The Sky Sports Football writers analyse the weekend's action, including a notable result at Aston Villa that could have big ramifications in the top-four race...
Sunday 16 April 2023 11:02, UK
Brighton are the must-watch team in the Premier League right now. Young, exciting players producing well-coached, attacking, attractive, dominant football regardless of opponent or venue. They are the team Chelsea want to be.
Todd Boehly forked out a small fortune to bring Graham Potter and some of his key personnel to Chelsea from the south coast. But watching on from his executive box at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, he'll be all too aware his side are miles away from the levels Roberto De Zerbi has Brighton playing at right now.
A record number of shots on the Chelsea goal. Fifty-eight per cent possession. But for all of Brighton's dominance as they won away at Chelsea in the league for the first time ever, it was a first-half change by De Zerbi which summed them up.
When right-back Joel Veltman went off injured, De Zerbi sent on attacker Julio Enciso. A re-jig was required, with Pascal Gross going to right-back, Alexis Mac Allister dropping into central midfield and Enciso taking on his No 10 role. Brighton didn't drop a beat. They were just as fluid and as effective as they'd been before the change.
Gross stepped back onto his left foot to cross for Danny Welbeck's equaliser. Enciso rocketed in the stunning winner after earlier hitting a post. That adaptability was testament to De Zerbi's coaching. So too is the personality Brighton showed to come away from home and play in this manner.
Chelsea's blunt, laboured performance left them looking toothless ahead of their return match with Real Madrid. As for Brighton, Sunday's FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United looks like a real opportunity to make some more history…
Peter Smith
There was a suggestion from some quarters after Chelsea were beaten 2-0 at Real Madrid last week that by limiting the scoreline when they were down to 10 men they had come away with a half-decent result to try to overcome at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Well, anyone watching their dismantling by Brighton this weekend won't be giving them much hope of turning it around against the title holders.
Frank Lampard admitted himself after what he called "the most deserved" of his three straight defeats as caretaker boss so far that this Chelsea team are badly in need of training-ground time, which they simply won't get before the second leg with Real.
Chelsea, out-shot by Brighton 26-8, have to somehow come up with at least two unanswered goals against Real. That would require an epic transformation in the final third from a side which only ended its six hour, 27-minute goal drought with an extremely helpful deflection off Brighton's Lewis Dunk.
Lampard called his side "a yard short, a tackle short, a fight in a duel short" on Saturday but it is more than just application missing from this team right now. Against Carlo Ancelotti's well-honed European trophy-winning machine, Chelsea need to produce something special from nowhere.
Their fading hope of making some sort of success of this season depends on it.
Peter Smith
This season is going from bad to worse for Spurs.
Saturday's shock 3-2 home defeat to Bournemouth - their 10th league loss of the season - leaves Tottenham looking over their shoulders now rather than at a top-four finish.
A resurgent Aston Villa are three points behind them in sixth with Cristian Stellini's side going to Villa Park next month, while Brighton are a further point back in seventh but with two games in hand.
Villa and Brighton have a vision and an identity that Spurs sorely lack, and it would be hard to make a case right now that either would not deserve to finish above this directionless Tottenham.
Spurs face trips to Newcastle and Liverpool this month with a home game against Manchester United sandwiched in between.
If they perform like they did against Bournemouth then Spurs are in danger of taking zero points from those next three games - were that to happen, the prospect of a season without European football would be very real.
There is so much discontent and toxicity surrounding Tottenham that the home fans on Saturday shamefully booed Davinson Sanchez.
The Colombian is having a poor season and made a mistake for Bournemouth's second goal but he should not be made a scapegoat for the club's failings.
Those issues start at the top. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was in attendance for the defeat and he would have heard the 'Levy Out' chants. He would have also heard the chants for the return of Mauricio Pochettino.
It is a crucial summer for Levy as he faces potentially his biggest crisis in his time as chairman.
He cannot afford to get it wrong, otherwise there will be more defeats like this next season leading to more unsavoury scenes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Pep Guardiola is so conscious of the demanding fixture list it is understandable that he was persuaded to remove Erling Haaland and John Stones at half-time with Manchester City 3-0 up against Leicester. However, it made for an unexpectedly nervy finish to the game.
City are a team that rely heavily on rhythm, every player knowing their position precisely. Once Kalvin Phillips, Cole Palmer and Sergio Gomez were on the pitch and the in-form performers were not, the impact on the fluency of their football was significant. The fans did not enjoy it.
They may have to get used to it. Any minute that can be saved is a minute that Guardiola will feel he can use in a moment when it is more essential. Despite the change of mood, Leicester did not get within two goals of them in that second half. We may seem more of this from them.
Adam Bate
There is no feeling quite like the feeling when a Manchester City attack is developing, Kevin De Bruyne has the ball at his feet and there is space behind in which Haaland can run. You know he will be one-on-one with the goalkeeper. It would be more curious if he managed to miss.
There is an old saying about death and taxes but some people like to think they can cheat both. There is no escaping Haaland. He is inevitable. Thirty-two Premier League goals, 47 all in. His race now is with Dixie Dean, he of the cigarette cards, and a 95-year-old record of 60 goals.
Leicester would have welcomed only having to endure him for half of their visit to the Etihad, but not the manner of it - hooked at half-time because any fear of dropping points had long since disappeared. Haaland will be able to start every game if he wins them early. Look out, world.
Adam Bate
Crystal Palace have spent the last 101 days since January 4 in 12th - they have not been higher than 10th or lower than 12th since October 14. But if they continue this blistering start under the old guard they could well reach the lofty heights of the top half before the season is out.
Hodgson's sole task since replacing Patrick Vieira was to consolidate Palace's top-flight status and he has achieved that with flying colours and with seven games to spare.
With five of their remaining Premier League matches against teams below them, Palace can enjoy the final weeks of the campaign and in Ebere Eze they have a player who will be grabbing Gareth Southgate's attention.
Hodgson spoke of his delight at the player's form heading into this encounter, believing the man he signed for £20m from QPR in August 2020 capable of forcing his way into the England reckoning.
The 24-year-old has flourished since Hodgson's return to the club and his second goal here showcased his full repertoire, dropping opponents and ruthless in his execution.
Eze was named in England's extended squad for Euro 2020 only to learn of his selection after rupturing his Achilles tendon in training. There is real quality and competition in his position, but he has every chance of featuring in Southgate's next squad if he keeps up his blistering form.
Ben Grounds
It's an illustrious list and Ollie Watkins features prominently. Since the Premier League restart in December the Aston Villa striker has scored 12 goals. That's more than Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane and Mo Salah. Only Erling Haaland has scored more.
Watkins shone against Newcastle, with England manager Gareth Southgate in attendance, dismantling one of the league's most stubborn defensive lines with a combination of clever movement and ruthless finishing.
He was a thorn in the side of Sven Botman and Fabian Schar - usually a rock steady partnership. Instead, they were forced to chase Watkins' shadow, often caught two or three steps behind the Villa forward's enterprising runs.
Watkins had smashed the crossbar a mere 28 seconds into the tie, a sign of things to come, before Schar and co were reduced to putty in his hands. The procession was full steam ahead from that moment on.
Indeed, the striker has been revitalised under Unai Emery, who allowed Danny Ings to leave in January as a show of faith in the 27-year-old. It has not been misplaced. "For us, Ollie Watkins is very important," his manager told reporters recently. Maybe, in years to come, the England boss might share a similar view.
The camera panned to Southgate, surveying from the Villa Park stands, as Watkins dispatched his second of the afternoon - the smart finish prompting an approving smile. Southgate's reaction was predictably measured, careful not to give too much away, but if he wasn't already aware of Watkins' immense quality, he is now.
Villa are sauntering towards the European spots, and their talisman is paving the way.
Laura Hunter
Southampton are plumbing new depths and setting new, unwanted club records.
The bottom side enjoyed plenty of the ball but were largely toothless in attack as they slipped to a club-record 20th defeat in a 38-game top-flight campaign. Never before have they suffered 10 home defeats in a single Premier League season. They have also scored just 24 goals in that time, their worst return in 31 games.
It could be argued they ran into Crystal Palace at the wrong time, but the mood at St Mary's was one of resignation from the moment Eze broke the deadlock.
It was reflected in the players leading up to Palace's decisive second as Ainsley Maitland-Niles was sloppy in allowing Joel Ward to chase a lost cause. Moments later, Moussa Djenepo did little to stop Eze from cutting inside and from that point there was no way back.
Saints collected 12 points in their opening 14 league games under Ralph Hasenhuttl, but they have claimed just 11 in the 17 games since then. His removal has backfired where other clubs have seen bounces since a change in management.
Ruben Selles' side have picked up just two points from the last 18 available, with a drop into the Sky Bet Championship at the end of a miserable season featuring three managers beginning to look inevitable going into their final seven games.
The sense of jeopardy is unavoidable. Selles has confronted his side's position in the table, but on Grand National day, Southampton look well short of beating the drop and could be the first to fall before the finishing post on May 28.
Ben Grounds
Diego Costa's on- and off-field behaviour has, at times, detracted from his quality, making as many headlines as his talent.
While his move to Wolves also raised some eyebrows, Costa has - on the whole - been quietly going about his business in the Midlands, perhaps even too quietly for some in front of goal.
But on Saturday, he reminded everyone what a brilliant player he is, even in the latter years of his career. His run to create the goal was lightning fast, and the finish under pressure superb.
That was not the only time he made things happen for Wolves either. He had the highest number of shots, shots on target and shots inside the box (all three) of the Wolves team on Saturday, made two dribbles and was involved in 15 duels - both the second highest behind the impressive Matheus Nunes.
It was a goal that had been coming, too. He has performed well in other Wolves games without the goal contributions to show for it. With one goal now under his belt, the club will be hoping more follow as they pull further away from the relegation dogfight.
"He has a big heart," Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui said of Costa. "He is a very competitive player, in the bad moments he continued working because he has his spirit. You can't buy this spirit."
Costa looks settled at Wolves and with Raul Jimenez's availability an issue, he is the man that must shoulder the goalscoring burden.
But with impressive players around him like Nunes, Matheus Cunha, Joao Gomes and Toti, plus his own indisputable talent, that will be a challenge Costa will relish for the remainder of the season.
Charlotte Marsh
It has been quite some ride for Brentford since their Premier League promotion. The talk this season - sometimes quietly among fans - has been a push for a top seven finish, which more often than not secures a place in European competition.
But the long slog of a Premier League season may be starting to show. Their defeat at Wolves was their third in a row in the league, and they have won just won once in their last six Premier League outings.
Perhaps more worrying is the lack of chances from open play. Brentford had no shots on target in the first half and just three in the second. In fact, some of the best chances came in the final 10 minutes - but, by then, the damage had been done.
Added to a lack of cutting edge up front were some unfortunate ricochets that allowed Wolves' lurking players to score, mentioned by Thomas Frank in his post-match interview with Sky Sports. While it's true that luck did play a part, making such touches in the area is always a risk and one Brentford did not get away with this time.
With six points now separating Brentford and seventh place - currently occupied by an in-form Brighton - a European finish is by no means out of the question. But the Bees must improve, or at least start picking up victories, if they are to have their dream realised this season.
Charlotte Marsh
After winning two of their first three Premier League games under Sean Dyche, Everton have managed just one victory in their next eight.
It's a run of form that will alarm the former Burnley boss, but perhaps what will concern him most is that Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Fulham came at Goodison Park, where most of Everton's points have been earned.
Considering the Toffees have won just two of their past 32 away games in the Premier League, winning in front of their own supporters appeared to be their best bet of staying up this season.
A fired-up Goodison certainly played a part in last season's successful survival bid, but fans headed for the exits when Daniel James slotted home Fulham's third goal and a chorus of boos greeted the final whistle.
In the end, Everton were convincingly beaten by a Fulham side who had not won in the league since February 18 and now, with home fixtures against Newcastle and Manchester City to come, results on the road are even more important.
Four of Everton's remaining seven games are away, starting at Crystal Palace next weekend. They need to bounce back quickly, or they'll be relegated from the Premier League for the first time in their history.
Dan Sansom
Fulham's season looked to be fizzling out when top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic was given an eight-game ban for his antics in last month's FA Cup defeat at Manchester United.
Last weekend's 1-0 home defeat by relegation-threatened West Ham extended Fulham's losing run to five matches in all competitions, but they reacted in style by comfortably beating a struggling Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Willian, Harry Wilson and Daniel James formed a pacey, free-flowing attack for the Cottagers, something they lacked in their previous two games with Carlos Vinicius leading the line in Mitrovic's absence.
European qualification may prove a bridge too far, but Fulham have shown they can produce performances without their star striker and will still be confident of finishing the season strongly.
Dan Sansom
