1) Southampton look for positives
While Southampton will take something from getting this far in the world’s most celebrated domestic cup competition there are other, more pressing priorities, such as making a late dash for safety in the Premier League. Can they take any hope from their performance? Not from the first half. Olivier Giroud’s goal at the beginning of the second period forced Mark Hughes to change things, however, and it was to his team’s benefit. A 3-5-2 became a 3-4-3 and suddenly Charlie Austin was getting service. Southampton will feel they could and should have had an equaliser before Chelsea settled the game, with Austin the likely outlet. The substitutes Dusan Tadic and Nathan Redmond, meanwhile, were assertive and threatening. Southampton need that level of performance again, from the first whistle, against Bournemouth next weekend. Paul MacInnes
• Match report: Chelsea 2-0 Southampton
2) Kane still hesitant after injury
It got to the stage on Saturday where you could have been forgiven for forgetting Harry Kane was playing for Tottenham Hotspur. The England striker was a nearly anonymous presence against Manchester United, subdued by a combination of Chris Smalling’s diligence and a sense that, well, all was not quite right with a man who normally makes his presence felt. The FA Cup semi-final was Kane’s fifth appearance since returning earlier than expected from the ankle injury he suffered against Bournemouth in March, and while he has scored twice – once on appeal – in that period it may be possible he requires further rest, especially with a World Cup on the horizon. Not that the player himself accepts that prognosis. “It [the ankle] feels fine,” he said at the weekend. “I feel good, feel sharp. I’ve still got four games to go then a big summer ahead.” Sachin Nakrani
3) Mourinho must look at back line
When José Mourinho arrived at Chelsea he ensured he had a solid foundation at the back on which to build, bringing the trusted Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho from Porto. On Saturday Manchester United’s back five comprised players purchased by Sir Alex Ferguson, who stepped down five years ago. The ageing Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young have both been successfully redeployed from attacking roles but their longevity is unknown. David De Gea is now one of the best Premier League goalkeepers but the much-maligned Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are still the most trusted defenders as David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Mourinho have all failed to acquire a consistent centre-back to oust them, forcing Mourinho to rely on the old guard, who thoroughly justified their selection at Wembley even if they have faltered this season. This summer’s defensive transfer movements will be critical. Will Unwin
• Match report: Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
4) Lacazette sharpens up for Atlético
The Arsenal players continued to talk of winning the Europa League for Arsène Wenger – in order to afford him the send-off he deserves – and it was difficult not to view this Premier League win through the prism of Thursday’s semi-final first leg against Atlético Madrid. Mohamed Elneny’s nasty-looking injury will deprive Wenger of a midfield option if he goes with a 4-3-3 formation while the manager will hope that Petr Cech, Mesut Özil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jack Wilshere can return. The biggest positive here was Alexandre Lacazette, who scored twice. It is now six goals in six appearances for the striker since his return from knee surgery and the way that he took his second, in particular – a drop of the shoulder, burst and low finish – pointed to a level of ruthlessness and confidence that will be needed against Atlético. David Hytner
5) Hart soars, albeit briefly
Joe Hart was left forlorn, not for the first time this season, but he will be especially frustrated by the fact he briefly proved why he is a Premier League champion and the owner of 75 England caps. With the scores at 1-1 he made two world class saves. Hart first denied a powerful Granit Xhaka drive, which forced him to dive full stretch to his left, the side many see as his main weakness, with his fingers flicking the ball beyond the post. He replicated the acrobatics minutes later when Danny Welbeck curled a shot from 18 yards with the same impressive result. Unfortunately for Hart, he was the victim of Declan Rice ducking out of a header to help Arsenal regain the lead and then the goalkeeper’s confidence dropped as he failed to deal with two Alexandre Lacazette shots, leaving the scoreline flattering and Hart, once again, flattened. Will Unwin
• Match report: Arsenal 4-1 West Ham United
6) Guardiola pushing Manchester City harder than ever
Pep Guardiola’s stated desire to utilise the final five matches to kick‑start the 2018-19 campaign began sweetly with this 5-0 hammering of Swansea. So intent is the City manager on allowing no let-up that Raheem Sterling said the lead-up featured the most intensive training yet and Guardiola revealed after the match: “Mikel Arteta [the coach] told me afterwards they made an amazing warm-up and they are there [focused]. It is good to finish with a good feeling, and prepare the next season in a good mood. Now two days off.” With Benjamin Mendy returning after a seven‑month injury layoff and Guardiola intent on adding a new forward and defensive midfielder in the coming summer window those clubs hoping to challenge City next season must understand the need to respond in kind. Jamie Jackson
• Match report: Manchester City 5-0 Swansea City
7) Crouch or Campbell for Stoke’s escape bid?
Two January signings excelled for Stoke here. Badou Ndiaye gave the central midfield solidity and thrust, as well as scoring his first goal since his £14m arrival from Galatasaray. Moritz Bauer, a right-back, did well as a makeshift left winger. His cross should have led to a goal that might have secured a precious win, but Mame Birame Diouf fluffed it. Which brings us to the signing that Stoke did not make in January or at any other time in the last three years: a regular goalscorer, which despite the arrivals of Saido Berahino, Joselu and Wilfried Bony, has been a big factor in Stoke’s decline. Paul Lambert says his team must win all three of their remaining matches to survive. His choice is whether to put his faith in Tyrese Campbell, an 18-year-old who has been scoring prolifically for the club’s Under-23s, or continue hoping that Peter Crouch can fire Stoke to safety. Paul Doyle
• Match report: Stoke City 1-1 Burnley
8) Crystal Palace talisman cuts a frustrated figure
If Roy Hodgson is right and Wilfried Zaha’s reputation is costing him dearly, then the Crystal Palace forward has a real problem. His reaction to the harsh yellow card for simulation in the second half against Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday was an indication of how frustrated Zaha is becoming with the perceived lack of protection he receives from referees. The Ivory Coast international certainly splits opinion among supporters as well. Given his ability, however, most would probably still welcome him at their club and Hodgson will know that without their talisman Palace’s season could have turned out very differently. The challenge will be to retain him this summer in the face of serious interest from several bigger sides, while Zaha must decide if he needs to leave Selhurst Park to fulfil his true potential. Ed Aarons
• Match report: Watford 0-0 Crystal Palace
9) From boos to cheers for Evans
A big part of West Bromwich Albion’s mini-revival under the stewardship of Darren Moore has been the togetherness the first-team coach has been preaching. But on Saturday, with 20 minutes to play, Jonny Evans was roundly booed after replacing James McClean, who was nursing a stomach bug. Was it a combination of his role in Taxigate, his underwhelming performances since speculation over a January move, or a combination of both? Either way, it was hardly helpful, even if Moore insisted it was a managerial masterstroke given Evans’s role in the set piece that kickstarted the comeback. “It worked an absolute treat, so tactically it was absolutely spot on,” Moore said. With Ahmed Hegazi likely to face retrospective action by the Football Association for appearing to punch Danny Ings in the chest, Evans may yet be promoted to the starting XI at Newcastle on Saturday. Ben Fisher
• Match report: West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Liverpool
10) Ings finally catches a break
Danny Ings’s move to Liverpool was a dream one for a man who spent time on loan at Dorchester Town in 2010. Five years later he headed to Anfield in the hope of making his mark at a top Premier League club after a fine four years with Burnley. But his time in Liverpool has been a nightmare, mainly because of injury. Under Jürgen Klopp, Ings has endured constant misfortune, sustaining an anterior cruciate injury in his first training session with the German in October 2016, missing nine months, then a year later damaging cartilage in his right knee, forcing him out for 11 months. Klopp has shown great faith in him recently and his first goal in two-and-a-half years could be the boost he needs to show he can be a key squad player next season or give him the confidence required to restart his career elsewhere after three tough years. Will Unwin
•
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 34 | 73 | 90 |
| 2 | Man Utd | 34 | 39 | 74 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 35 | 43 | 71 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 34 | 35 | 68 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 34 | 25 | 63 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 34 | 20 | 57 |
| 7 | Burnley | 35 | 3 | 53 |
| 8 | Leicester | 34 | 2 | 44 |
| 9 | Everton | 34 | -15 | 42 |
| 10 | Newcastle | 33 | -7 | 41 |
| 11 | AFC Bournemouth | 35 | -17 | 38 |
| 12 | Watford | 35 | -18 | 38 |
| 13 | Brighton | 34 | -15 | 36 |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 35 | -18 | 35 |
| 15 | West Ham | 34 | -21 | 35 |
| 16 | Huddersfield | 34 | -27 | 35 |
| 17 | Swansea | 34 | -24 | 33 |
| 18 | Southampton | 34 | -20 | 29 |
| 19 | Stoke | 35 | -33 | 29 |
| 20 | West Brom | 35 | -25 | 25 |