1) Rodgers faces questions after another barren season
Brendan Rodgers rightly asked questions of Liverpool’s big-game mentality and their nerve after they served a passive, flat performance in the FA Cup semi-final against a vibrant Aston Villa and saw the last chance to light up this turbulent season with silverware disappear at Wembley. But he knows questions will also be directed his way after a raft of tactical changes contributed to Liverpool’s confused, anaemic display. Rodgers’ team still have an outside chance of securing Champions League qualification this season but it is only an outside chance. Without a top-four finish, and without any silverware in his three developing years as Liverpool manager, Rodgers’ claims that Liverpool have made genuine progress this season will not be supported by any credible evidence. Andy Hunter
2) Can Walcott re-stake his claim this season?
Having missed last season’s FA Cup final because he was with his newborn son, the closest Walcott got to the celebrations came when he was Facetimed by Carl Jenkinson from the Wembley pitch. In the middle of his rehabilitation from a cruciate knee injury at the time, there was no reason that Walcott would have imagined his status as a player integral to Arsène Wenger’s plans was at risk. But the England forward has endured a frustrating period, largely kicking his heels on the substitutes’ bench, since regaining fitness in January. Eased back in initially, he then scored a burst of three goals in four games, but has subsequently found himself restricted to an occasional substitute role. Arsenal have settled into a pattern Wenger seems happy with, which has severely limited Walcott’s game time. Olivier Giroud, with Mesut Özil, Alexis Sánchez and Santi Cazorla first picks strutting their stuff behind him, forms the first-choice attack (and Danny Welbeck seems ahead of Walcott filling in any of those roles). Walcott came on in extra-time as Arsenal toiled in their search to break Reading. It was his first football for his club after almost a month as an unused sub. Although he wasn’t at his most direct, his pace as an outlet was helpful to Arsenal when they looked jaded. With contract talks back on the agenda, he needs to seize every opportunity to prove his worth. Amy Lawrence
• Match report: Reading 1-2 (aet) Arsenal
• Federici backed by Steve Clarke after gift to Arsenal
3) Tweaks rather than overhaul can prompt United challenge next season
This title is done and dusted, whether Chelsea mathematically claim the crown later this month or early next. But there was enough evidence on show at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to suggest Manchester United will be in serious contention next time round. Had Michael Carrick been fit and available, allowing Wayne Rooney to operate up front instead of the ineffective Radamel Falcao, then the visitors might have boasted a cutting edge to go with their monopoly of possession. Chelsea would still have been stubborn opponents to break down, but United have demonstrated of late that, with a few more tweaks rather than another summer overhaul, they will be challenging.
“Over the last few months it’s all started to click,” said Rooney. “The players understand what the manager wants and that’s showing in the performances. I think we have to take confidence [from the performance]. I’ve rarely seen a team come to Stamford Bridge and dominate so much and, as you say, all that was missing was a goal. I felt that if we got the goal, even with five minutes to go, we would have gone on to win the game.” They are far from the shambles of earlier this season, or even from the team that won rather unconvincingly at times mid-season. They can look forward with relish. Dominic Fifield
• Match report: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United
• Mourinho does title maths but complains about Herrera
4) Zouma’s performance shows Chelsea have deep pockets in midfield
José Mourinho’s assertion that Chelsea had Manchester United’s important players in their pockets was not among his most ambiguous. Even before the final whistle at Stamford Bridge, the Twittersphere was awash with mocked-up pictures of Marouane Fellaini poking out of a pocket belonging to Kurt Zouma, who enjoyed another fine match as a midfield destroyer.
The Frenchman attracted hyperbolic acclaim after growing into the role in the Capital One Cup final against Tottenham, where he recovered from a shaky start to nullify Christian Eriksen in the second half, but amid comparisons to his compatriot Marcel Desailly, Mourinho was at pains to point out that any further midfield outings would be a rarity. Yet having shown his tactical awareness to get the better of Eriksen, a silky player who likes to drift across the pitch, Zouma demonstrated his physicality in his duel with Fellaini, who has been so effective for United of late. There is no need for comparisons, or sweeping statements that raise expectations, but Zouma’s ability to step forward from defence adds another dimension to a Chelsea midfield that has lost a bit of its early season sparkle. Gerard Meagher
• Hazard’s bloodyminded beauty triumphs in battle of Belgians
• Mourinho plays up Chelsea youth policy but Terry remains last to make it
5) Fantastic Foxes edging closer to safety
If it did not risk evoking images of Nigel Pearson’s team making scandalous use of urine and faeces, we would say that the Foxes are doing their utmost to mark their territory in the Premier League. But Leicester players did cover every blade of grass at the King Power on Saturday – with sweat – as they set about Swansea City with the conviction of a side who know they can sensationally take up residence above the relegation zone.
Wes Morgan was colossal at the back, Esteban Cambiasso magnificent in midfield and Marc Albrighton was highly influential, proving that his introduction to the team during the match against West Ham three weeks ago, and continued inclusion since then, has been an important factor in Leicester’s sudden winning streak. With four of their six remaining matches at home, where the atmosphere on Saturday was nothing short of rapturous, and games against the two teams now below them (Burnley and QPR) and one just above them (Sunderland), Leicester and Pearson are tantalisingly close to vindication. “The danger now is people get carried away, we’re still in a difficult position,” said Pearson, who knows that his team must retain all their vibrancy and sharpness for what promises to be a momentous battle with Burnley next weekend. Paul Doyle
6) Touré serves up timely reminder of his talents
Manchester City’s 2-0 victory over West Ham United featured a reminder of what a classy player Yaya Touré is. The midfielder took hold of the contest with a quietly effective performance that had the champions purring again after their dismal recent form. Afterwards Touré addressed his own individual play, saying: “It’s football. People will always have their opinion. First of all in front of all our fans it’s good to win. People are talking a lot about rumours. Sometimes you are disappointed but for the fans and the people working at this club there is an opportunity to fight to the end. I hope to show my commitment and show my respect to those fans who support me a lot in my years here. I will continue to fight to the end and I love playing for Man City.”
Touré admitted he has been hurt by criticism. “Yes, a lot. People want you to progress more. In the media sometimes it’s difficult. We will continue to fight as the fans are great with us and especially to me.” While this has not been a vintage season from Touré the same can be said of virtually all his team-mates, and given the state of flux at City, whoever is manager next term will hope the 31-year-old is still on the books. Jamie Jackson
• Match report: Manchester City 2-0 West Ham
• Manchester City relieved after David Silva gets all clear
7) Ings’ loss of form threatens to cost Burnley
The last time Danny Ings scored, he led Manchester United a merry dance. It was in February, Ings had scored five goals in six league games and he looked so sharp even expensively constructed defences could not cope with him. Since then, he has gone eight games without a goal. It is no coincidence that Burnley have only scored once in six. Their reliance on Ings has been exposed.
Only seven players have scored a Premier League goal for Burnley this season, while Ings, George Boyd and Ashley Barnes are the only Clarets to have struck more than twice. Sean Dyche is reluctant to use replacements because Burnley, with their resources, do not have lots of talent in reserve. Sam Vokes, Ings’ sidekick, is yet to open his top-flight account on his return from a cruciate ligament injury and Barnes is banned for Saturday’s crucial game against Leicester after his dismissal at Goodison Park. In short, it is hard to escape the feeling that Burnley’s chances of survival depend very much upon whether Ings can recapture his midwinter brilliance in their final five games. Richard Jolly
8) Southampton can benefit from unexpected European fight
It was not a good weekend for Southampton. At Stoke, they lost after taking the lead for the first time all season, while events at Wembley saw their end-of-season target dramatically downgraded. Aston Villa’s win means European football is not guaranteed for the league’s seventh-placed team – although a rule change means that they need to win the Cup, not just make the final.
After months of fighting off gloomy predictions, Southampton may now have to concede defeat in the top-four fight. Eight points behind Manchester City, nine points clear of Swansea in eighth, the Saints’ season would have been as good as over had Liverpool prevailed, with the chief worry for Ronald Koeman avoiding a repeat of last season’s mass player exodus. Instead, they find themselves in that uncertain seventh spot. What Koeman has shown in his debut Premier League season is that he likes a challenge; overhauling Spurs or Liverpool, guaranteeing European football next season in the process, is a new endeavour after the gallant failure of their Champions League chase. This unexpected hurdle may give Southampton renewed focus for their run-in – beginning at home to Spurs next weekend. Niall McVeigh
• Match report: Stoke City 2-1 Southampton
• Clyne talks are difficult, admits Koeman
9) Is Lescott ripe for an England recall?
It’s more than two years since Joleon Lescott won the last of his 26 England caps in a 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw against Montenegro in Podgorica. Since then, the defender has been frozen out by Manchester City in the final year of his contract and left out of the World Cup squad, before eventually joining West Brom on a two-year deal in the summer.
Despite initial reports that he was unsettled at The Hawthorns before a ball had even been kicked, Lescott – a product of the Wolves youth system – has been instrumental in the Baggies’ revival under Tony Pulis and put in a man-of-the-match display at Selhurst Park on Saturday to help West Brom move up to 36 points. With Roy Hodgson not exactly blessed with options at centre-back, could the 32-year-old Lescott be worth another look with Euro 2016 on the horizon?
Lescott scored England’s goal in the 1-1 draw against France in their opening match of Euro 2012 and has experience of playing at the highest level, although question marks over his ball-playing skills and concentration may mean Hodgson steers clear. Ed Aarons
10) Should Ashley stick or twist?
John Carver has won only two of his 15 games since succeeding Alan Pardew. Newcastle have lost their last six matches. They are now on 35 points – only seven points above the relegation zone with five games to go. The question is should Mike Ashley, expected to appoint Derby’s Steve McClaren in the summer, replace Carver with a short term firefighter?
Quite apart from who to turn to – Glenn Hoddle, possibly assisted by Peter Taylor, perhaps? – the big problem with this is that the current mess is not actually Carver’s fault. Newcastle’s failure to strengthen an already alarmingly slender squad particularly light in attack and central defence is returning to bite them on the bottom. With quite a vengeance. In Carver’s position even José Mourinho or Sir Alex Ferguson might struggle.
So can they stay up? Well with Sunderland and Hull looking awful at present, 35 points might just about be enough. Even so trips to Leicester and QPR have assumed an unexpected importance while three theoretically winnable home games against Swansea, West Brom and West Ham must prove precisely that. Carver deserves the chance to put things right - but will Newcastle’s owner grant him the opportunity? Louise Taylor
• Match report: Newcastle 1-3 Tottenham
• Fans carry out boycott threat
