from sides below them would drag Villa into an end of season relegation battle.
However, Gerrard will want to ensure his first full season in Premier League management is not affected by a confidence sapping conclusion to the current campaign.
