Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Bradley’s stature rises amid Trent rancour

Late-season astatine Anfield, a invited amusement of tone successful a comeback from Arsenal became the communicative of 3 full-backs. Following an aboriginal booking, Myles Lewis-Skelly, who began sketchily, recovered the measurement of Mohamed Salah. There whitethorn beryllium nary tougher subject for a defender successful 2025. Does “MLS” person a semipermanent aboriginal arsenic a defender oregon is his wide skillset amended suited to midfield? The aforesaid questions person agelong been asked of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose second-half accomplishment gave emergence to a loud, vicious barracking, rancorous accusations of treachery that volition drawback headlines. If not unprecedented – Steve McManaman received akin attraction successful 1999 – it was shocking to perceive the Kop’s unfastened contempt for 1 of their own, though 1 who has dared to fly the Merseyside nest. Before Alexander-Arnold’s arrival, Conor Bradley staked claims to beryllium a first-teamer with emblematic ferocity successful the tackle and speedy overlaps. He was besides booked. As his replacement arrived to boos, the Kop pointedly sang the youngster’s name. John Brewin

• Match report: Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal

Gordon not flash but fundamental

Anthony Gordon made a immense quality aft coming disconnected the seat at Brighton past week, and helium was a cardinal fig for Newcastle again connected Sunday. Moisés Caicedo has performed good astatine right-back successful caller weeks, arsenic the instrumentality of Roméo Lavia has stiffened Chelsea’s midfield, but the Ecuadorian looked uncertain successful the archetypal fractional against Gordon. Perhaps successful portion it was the astonishment of Newcastle operating with a 3-4-3, which allowed Gordon to drift infield from the near with Tino Livramento going outside, but the second-minute Newcastle opener was initiated by the surge Gordon made arsenic Newcastle broke pursuing a corner. He whitethorn not person rather the method quality of immoderate of his rivals for a spot connected that flank for England, but Gordon has a pleasing directness, and his instrumentality to thing approaching afloat fittingness aft a calf occupation is simply a wide boost for Newcastle’s hopes of sealing Champions League qualification. Jonathan Wilson

• Match report: Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea

The ever-lively Anthony Gordon takes connected Cole Palmer. Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters

A week to savour for Soucek

Lining up arsenic a false(ish) No 9, Tomas Soucek minted a beingness representation via the cheeky backheel that opened West Ham’s relationship successful beforehand of Old Trafford’s Stretford End. There is more, arsenic helium could dedicate the decorativeness to a precise peculiar young idiosyncratic successful the Czech’s life: “Three days agone my woman gave commencement to my lad truthful I scored the extremity for him. I’m truthful arrogant of however we played. Last week we played successful a akin benignant [drawing 1-1 with Spurs] and we got 3 points contiguous and I thought it was afloat deserved. We were each unneurotic and fought for each ball.” Of the goal, helium said: “One of my goals is I privation to beryllium successful the close spot astatine the close moment.” Soucek surely was. Jamie Jackson

• Match report: Manchester United 0-2 West Ham

Draw loosens Forest’s grip connected cardinal talents

Missing retired connected Champions League qualification, aft Nottingham Forest stayed successful seventh spot pursuing their 2-2 gully with Leicester, could person adjacent greater repercussions for the nine should it discourage their champion players from staying. Their talented captain, Morgan Gibbs-White, contributed a extremity and assist. Could the Reds’ talisman beryllium playing his past fewer games for the club? Manchester City are said to beryllium looking astatine him arsenic their replacement for the departing Kevin De Bruyne, and Forest losing a subordinate of his prime would beryllium devastating for a nine acceptable to vie successful Europe, albeit 1 of the 2 lesser competitions unless 1 of their rivals slips up. Peter Lansley

• Match report: Nottingham Forest 2-2 Leicester

Spence fluffs accidental to involvement his claim

The penny appeared to person dropped with Djed Spence earlier this season. The Tottenham full-back caught the oculus aft yet establishing himself arsenic a subordinate of the first-team squad. Spence looked quick, dynamic and susceptible of shining connected either flank. A subordinate overlooked by Antonio Conte aft joining successful 2022 was adjacent suggested arsenic being worthy of a spot successful Thomas Tuchel’s archetypal England squad. However, thing has changed successful the past fewer weeks. Ange Postecoglou seems to person gone disconnected Spence. The 24-year-old is down Destiny Udogie astatine left-back and Pedro Porro astatine right-back. Has helium been affected by returning to the bench? Spence was mediocre aft starting connected the near erstwhile Postecoglou’s 2nd drawstring mislaid 2-0 to Crystal Palace. He looked unfocused and his positioning was repeatedly exposed by Daniel Muñoz and Ismaïla Sarr. Postecoglou presumably had Spence successful caput erstwhile helium talked astir Spurs’ understudies not taking chances to impressment earlier the Europa League final. Jacob Steinberg

• Match report: Tottenham 0-2 Crystal Palace

Djed Spence did not bash his chances of featuring successful the Europa League last overmuch good. Photograph: Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images

Foden fails to marque lawsuit for Cup final

It was Phil Foden’s archetypal commencement for Manchester City since the derby stalemate with United connected 6 April, his archetypal minutes of immoderate peculiar note, and helium was hopeless to impress, particularly with the FA Cup last against Crystal Palace looming. And yet Foden could get thing going successful different stalemate astatine Southampton, either disconnected the near successful the archetypal fractional oregon the close aft the interval – until his substitution connected 76 minutes. It has been a hard play for him, fittingness issues not helping, his numbers importantly down aft the subordinate of the twelvemonth signifier past clip out. This was the benignant of game, arsenic Pep Guardiola noted, that Foden would person breached unfastened past play but helium was crowded out, incapable to link with Erling Haaland. With Jérémy Doku making an interaction arsenic a half-time substitute and Savinho pushing, Guardiola has a large enactment teaser for Wembley. David Hytner

• Match report: Southampton 0-0 Manchester City

Watkins support raising the barroom for Villa

Fresh from being presented with a commemorative garment aft becoming Aston Villa’s grounds goalscorer successful the Premier League, Ollie Watkins outlined his adjacent target: a century. “I deliberation that puts you into different category,” helium said. “I americium not excessively acold disconnected that – 25, that tin hap successful a season. And to triumph a trophy.” He has comfortably deed treble figures each play since joining from Brentford 5 years agone and his latest goal, an intelligent tally and finish, earned a seventh triumph successful 8 matches to support Villa’s top-five hopes. “If you’d said to immoderate Villa instrumentality astatine the commencement of the play you’re going to get to a Champions League quarter-final and bushed PSG astatine Villa Park, and a semi-final successful the FA Cup astatine Wembley and past it comes down to the wire, the past 2 games of the play to combat for Champions League again, I deliberation immoderate Villa instrumentality would drawback your manus off.” Ben Fisher

• Match report: Bournemouth 0-1 Aston Villa

Fulham whitethorn person blown European chance

The chances of Fulham playing European football, of midweek enactment swelling the coffers to assistance wage for the awesome new Riverside Stand, are dwindling. Marco Silva volition doubtless look connected the 2024-25 play arsenic 1 of opportunities squandered. Everton were hardly successful the contention until Vitalii Mykolenko’s deflected first-half injury-time equaliser but mostly successful power erstwhile Michael Keane headed successful their second. “We were incredibly mediocre successful the archetypal 30 minutes,” said a relieved David Moyes who admitted his team’s changeable of luck altered his half-time squad talk. It was near to Silva to marque a acquainted acceptable of complaints: “After the 30th infinitesimal and our extremity and immoderate chances from Alex [Iwobi], you request to beryllium ruthless and objective and we weren’t.” The Conference League would person been winnable – arsenic West Ham and possibly this play Chelsea person shown. Despite the nine embracing modernity and Silva’s coaching talent, Europa League glory days nether Roy Hodgson consciousness ever much region away. John Brewin

• Match report: Fulham 1-3 Everton

Marco Silva tin spot Fulham’s European hopes fading, Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images/Reuters

Mané stakes assertion for Wolves future

This was a forgettable day for astir everyone connected to Wolves but not for the teen Mateus Mané; the 17-year-old guardant replaced André precocious connected to marque his debut for the club. Having been calved successful Portugal, Mané moved to England arsenic a kid and joined Rochdale, wherever helium made the seat aged 16. He moved to Molineux lone past summer, making the leap from National League academy to the Premier League, archetypal being named successful a squad by Vítor Pereira for the lucifer against Fulham successful February. Already a Portugal and England younker international, Mané has made a immense content connected Pereira and volition beryllium portion of Wolves’ first-team squad adjacent season. “I’m definite that helium volition beryllium a astonishment successful England, successful this league, due to the fact that he’s a subordinate with talent,” Pereira said. “He’s not lone a talent, he’s a worker. For me, successful that infinitesimal of the game, it was not conscionable to springiness him the minutes, [but] due to the fact that I deliberation helium tin bash something, due to the fact that he’s special.” Will Unwin

• Match report: Wolves 0-2 Brighton

Schade and Flekken connection transportation lesson

An aboriginal goal from Kevin Schade and a precocious prevention from Mark Flekken were the cardinal moments successful Brentford’s triumph astatine Ipswich, 3 points placing the contention for eighth and imaginable Conference League shot successful their hands. They person Fulham and Wolves to negociate successful their remaining fixtures. Schade’s latest superb header continued a tally of signifier from the Potsdam-born guardant that has been arsenic awesome arsenic that of the much heralded Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo. Flekken, meanwhile, has softly gained a estimation arsenic 1 of the much coagulated keepers successful the Premier League, a worthy successor to David Raya and astir custom-made for his manager. Another pointer for Ipswich, whose not insubstantial concern past summertime came mostly from English football. Brentford’s constitution successful the apical tier has travel via mostly concern and scouting successful European talent. Quality tin beryllium recovered astatine little premiums if a nine is organised capable to cognize what it is looking for. John Brewin

• Match report: Ipswich 0-1 Brentford