1) Apology small comfort for Brighton
There was no stadium VAR delay on Saturday to check whether Kaoru Mitoma had been fouled by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. Why did neither Stuart Attwell nor Stockley Park see it as a penalty? To be generous, perhaps Mitoma hit the ground a little easily but the incident became a lighting rod for Brighton fans to argue that officialdom (rather than failing to close down Harry Kane for Tottenham’s winner) was the reason for defeat. Sixth place might have become fifth. When Howard Webb, on Sunday, apologised to Brighton on behalf of PGMOL, there was vindication but no extra points on offer. “I think it was clear, very clear,” said Roberto De Zerbi, who had enjoyed the benefit of a dressing-room TV replay of the Mitoma incident, already red-carded for the touchline rumble that followed VAR ruling out Danny Welbeck’s goal. Soon enough, Kane seized on Brighton’s lack of concentration. “The smart people can adapt different habits,” admitted De Zerbi, asked about being red-carded for a second time. His excellent team are surely better off with a manager on the sidelines than not, as will be the case for next week’s FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United. John Brewin
Match report: Tottenham 2-1 Brighton
2) Should Alexander-Arnold move to middle?
“The goals have to come down one side,” said Trent Alexander-Arnold when asked about his role in Arsenal’s second goal. “That’s how football works.” Now, that might satisfy him – elite sportspeople often have a preternatural self-belief that allows them to execute difficult skills under pressure – but the rest of us are seeing a player out of his depth defensively now he no longer has the protection of a midfield able to ensure the ball spends most of its time down the other end. Just as we saw his fallibility against Arsenal, we also saw his brilliance – stepping into midfield, dictating attacks and creating his team’s equaliser. It may be time he moved into the centre permanently, partly because Liverpool have a vacancy there, but mainly because the position is ideal for hiding his weaknesses – a lack of nous, recovery pace and one-on-one ability – and accentuating the passing, vision, and crossing that are his strengths. Daniel Harris
Match report: Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal
3) Sterling shadow of former self
Raheem Sterling has four goals and two assists to his name this season in 21 matches. The winger struggled to find any form or consistency under Graham Potter but Frank Lampard’s move to a 4-3-3 created a more obvious role for the England international on the right wing against Wolves. He failed to produce any moments of danger, kept quiet by the makeshift left-back Toti. Lampard needs to get the best out of the likes of Sterling if he is to improve Chelsea, who stay stuck in mid-table. “I think he is a fantastic player, he’s been one of the best wingers in the world for a long time,” Lampard said afterwards. “At times, in some people’s opinion, the best.” Despite the ringing endorsement, Sterling has failed to hit the heights that he found at Manchester City since his move to Stamford Bridge but a refresh in the dugout could yet help him. Will Unwin
4) Emery’s quiet Villa revolution
Aston Villa’s incredible progress under Unai Emery has perhaps got a little lost of late. They won at Stamford Bridge in what would prove to be Graham Potter’s last game as Chelsea manager and four days later another away win increased the gloom at Leicester. Villa’s latest victory was inevitably bookended by talk of Steve Cooper’s future at Nottingham Forest. But while their opponents sift through problems, Villa, who were 16th and three points off the bottom when Emery took charge in November, are eyeing Europe after soaring to sixth. “I remember the feeling of being seven points adrift with four games to go,” the Villa captain, John McGinn, said of avoiding relegation on the final day of the 2019-20 season. “That was not a great view, so to be on the complete other side of it is amazing, especially with the relegation race going on this season. It has been an amazing turnaround and hopefully we can keep it going.” Ben Fisher
Match report: Aston Villa 2-0 Nottingham Forest
5) Martial could offset Rashford fears
Anthony Martial staying fit until the end of the season would be a boost to rank alongside Christian Eriksen’s return against Everton following a two-month layoff due to an ankle problem, and Casemiro being available again for domestic football after a four-match suspension. Suddenly, Erik ten Hag has three frontline players to bolster a campaign that takes in nine more Premier League matches, a Europa League quarter-final and FA Cup semi-final as Manchester United bid to seal a top-four berth and add to February’s Carabao Cup triumph. Eleven minutes after entering on Saturday, Martial scored a seventh of the season in his 17th appearance, an impressive ratio considering his injury-disrupted year. With Marcus Rashford limping out of the game and the seriousness of his issue not yet known, the need for Martial to stay fit is further emphasised. Jamie Jackson
Match report: Manchester United 2-0 Everton
6) Howe has welcome dilemma up front
Eddie Howe has a striker conundrum at Newcastle, and a pleasant problem to have. Having rotated Callum Wilson into the side for the midweek win at West Ham, he brought Alexander Isak back in against Brentford. With Newcastle devoid of any spark in a dreary first-half performance, Howe then summoned Wilson off the bench at half-time in a rare instance of deploying the two front men together. It worked wonders: Wilson assisted Isak’s goal and was unlucky to have his own effort struck off for a handball. So what does the future hold up front for Newcastle? “They are two top-quality players,” said Howe. “Can they play together every week? Probably not tactically, from our perspective. But can they play together in a game like today? Absolutely, yes.” A great dilemma to have, giving Howe a useful Plan C to go with Plans A and B. Ben Bloom
7) Lavia shows off his capability
Pep Guardiola’s post-match beelines for selected opposition players are legendary: in a parallel universe, Nathan Redmond is spurring Manchester City’s bid for the treble rather than settling Istanbul derbies with Besiktas. There was clear logic to his tete-a-tete with Roméo Lavia after the comfortable win at Southampton, though. City let the 19-year-old, who had spent two years at the Etihad, join Saints last summer along with three other youngsters. Guardiola had been tempted to keep him but did not want to deny regular Premier League action. Judging by his public proclamations about Lavia both before and after the match, he may wish to exercise City’s £40m buyback option sharpish. Lavia was the only home player who would have looked comfortable in the visitors’ colours, his industry and vision outstanding particularly in a relatively even first half. Even if Saints stay up, the Belgian will surely be plying his trade elsewhere next season. A more regular discourse with Guardiola cannot be discounted. Nick AmesHarvey Barnes for Leicester against Bournemouth
Match report: Southampton 1-4 Manchester City
8) Foxes in freefall as Marsch plans falter
Leicester are only two points from safety, but a home defeat by Bournemouth – a seventh loss in 10 league games – is relegation form and then some. Leicester have neither momentum nor manager, and talks with preferred candidate Jesse Marsch are on the brink of collapse. Even if appointing Marsch – whose former side, Leeds, improved as soon as he was sacked – made sense, the invertebrate nature of Leicester’s performances reflects a squad that lacks vertebrae. The loss of Kasper Schmeichel, both as goalkeeper and leader, has been inadequately addressed; Jonny Evans and Jamie Vardy are well past their best; Youri Tielemans is frequently injured. So, though James Maddison and Harvey Barnes have gamely done their best to compensate, what remaining hope do Leicester have? Daniel Harris
Match report: Leicester 0-1 Bournemouth
9) Unhappy Hammers edge towards safety
West Ham have scored three goals in their past three games: two were from set-pieces and the other an own goal from Fulham’s Harrison Reed. They have also picked up six points along the way, nudging their way to 1-0 wins over Fulham and Southampton, but those games sandwiched a humiliation at the hands of Newcastle. In other words, West Ham could deal with the winnable games and faltered against a tougher side. That should ensure they stay up, but is that enough after spending around £160m last summer? Supporters clearly think not given the jeers aimed at David Moyes during the win over Fulham. There is a desire for more expansiveness and the feeling that Moyes’s caution holds the team back. Of course, he might argue that results are the most important thing in a relegation battle. The question is whether West Ham should ever have been in one. Jacob Steinberg
Match report: Fulham 0-1 West Ham
10) Leeds pay tribute to Loftus and Speight
There was a minute’s applause before kick off at Elland Road on Sunday. It marked last Wednesday’s 23rd anniversary of the death of two ardent Leeds supporters, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight. Back in April 2000, the pair travelled to Turkey to watch their team play Galatasaray in a Uefa Cup semi final but never returned home. On the eve of the game, they were stabbed to death in Istanbul and their brutal murders continue to cast long shadows in West Yorkshire. Earlier this week the Leeds manager, Javi Gracia, joined senior players including Liam Cooper, Luke Ayling, Stuart Dallas and Patrick Bamford in laying flowers and talking to both men’s families in a special tribute held at Elland Road. “Having learned about the tragedy following my appointment, here my thoughts are with the two families,” said Gracia on Sunday. “Christopher and Kevin will never be forgotten.” Louise Taylor
