Clockwise from left: Wes Morgan led by example, Daniel Sturridge was eclipsed by Harry Kane, Dimitri Payet did it again and Norwich played with purpose. Composite: Rex/PA/Getty
Premiere League: Top 10 talking points from the weekend actions:
Another day, another 1-0 victory for Leicester City. Seven points clear with six matches remaining for Claudio Ranieri’s side, who edged closer to the Premier League title thanks to Wes Morgan’s header against Southampton. Perhaps it is time for Messrs Pochettino and Wenger to trot out the Devon Loch line, used so famously by Sir Alex Ferguson, as Leicester threaten to make an anticlimax out of the most dramatic of seasons. Not many would care if they did, and they aren’t far away at all now. However, in racing parlance they have probably not yet jumped the last hurdle, despite their healthy lead at the top of the table. It was a fourth 1-0 win in succession, leaving them within touching distance of a Champions League qualification place. Once again, they did not have it all their own way but demonstrated remarkable resolve to see off another difficult challenge. A penny for the thoughts of the Leicester fan who cashed out a 5,000-1 wager on the Foxes winning the title. He won £72,000 in March but would have earned £250,000 had he held out and Leicester do too. Their remaining matches are against Sunderland, West Ham, Swansea, Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea. All tough games, but few would bet against them now, with Tottenham’s run in also tricky. James Riach
2) Klopp’s opinion on Sturridge ‘the only one that counts’
Striker
Daniel Sturridge
Appearances
8
Goals
4
Shots
20
Shots on target
55%
Offsides
1
Honours were even at Anfield except in the contest between two England strikers vying for inclusion in Roy Hodgson’s plans for the European Championship. In truth, there was no contest as Harry Kane eclipsed Daniel Sturridge’s contribution to a captivating game – and not only by scoring his 22nd Premier League goal of the season. Kane’s final touch and awareness may have eluded him with Tottenham in promising situations but his work rate was prodigious throughout, his willingness to shoulder responsibility evident. Sturridge, by contrast, had one of those days when you suspect the Liverpool forward is going to remain on the margins from the start. He could have no complaint about being withdrawn in the 72nd minute by Jürgen Klopp yet did not disguise his disappointment at the decision as he trudged off, having a heated exchange with a supporter behind the dugout when he eventually got there. “I think that’s completely normal, especially with the quality of Daniel Sturridge,” insisted the Liverpool manager. “He has to think ‘leave me on the pitch and I can decide the game.’ That’s true but we needed ways behind the line. We needed Divock’s physical strength, so I changed. I could have changed Adam Lallana and gone with two strikers but in my opinion, and only my opinion counts, it didn’t make sense, so that’s it. I saw that he was not happy because I’m not blind but that’s not a problem because if he came off and celebrated something would be really wrong. I like this – as long as he doesn’t come off the pitch and do something really strange like kicking me from behind.”Andy Hunter
Slaven Bilic thought that Dimitri Payet was going to bend it. So did Wayne Hennessey in the Crystal Palace goal. Everyone inside Upton Park thought that he was going to bend it. Instead, having scored a brilliant free kick for France last week, Payet demonstrated his versatility with a dead ball by hitting this one with dip and swerve, the ball wobbling through the air and leaving Hennessey rooted to the spot. For a moment, it looked like it was flying over the bar – and then it crept inside the top left corner. “When he hit it as it went over the wall I thought that one’s going into row Z, I swear to God,” Damien Delaney said. “I think even someone in the wall shouted ‘See ya’ to Payet. I think Wayne probably thought it as well. But again Payet’s like Sako, whatever they put on it, got it down in time and it was a hell of a free-kick – not much anyone can do about that. I think we were unfortunate to be 2-1 down but it is what it is.” A free-kick in Payet territory is as good as a penalty at the moment – the French marvel has scored five in 2016.Jacob Steinberg
If Manchester City have any chance of beating Paris Saint-Germain in theirChampions League quarter-final then much will rely on their ability to blunt the French champions’ attack. The travails of Martín Demichelis and Vincent Kompany’s absence mean the spotlight will fall on Nicolás Otamendi and his partner Eliaquim Mangala, who will return to his home city needing a big performance. After a comfortable afternoon against Bournemouth, Manuel Pellegrini insisted that the £42m Frenchman’s status as the second most expensive defender in history – behind PSG’s David Luiz – has not made a difference to his adjustment to the Premier League. “Well, if you have the statistics then you will see every time Mangala plays then we win,” he even claimed. It was a curious statement but one that is worth investigating. Pellegrini was certainly right about the start of the season, with City winning the first five games Mangala started. Since then, however, they have won six from 11 in the Premier League, losing three times to West Ham, Arsenal and Manchester United. Hardly invincible. “In a few games this season he has made mistakes, which is very awful to concede, but if you review his overall performances, he is a very good player,” Pellegrini added. “He is a very good defender.” That statement will also be tested by Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.Ed Aarons
Eliaquim Mangala keeps a close eye on Lewis Grabban during Manchester City’s 4-0 win at Bournemouth. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters
5) Arsenal have finally found midfield solidity
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Back in pre-season, when Arsène Wenger bought Petr Cech but no outfield players to reinforce his squad, there was something particularly ominous about the absence of an incoming defensive midfielder. It was an obvious position to address. Francis Coquelin had manfully demonstrated the importance of his position, and it was logical to have someone else to share that load (either alongside him or as an alternative). Inevitably, central midfield turned out to be a problem area this season. Losing Coquelin and Santi Cazorla to long injuries, missing virtually an entire season of Jack Wilshere, trying to get by with Aaron Ramsey when he can’t resist drifting forward, and discovering that Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini were not reliable enough in reserve emphatically emphasised the awkward midfield-shaped hole. Mohamed Elneny arrived in January and had to wait a few weeks to make an impression, but now that he has settled into the team and established a rapport with Coquelin, Arsenal have a solidity in the middle that they have sorely lacked for the past few months. The Egyptian is mobile and likes to move the ball quickly, and dovetails well with the firmer tackling of his partner. Both are able to sit back and press forward. Wenger is keen on the balance they can bring when they play in tandem. It differs from what he calls the “perfect pair” of Coquelin and Cazorla. “Then Coquelin concentrated more on defending and Cazorla more on attacking. Now both of Coquelin and Elneny share the jobs so they balance. They are more similar, but as long as we have the four attackers in front of them, we need players who defend in defensive midfield.” League results have improved since they were paired up - a draw at Tottenham followed by victories at Everton and now against Watford. Arguably, a bolstered defensive midfield should have happened a while ago, but better late than never. Amy Lawrence
6) Does Rooney deserve a place in the Manchester United team?
Never mind England, without the “special privileges” Louis van Gaal affords his captain, might Wayne Rooney face a fight to return for Manchester United when again fit? Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Everton followed the 1-0 victory overManchester City before the international break. Each of these came from an XI featuring a front four of Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial who have clicked. In the 171st Manchester derby, Rashford was the game winner; against the Toffees, Martial scored the goal. In both outings the quartet were the best part of Van Gaal’s uneven outfit, offering vim, pace and craft. Since Rooney injured a knee on 13 February United have lost three of their 10 outings, winning five. Rashford has registered five times in eight outings to emerge as a potent No9, the position Rooney had been playing. In the other berth where he is most effective Lingard has the pace and mobility Rooney can lack at No10. As captain and team totem the 30-year-old will probably be reinstated. But if he was not the beneficiary of those special privileges, then... Jamie Jackson
Should Wayne Rooney get used to hanging out with James Bay in the stands at Old Trafford? Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
7) West Brom goalkeeper Foster deserves England recall
Goalkeeper
Ben Foster
Appearances
9
Saves
28
Clearances
2
Ben Foster deserves an England recall and France could do worse than bring Yann M’Vila back into the fold. West Bromwich Albion’s goalkeeper had an awful lot to do in the 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light on Saturday and he did it brilliantly, treating everyone to a full repertoire of brave and brilliant saves. The stops that denied Jermain Defoe (more than once), Fabio Borini and Lee Cattermole were exceptional – not to mention ensuring Wahbi Khazri’s stellar chance creation came to nothing. With Jack Butland injured and out of Euro 2016 there seemed a compelling case for Roy Hodgson to take the 33-year-old Foster to France in June. If he keeps playing like this England’s coach might even decide he is the right man to frustrate France’s attack when the two teams meet in the final! Meanwhile Sunderland’s Yann M’Vila has had such a good season in central midfield – frequently looking a couple of classes above his team-mates – that it remains a major surprise he has not added to his 22 France caps. Yes, M’Vila was a bit wild and served a two year suspension from his national team after breaking a curfew in Paris but that ban his long since over and surely it is time to forgive and forget. As things stand it remains an enduring mystery that Newcastle’s consistently under-achieving Moussa Sissoko seems to have a nailed on place in the French party for Euro 2016 but M’Vila can’t get near it. Louise Taylor
8) Norwich show Newcastle how to deliver the basics
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For the first 15 minutes or so at Carrow Road, Newcastle were like a team trying to relearn how to play. They passed the ball around competently but with no obvious purpose beyond that. “We have to play simple and then have more confidence,” Rafael Benítez explained later. If such an approach is needed, then the Spaniard’s appointment has probably come too late, because the tail end of a relegation fight is no place to start elementary team building. Newcastle found urgency and took more risks in the second half and also went more direct after the introduction of Alexksandar Mitrovic, whose aerial power gave Benítez a strong pointer to the strategy he should prioritise for the run-in. This Newcastle team do not currently have the nerve, balance or concentration for any other style. Norwich, hardened by the experience of coming through the Championship play-offs last season and fighting against relegation for most of this one, ultimately gave Saturday’s visitors a lesson in how it should be done. “Since I’ve been here we’ve been used to playing big games,” said Alex Neil afterwards. “We showed that we’re up for the fight and will find a way to do whatever it takes to pick up three points.” Paul Doyle
Martin Olsson celebrates his last-minute winner against Newcastle at a rapturous Carrow Road. Photograph: Lindsey Parnaby/AFP/Getty Images
9) Young players would gain little from exposure at Villa Park
There was quite a curious moment at the conclusion of Aston Villa’s latest meek surrender on Saturday, when boos rained down from the stands again, only for Jack Grealish to linger a few seconds longer than his team-mates and lap up some applause from the Holte End, a stand he used to watch Villa from in happier days. Perversely, the attacking midfielder is perhaps lucky to have been injured so often this season because his reputation has not taken the pummelling so many of his colleagues have endured. Yet Eric Black, the caretaker put in charge of a horrid mess, was right to say he is reluctant to put younger players into the team for the final few meaningless games. “Are the young players ready to play in that atmosphere?” Black wondered. “Do we want to throw them into the lurch? It’s sometimes not necessarily the best thing for young players.” What would they gain from such a toxic environment and, unless something remarkable happens, further heavy defeats? Very little. Alan Smith
Stoke surrendered a two-goal lead which will surely have left manager Mark Hughes asking whether a Europa League spot this season could prove a bridge too far his team. Hughes’s men have deservedly won plaudits for their fluid football, usually served up on a rock-solid base. Victory over Swansea City was well within sight, too, before Gylfi Sigurdsson and Alberto Paloschi struck to bring Stoke crashing back down to earth. “As we well know though, a two-goal lead, for whatever reason, can be very difficult to protect and once we conceded the first goal, we became a little bit anxious,” he said after the match. Stoke have a niggling habit of letting things slip away, including defeat by West Brom in January and at home to Southampton last month. Liverpool and Chelsea are still chipping away at determining a strong finish and could usurp Stoke’s - as well as Southampton’s - attempts at securing European football. And while the Potters remain on course for their highest league finish since 1975, they could yet end the season feeling a little disappointed. Ben Fisher
Mark Hughes was left frustrated by Stoke’s surrender of a two-goal lead at home to Swansea. Photograph: Craig Brough/Reuters source:http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/apr/04/premier-league-talking-points-weekend-leicester
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
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