On a outstanding financial institution vacation weekend within the Premier League, there have been loads of twists and turns because the title race, relegation battle and combat for European soccer headed additional in direction of a gripping conclusion.
Manchester Metropolis maintained their lead on the high of the desk by edging out a 2-1 win over Leeds, however Arsenal saved themselves very a lot within the title image with a formidable 2-0 victory at Newcastle.
Within the joust for high 4, a shock 1-0 defeat for Manchester United at West Ham, together with Newcastle’s slip up, has given Liverpool hope of a late sprint for Champions League qualification after their 1-0 victory towards Brentford.
Leeds and Leicester are in determined bother on the backside after respective losses at Metropolis and Fulham, with Nottingham Forest and Everton leapfrogging them out of the relegation zone following wins over Southampton and Brighton, respectively.
It proved an interesting financial institution vacation weekend of top-flight motion with a number of speaking factors to mull over, and Mail Sport has taken a more in-depth have a look at eight of them.
Manchester Metropolis maintained their lead on the high of the desk on a outstanding financial institution vacation weekend within the Premier League
West Ham’s shock 1-0 win over Manchester United was one of many speaking factors of the weekend
Chelsea present some character… for a change
On the again of six consecutive defeats in all competitions, the whole lot appeared to level to a different depressing afternoon for Frank Lampard’s Chelsea as they made the journey to an in-form Bournemouth facet on Saturday.
Lampard, yet another loss away from being subjected to limitless James Bond memes with a file of 0-0-7, had endured a torrid spell as caretaker supervisor since returning to his beloved membership and, following final week’s thrashing at Arsenal, there have been few indicators of this altering anytime quickly.
That was till the Blues lastly confirmed some resolve and character on the Vitality, the place they scored twice within the ultimate eight minutes to win 3-1 and earn Lampard his first victory – rendering any 007 memes futile.
In addition to relieving their interim boss of serious strain, the victory serves as an overdue reminder of the standard Chelsea possess of their expensively-assembled ranks regardless of a really disastrous season that has left them down in eleventh place.
Bournemouth are not any world beaters however, after profitable 4 of their final 5 video games to avoid the relegation dogfight, this was no simple place to return and Lampard’s males have been worthy of their triumph ultimately.
Benoit Badiashile, who scored his first aim in English soccer, is a commanding presence on the again and deserves to be one of many first names on the workforce sheet, whereas in Enzo Fernandez Chelsea might nicely have gotten their arms on an elite-level midfield basic for years to return. Noni Madueke additionally appears to be like a promising expertise.
Imagine it or not, additional reinforcements are required this summer season in aim, midfield and assault – to not point out a number of exits throughout the board – but there may be lots for Mauricio Pochettino to be enthusiastic about as he prepares to take cost at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea lastly confirmed some character to assert a 3-1 win away at Bournemouth on Saturday
Benoit Badiashile (left) bought on the scoresheet because the Blues ended their torrid current run
Frank Lampard averted brutal James Bond memes after steering away from a 0-0-7 file
Emery’s Villa bubble bursts
After going 10 video games unbeaten earlier than final week’s journey to Manchester United, the bubble seems to have burst for Aston Villa following one other 1-0 defeat towards Midlands rivals Wolves on Saturday.
Unai Emery has rightly acquired widespread plaudits for turning their season round after changing Steven Gerrard in October, and the sheer indisputable fact that consecutive defeats for Villa now warrants a speaking level speaks volumes in regards to the work he has performed to date.
But a formidable second half of the marketing campaign now threatens to exit on a whimper for his facet, who might find yourself qualifying for the Europa Convention League by ending eighth if sure outcomes go their method.
Whereas a spot within the high half is all however secured with Chelsea 12 factors behind in eleventh, Villa face a battle to maintain maintain of eighth place and potential European soccer forward of powerful closing fixtures towards Tottenham, Liverpool and Brighton.
The bubble might have burst for Emery and Co, however their dwelling kind stays sturdy after 5 consecutive victories, which can deliver confidence forward of the go to of Spurs.
Unai Emery and Aston Villa’s bubble has burst after consecutive Premier League defeats
Spirited Leeds deliver positives for Allardyce
Something however defeat for Leeds towards Man Metropolis would have gone down as a serious upset, even by Sam Allardyce’s well-known firefighting requirements.
Although in not disgracing themselves in a 2-1 loss on the Etihad, and even giving the league leaders a scare by pulling a aim again late on, Allardyce cannot have requested for far more from his first recreation in cost.
The newly-appointed Whites boss will take positives from a spirited show towards Pep Guardiola’s relentless profitable machine, who blitzed title rivals Arsenal in additional convincing style than his relegation-threatened facet. If they’ll present the identical want and organisation of their remaining video games, survival will not be out of the query.
However, wins for Forest and Everton have left them two factors adrift of security and in bother heading into the ultimate three video games of the season, with Leicester additionally sitting above them in 18th on aim distinction.
Saturday’s conflict with top-four candidates Newcastle due to this fact guarantees to be a seismic afternoon in Leeds’ survival bid. If different outcomes do not go their method, something however a victory might nicely finish their hopes of beating the drop.
But with one of many Premier League’s biggest escape artists on the helm, something is feasible.
Kane and Salah might emulate Haaland in a workforce like Metropolis
Within the midst of below-par seasons the place their respective groups are involved, Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah continued their excellent particular person campaigns by netting the one targets in 1-0 wins over Crystal Palace and Brentford, respectively.
Salah was readily available along with his thirtieth aim in 48 video games for Liverpool this season – in addition to his seventh in as many video games and one centesimal profession strike at Anfield – whereas Kane registered his twenty sixth aim in 35 league video games for Tottenham. The England captain has scored eight occasions in his final 9 matches.
Harry Kane (left) and Mohamed Salah (proper) continued their high-quality run of particular person kind
Think about if they’d the posh of taking part in for Man Metropolis like Erling Haaland
Think about, then, if they’d the posh of taking part in for Man Metropolis?
Erling Haaland has smashed file after file at Metropolis this time period, already setting a brand new benchmark for targets in a single Premier League marketing campaign along with his thirty fifth of the season final week.
Whereas not taking something away from Haaland – a machine of a goalscorer who at 22 years previous is probably going not even near his peak – it may be argued that Salah and, specifically, Kane would obtain related feats if a part of Pep Guardiola’s treble-chasing Metropolis facet.
Salah has managed to sweep dwelling 30 targets for an underwhelming Liverpool workforce who might nicely miss out on Champions League qualification this season. Kane, in the meantime, is simply 9 targets shy of Haaland’s historic league return proper now regardless of spending the complete marketing campaign battling by way of chaos at Spurs.
Whereas all if, buts and maybes, Salah and Kane would possible write much more historical past of their very own in a workforce as highly effective as Metropolis’s.
Mature Arsenal banish the ghost of St James’ Park
Final season Arsenal travelled to Newcastle with a win required to maintain their Champions League hopes alive. As a substitute, they have been left crestfallen after a 2-0 defeat allowed bitter rivals Tottenham to usurp them on the penultimate hurdle.
St James’ Park was the scene of a traumatic Gunners collapse, a spot the place Mikel Arteta’s greenhorn facet had let the warmth of a fierce top-four battle scorch them proper on the demise.
On Sunday they made their first journey to Tyneside since that sorry night whereas in an identical place; with one other defeat towards a stronger Newcastle threatening to place the ultimate nail within the coffin once more – this time of their bid to win the Premier League.
After current slip-ups towards Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton have been adopted by a thrashing away at title rivals Man Metropolis, many anticipated Arsenal to wilt underneath the strain inside a hostile St James’ as soon as extra.
Arsenal’s win at Newcastle exhibits how far they’ve progressed over the previous 12 months
What performed out, nevertheless, was a dominant, skilled efficiency which exhibits precisely how far the Gunners have come over the previous yr, each tactically and mentally.
Martin Odegaard’s strike after 14 minutes took the sting out of a ferocious Newcastle begin and from that time Arteta’s males loved near-complete management up till the break, one obvious Joe Willock likelihood apart. Although Eddie Howe’s Magpies upped the ante after the interval and have been unlucky to not equalise earlier than Fabian Schar’s personal aim killed the sport.
Whereas the hosts had their possibilities, Arsenal returning to the scene of final yr’s collapse, retaining a clear sheet and inflicting Newcastle’s second dwelling defeat of the season is a putting distinction which symbolises their development in maturity.
Ft up for the Hammers
The apparent headline from West Ham’s shock 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday was about Erik ten Hag’s males blowing the top-four race huge open once more with Liverpool sizzling on their heels in fifth.
However a much-needed first win in 4 video games comes as an enormous reduction to the Hammers, who’ve all however assured their Premier League standing for one more yr.
It has been a disappointing season domestically for David Moyes and Co, with 18 defeats in 34 matches leaving them sweating over their top-flight future.
West Ham can focus primarily on Europe in spite of everything however confirming their Premier League security
That was earlier than Sunday’s victory towards United, which moved them seven factors away from the drop zone with simply 9 to play for.
The near-impossible mixture of a late collapse and miraculous profitable runs from Leicester and Leeds is required to ship them packing to the Championship, that means they’ll put their ft up and focus primarily on reaching the Europa Convention League ultimate – with AZ Alkmaar to return within the final 4 on Thursday.
Leicester’s punt on Smith has backfired
After they parted firm with Brendan Rodgers final month, Leicester have been already in serious trouble after slipping into the relegation zone.
The choice to axe a coach who beforehand guided them to successive fifth-place finishes and an FA Cup got here purely out of desperation to keep away from the drop. Why, then, did they determine to take a punt on Dean Smith, a Championship-level supervisor whose top-flight credentials have by no means been confirmed?
Smith’s biggest managerial achievement thus far was masterminding Aston Villa’s success within the 2019 Championship playoffs. The next season, up within the Premier League, they narrowly averted relegation by a single level after spending near £150million within the switch market.
Leicester’s punt on Dean Smith at such a vital stage of the season has backfired on them
The previous Walsall and Brentford boss was then sacked early within the subsequent season after a run of 5 straight defeats, earlier than struggling relegation with Norwich final season and finally dropping his job there in December. Thus, the choice to relaxation their Premier League hopes on his shoulders was all the time a raffle.
Leicester cannot have many complaints in the event that they drop to the Championship after hiring a second-tier coach.
Southampton’s destiny all however sealed
Whereas at the very least some hope stays for Leicester, any faint possibilities of an important Southampton escape ended of their 4-3 defeat towards Nottingham Forest.
It definitely wasn’t for the need of attempting, nonetheless, with Ruben Selles’ males pegging the hosts again on three events.
But languishing eight factors adrift of security on the foot of the desk, even victory over Fulham this weekend is probably not sufficient to maintain them up.
It appears to be like like a matter of when, not if, Southampton’s destiny is confirmed.
