10 thoughts from the weekend's Premier League action

theScore examines the most important Premier League developments from the weekend, dissecting the biggest talking points after a busy slate of action.

Some fight left in Everton

If nothing else, Everton are up for the battle.

Sunday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea was an enormous – and largely unexpected – boost in the Toffees’ bid to avoid relegation. It was built almost entirely on the back of graft and sheer effort; Everton’s in-house review of the match described the performance as one “brimming with running, aggression, and intent.”

Everton still rely almost exclusively on the energy and willpower of Richarlison and Anthony Gordon to facilitate attacking opportunities. This isn’t a team that plays flowing, cohesive football. At this stage in the season, though, Frank Lampard isn’t going to author a metamorphic stylistic change.

Right now, simple hard work is just about the only way for Everton to compensate for the obvious deficiencies within the squad.

“They have to show they care. They don’t have to go over the line but have to show they care. The fans want to see that,” Lampard said after the victory, which was spurred on by a boisterous home crowd.

“Our character and team spirit drove us on today, and with the fans behind us like they were, it was incredible,” added goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, whose stunning save on Cesar Azpilicueta punctuated an outstanding day for the English shot-stopper.

well, now it’s time for Leeds fans to stress out instead pic.twitter.com/UJcHaqv4FM

— Grace Robertson ????? (@GraceOnFootball) May 1, 2022

In terms of their standing in the table, Everton have gone backward since replacing Rafa Benitez with Lampard in January. There’s still a very real chance they could be in the Championship next season. But the Toffees showed they aren’t going to wilt as they scrap to avoid going down in ignominy as the first Everton squad to be relegated from the top flight since 1951.

For a nervous fan base that’s had virtually nothing to celebrate all season, there’s some solace to be taken.

Chelsea going through the motions

There seems to be a growing expectation among football fans that teams and players keep their foot on the gas every match right through the end of the season. Maybe it’s always been there and social media has brought that school of thought into the light. But that’s simply not practical. Teams have lulls for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s difficult to get motivated, especially when there isn’t really anything to play for.

Chelsea find themselves in that strange void right now.

The Blues, sitting third in the table, clearly aren’t winning the title, but, with only four matches remaining, they’re relatively comfortable in terms of their bid for a top-four place.

Sunday’s defeat may have been, in part, a product of that circumstance. Chelsea generally lacked sharpness, with Azpilicueta’s woeful error on Everton’s goal the prime example. The Toffees, out of necessity, were full of aggression and energy as they continue their almighty fight to avoid relegation. Chelsea, by contrast, have little to play for outside of their impending FA Cup final against Liverpool. A Champions League spot isn’t mathematically secured just yet, but it would take a massive collapse for both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal to leapfrog Thomas Tuchel’s team.

The indifference is starting to show, as Chelsea have won just once over their four league matches since being knocked out of the Champions League on April 12. Tuchel, clearly displeased after the uninspired display at Goodison Park, needs to find a way to awaken his squad heading into the last few weeks of the season.

Son emerges as Premier League’s MVP

Heung-Min Son continues to deliver when Tottenham are most vulnerable.

Held without a shot on target in each of their last two Premier League matches, Spurs took the pitch against Leicester City on Sunday in desperate need of creative energy. Harry Kane’s goal from Son’s corner kick established a welcome lead before the South Korean’s second-half brace provided necessary oomph ahead of complicated fixtures away to Liverpool and at home against Arsenal.

Son’s pirouette in the penalty area created enough space for him to shoot into the opposite corner, and his exceptional curling strike from distance topped his latest match-winning display. He’s decided and salvaged games all season, recording a hat trick in the 4-0 win over Aston Villa in April, a brace in the 3-1 victory over West Ham United in March, and the equalizer in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool in December. No one has scored more Premier League goals from open play than Son, who now has 19 to his name this season.

In all, the 29-year-old forward has contributed to 32% of Tottenham’s goals in the Premier League, outpacing Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo in second, Brentford’s Ivan Toney in third, and Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha in fourth. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is fifth with a hand in 26% of Liverpool’s tallies.

Then consider Son’s unpredictable nature. He’s scored 11 of his 19 goals with his left foot and eight with his right, making him a constant menace no matter where he is on the field. Manager Antonio Conte doesn’t even know which foot his player favors most.

If Tottenham end up qualifying for the Champions League – which Conte has identified as something of a miracle – Son would be a big reason why. On a personal note, he could yet win the Premier League’s Golden Boot and perhaps even challenge Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema for this year’s Ballon d’Or.

Unlikely heroes step up in Arsenal’s UCL bid

Just two weeks after their season appeared to be unraveling in dramatic fashion, Arsenal are back in the driver’s seat after consecutive wins over top-four rivals Chelsea, Manchester United, and now, West Ham United.

In reclaiming a top-four place with a 2-1 victory over West Ham on Sunday, Arsenal are now guaranteed to finish no lower than sixth in the Premier League, ensuring their return to European competition next season.

? 0-3 vs Palace
? 1-2 vs Brighton
? 0-1 vs Southampton
? 4-2 vs Chelsea
? 3-1 vs Man Utd
? 2-1 vs West Ham

After three defeats in a row, Arsenal have responded with three straight wins against sides in the top seven. ? pic.twitter.com/UMgJcYBiIM

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 1, 2022

Fueling their recent success has been contributions from a cast of unlikely heroes. Center-back duo Rob Holding, who replaced the injured Ben White, and Gabriel stepped up this week with goals against the Hammers.

It continued a trend that started after a deflating string of defeats to Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Southampton. Eddie Nketiah strengthened his case as Arsenal’s go-to striker with a brace in a 4-2 win against Chelsea. Then, three days later, full-back Nuno Tavares and Granit Xhaka produced important goals in a 3-1 win over Manchester United.

With four matches left, don’t be surprised if another unexpected protagonist emerges in Arsenal’s bid to participate in the Champions League for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Here are the main talking points from Saturday’s matches …

Howe has tough decisions to make – and ASM isn’t safe

Allan Saint-Maximin could join an exclusive group of players largely admired by neutrals yet regularly viewed as frustrating by their own supporters. While his bewitching footwork and speed are excellent to watch, his decision-making leaves a lasting impression on Newcastle United fans for all the wrong reasons.

In a team that’s under construction, the Frenchman is still relied upon as the difference-maker – especially when midfielder Joe Willock is restricted to 13 first-half touches, and Andy Robertson and Virgil van Dijk stifle Miguel Almiron. But Saint-Maximin’s only real contribution to Saturday’s 1-0 loss was to give the ball to Liverpool. The winger lost possession more than any other player (eight times) as he continually ran into a mass of red shirts rather than pass to a teammate.

Newcastle’s season is effectively over, but this remains an important time for many members of their squad. Eddie Howe is surveying the players he inherited, seeing if they’re equipped for the ambitious plans bankrolled by Newcastle’s new Saudi owners. It may be a controversial move for Howe to discard Saint-Maximin given his undoubted natural gifts, but can the manager afford to carry such a wasteful player if the Magpies are competing for European places?

There are others potentially on the chopping block. Jonjo Shelvey has never realized the potential he showed at Charlton Athletic and (briefly) Liverpool, and he’s now 30. Almiron hasn’t improved since his 2019 transfer from Atlanta United. Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krafth, and Jacob Murphy are among the other players who aren’t good enough for a team with an eye on Champions League football.

Even the lumbering striker Chris Wood, a January recruit, could be phased out next season.

But ASM – someone who can single-handedly lift the fans at St. James’ Park during drearier times – could be the greatest casualty of all as Howe looks to take Newcastle to the next level.

Milner, Gomez show off Liverpool’s depth

The same home supporters who lauded James Milner during his four-year stay at Newcastle grumbled and jeered as the Liverpool veteran crunched into four challenges and provided four key passes. The midfielder’s productivity trumped anything mustered by a Newcastle player in Saturday’s fixture, with one tackle key in the buildup to Naby Keita’s match-winning finish.

Milner, 36, appeared much fitter than some of the opponents he frustrated. His inclusion – and, indeed, Keita’s 12th Premier League start of the season – gave late substitutes Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara precious time to recuperate during Liverpool’s grueling quadruple bid.

The depth in Jurgen Klopp’s squad allowed the German to rotate with no telling drop in quality to Liverpool’s performance. Joe Gomez – who played at right-back to allow Trent Alexander-Arnold some rest – helped ensure Saint-Maximin endured a miserable 90 minutes while regularly getting forward.

It would be understandable if Gomez sought more minutes in a move away from Liverpool, but his comfort at right-back and center-back make him a valuable asset to his current employers. He’d stroll into the starting lineup of most leading European sides.

“Coming with five changes and building a new setup is massive,” Klopp said post-match.

“Our performance was outstanding, we controlled the game.”

Resurgent Burnley benefitting from tiny tweaks

It would’ve been risky – and perhaps cocky – for caretaker boss Mike Jackson to make radical changes to Burnley’s playing style this late into the season. Sean Dyche’s defense-first philosophy is part of the club’s fabric after spending almost 10 years at the helm. And Jackson’s managerial experience is relatively thin compared to that of the gravel-voiced gaffer.

So, Jackson attempted to make minor tweaks when he stepped in with eight matches remaining in the campaign.

Wout Weghorst has been encouraged to put his awareness and fitness to good use by increasing the pressure on opposing defenders. Dwight McNeil swapped flanks and has been more direct and involved while operating as an inverted winger from the right. Jack Cork and Connor Roberts have also repaid Jackson’s faith since receiving more game time, with the former heading in the 83rd-minute equalizer to kickstart Saturday’s comeback victory over Watford.

3 – Michael Jackson is the first Burnley manager to win three of their first four league games in charge since Jimmy Mullen in October 1991 (won 4 of 4). Thriller.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 30, 2022

“There’s been no magic wand whatsoever, it’s just reminding the players who they are and making sure they stick together as a group, stay honest, look after each other, and that’s the way we try to do it,” Jackson said after another crucial three-point haul.

The Dyche-led Clarets didn’t reach 10 points this term until December. Burnley have taken 10 points from four matches since Jackson took over.

Relegation and Norwich City have become synonymous

Norwich City proved once again Saturday that they’re just not good enough for life in the Premier League.

The Canaries became the first Premier League team to get relegated this season after an unremarkable performance in their 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa.

6 – Norwich City have been relegated from the Premier League for a sixth time – the most of any side since the competition began in 1992-93. Familiar.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 30, 2022

The Canaries could very well win the Championship next season and seal their automatic return to the top flight, just as they did in their previous two campaigns (2018-19 and 2020-21) in the second division. But one has to wonder if Norwich will ever find a way to end the cycle of yo-yoing between leagues.

Norwich showed signs of improvement after manager Dean Smith’s arrival in November. However, the losses kept piling up for a club seemingly paying the price for failing to properly invest in quality players required to compete in the Premier League for more than a season. The same problem doomed Norwich to a last-place finish in 2019-20.

Although the club has also become synonymous with promotion, it’s probably a safe bet that Norwich supporters would happily trade Championship silverware for Premier League sustainability.

Coutinho running out of time at Aston Villa

A return to the Premier League appeared to be just what Philippe Coutinho needed to revive his career. Coutinho got off to a dazzling start after his loan to Aston Villa from Barcelona was finalized in January.

It seemed inevitable that Villa would do everything possible to extend his stay. But the player who began his Villa career with four goals and three assists in his first eight league games has gone ice cold.

Although Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard, who was Coutinho’s teammate at Liverpool, backed the Brazilian to regain his form before the season ends, the 29-year-old has offered little hope that he can turn things around. He’s failed to score or provide an assist in his last six Premier League contests.

Even on Saturday, Coutinho struggled to make an impact in Villa’s victory over last-place Norwich City before being subbed off for Emiliano Buendia, who has evolved into a fan favorite and almost made an immediate impact upon his introduction.

Coutinho’s dip in form is worrying enough that his return to Villa is far from guaranteed heading into the summer when he becomes a free agent. If Villa elect to explore other options, there’s no telling where the once highly coveted attacker will end up next season.

City close in on Liverpool’s goal differential

Since early March, there hasn’t been more than one point separating leaders Manchester City from Liverpool. But, despite the near-parity in the points column, Manchester City have another goal in their sights that will ease the pressure in their quest to win the Premier League.

The Premier League juggernauts sustained their sprint to the finish line with victories Saturday. However, it was Manchester City who boosted their chances of winning the title after recording a 4-0 victory over Leeds United to further eat away at Liverpool’s once comfortable goal-differential advantage.

As of two weeks ago, Liverpool enjoyed a six-goal advantage that seemed unlikely to be topped given the high-scoring nature of Jurgen Klopp’s side.

After 32 matches

Team	Goals	+/-
Manchester City	75-20	+55
Liverpool	83-22	+61

But Manchester City have taken a massive step in turning things around after scoring nine goals and conceding one in their last two wins. Meanwhile, Liverpool netted three goals without conceding against Everton and Newcastle.

After 34 matches

Team	Goals	+/-
Manchester City	84-21	+63
Liverpool	86-22	+64

Obviously, none of this matters if City close out the season with victories. But goal differential will suddenly become hugely important if Pep Guardiola’s men slip in the season’s final weeks.