There’s still everything to play for in the Premier League. There’s still a title race, there’s a scramble for the top four and a minimum of six teams find themselves currently in the relegation battle.
This round of midweek fixtures threw up more questions than answers. With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at some of the biggest talking points.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
The Emery Era is underway
Aston Villa recorded a 1-0 win over Fulham and in doing so became the first team in Premier League history to score in their first 20 games under a new head coach.
Unai Emery has masterminded Villa’s rise up the ranks. They’re now sixth in the table, level on points with Spurs and unbeaten in 10, having won eight matches.
Tyrone Mings nodded the winner in what was a fairly one-sided match. The hosts had 14 shots to Fulham’s one and racked up an xG of 1.02 to the away team’s 0.10.
A statement victory
The pressure was on Manchester City heading into the match against Arsenal. They weren’t the league leaders but they had momentum on their side. A win would see the title race swing in their favour. A loss would put Pep Guardiola’s men in a difficult situation.
It could’ve been a banana skin fixture but the reigning champions put on a clinic at the Etihad.
Erling Haaland recorded the highest FotMob rating, with a 9.4, having assisted two goals before adding the fourth in stoppage time.
Kevin De Bruyne rivalled the City No.9 with his display as he netted twice while also assisting John Stones.
For the fourth successive match, Arsenal conceded a minimum of two goals. Mikel Arteta’s men are winless in four after an April to forget. They are still top of the league, leading the way by two points but City have two games in hand.
Lampard loses again
Frank Lampard didn’t have a honeymoon period following his return to Chelsea.
He was supposed to lift the mood after replacing Graham Potter but the Blues haven’t been able to hit their stride after bringing back the former Everton boss.
The 2-0 defeat to Brentford means Chelsea have loss five successive matches since Lampard’s appointment as interim manager. Three of those have come in the Premier League, with Wolves and Brighton joining the Bees as victors in April.
Chelsea dominated the ball at Stamford Bridge but, once again, showed very little in attack.
Forest fight on
In what was one of the shock results of the season, Nottingham Forest defeated Brighton to increase the likelihood of them staying up.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side will feel frustrated not to have taken anything from the game. They responded well to the FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester United, creating four big chances and amassing an xG haul of 2.34, while dominating the ball with 75% possession.
The comeback win for Forest lifted them out of the relegation zone. They rallied well after Brennan Johnson missed an early penalty and Brighton took the lead in the 38th minute.
The Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment continues
Liverpool travelled to London for a tricky match against West Ham United.
Though the hosts took an early lead, Jürgen Klopp’s men responded well and eventually claimed a 2-1 win. For the second successive match, both Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold assisted a goal.
The right-back, playing in his new inverted full-back role, now has five assists in his last four, with the Reds making a late push for a Champions League place.
The Magpies march on
Newcastle United are now two points clear in third spot after a 4-1 away win at Everton boosted their chances of playing Champions League football next season while simultaneously casting doubt over the Toffees’ Premier League future.
Callum Wilson, once again leading the line for Eddie Howe’s men, netted twice in an eye-catching display. He was given a FotMob rating of 8.7 while Joelinton found himself on the scoresheet yet again.
The Magpies dominated the game, creating three big chances to zero, with their chances worth 2.44 xG to Everton’s 0.66. It was a one-sided second half display by the visitors, just days after they blew Spurs away in the first half.
Spurs show some fight
Tottenham made the bold decision to part ways with interim manager Cristian Stellini after the 6-1 loss to Newcastle United.
Ryan Mason was tasked with managing the team and at one stage it looked like another disappointing home defeat was on the cards after United took a 2-0 lead in the first half.
However, the hosts responded well after the break with goals from Pedro Porro and Heung-Min Son. Mason reverted back to the 3-4-3 shape after the 4-3-3 disaster against Newcastle.
Spurs created chances worth 1.89 xG in the second half, showing resilience and fight under new manager Mason in what was a fairly even game, with the home team creating four big chances to the away side’s three.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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