1) Fringe players show Leicester are not overly reliant on Vardy

After six games in a row fielding the same starting XI attention naturally drew towards how Leicester City would rearrange themselves to cope with Jamie Vardy’s absence. A key to any title winning team is the use of the wider squad, and in defeating Swansea with a flourish Claudio Ranieri was able to demonstrate that there is more to this team than the names of the main men Leicester fans can reel off in their sleep. Leonardo Ulloa, so often a substitute, enjoyed the moment to plunder more important goals. Jeffrey Schlupp, in his first start since November, was a real asset to the team performance. Marc Albrighton stepped off the bench to score. Andy King came on to a rapturous reception. But it was the cameo from Demarai Gray that really emphasised how Leicester are trying to build beyond the established stars of this season. The 19 year old - a shrewd January signing - showcased lithe movement and creative instincts to encourage for now and the future. Amy Lawrence

• Match report: Leicester 4-0 Swansea
• Ranieri hails his team’s ‘fantastic answer’ to Jamie Vardy absence
• Amy Lawrence: Leicester ramp up electricity with finish line close
• Stuart James: Understudies shine to make light of Vardy’s absence

2) Pardew and Palace out to settle an old score

If revenge is, indeed, best served cold, then Alan Pardew’s stands to be sub-zero, having been stuck in the deep freeze for 26 years. The Crystal Palace manager was a player for the club in the 1990 FA Cup final, which they lost to Manchester United after a replay, but now he can look forward to a rematch. From the moment that the full-time whistle blew on Palace’s 2-1 semi-final win over Watford – with United having beaten Everton by the same scoreline 24 hours earlier – all thoughts went back to the 1990 classic. It was the trophy that ignited (and possibly saved) Sir Alex Ferguson’s Old Trafford tenure and there will be the parallel drawn with how badly Louis Van Gaal needs to win it. Expect to hear plenty of that in the coming weeks, together with the stories about Ian Wright’s two-goal impact as a substitute for Palace in the first game, which finished 3-3, and Mark Hughes’s two for United, including a 113th minute equaliser. And what about Ferguson’s decision to drop Jim Leighton for Les Sealey in the replay or Lee Martin’s winning goal? It was Palace’s only ever appearance in a cup final and they have never won a major trophy. Opportunity finally knocks again. David Hytner

• Crystal Palace 2-1 Watford: read Dominic Fifield’s match report
• Pardew promises Manchester United a ‘difficult’ FA Cup final
• David Hytner: Flores faces uncertain future after Watford lose

3) Does Rooney’s future lie in midfield?

Have Manchester United found the new Paul Scholes? Wayne Rooney hopes so. Following United’s victory over Everton, in which Rooney showed splendid playmaking qualities for at least 25 minutes, the erstwhile striker suggested that his future may lie in a deep schemer-cum-stealthy raider role. “I have watched Paul Scholes play that role for years and I always knew that one day that is where I would play so I have tried to learn and watch what he did,” he explained after earning the chance to win the first FA Cup medal of his career. “It is still early days but hopefully if I keep playing there I can develop and get better. I think if I can do that I can free other players up. Obviously it is down to the manager, it is his decision. We have got a lot of pace in the team now and I think I can read the game quite well and whether to go forward or stay deeper and leave the space for the other lads.” That seems a fair assessment, as far it goes. The major factor that counts against it becoming a sustainable solution is that when United are confronted by better and more dynamic teams than the Everton they faced in the first half at Wembley – such as the Everton that turned up in the second half – Rooney’s dwindling powers make it difficult for him to remain consistently relevant. Paul Doyle

• Barney Ronay: Martial should be left alone to provide menace
• Van Gaal prefers Martial as a wide man
• Match report: Everton 1-2 Manchester United

4) Klopp is utilising his Liverpool resources masterfully

Keeping to the football, and not straying into the minefield that surrounds Mamadou Sakho’s failed drugs test before Tuesday’s deadline for his ‘B’ sample to be examined, the France international’s absence presents a spectacularly ill-timed problem for Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp. The manager has a major part of his team’s spine missing for Thursday’s Europa League semi-final at Villarreal with Divock Origi, Jordan Henderson and Emre Can injured. Nathaniel Clyne missed Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Newcastle United through illness and Lucas Leiva was not deemed match-fit enough to start a third game in a week. What the past six months have demonstrated, however, is Klopp’s ability to utilise his resources expertly, his preference for discussing solutions rather than excuses, and how the players he has called upon have reacted positively. It was the same post-Newcastle as he looked at his defensive options for Villarreal. “Martin Skrtel was not happy that he did not start today but overall Martin is cool,” said Klopp. “He was never really injured when I got here. He could train, play, rest, but then he was injured. Came back, little injury. Back, little, little injury. Back, a little fit. If we need him he can play. We have other players so we can say ‘come on, a few days more’ – we have Martin, Dejan, Kolo, Lucas, Tiago Ilori. We have a few players who can play centre half. We can make a decision.” Andy Hunter

• Match report: Liverpool 2-2 Newcastle
• Sakho controversy weighs heavy on Klopp’s shoulders
• Sakho’s drugs test failure shows the system appears to be working
• Touré offers Sakho support over anti-doping investigation

5) Manchester City’s project close to fruition

Manchester City entertain Real Madrid in Tuesday evening’s Champions League semi-final and they have, to borrow from Fatboy Slim, come “a long way, baby” since Sheikh Mansour bought the club in September 2008. Then, the man now in charge at Stoke City – Mark Hughes – was the manager. After Stoke’s 4-0 defeat to his former club on Saturday, he said: “It’s been well-funded but they got there in quicker time than I thought they would do, or wanted to. In fairness, looking at what they have put in place – it’s the first time I have seen the new stand – everything about the club is growing. They are at a level now that is fantastic.” Hughes is correct. The £200m City Football Academy is a world-class facility. The under-18s are at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night for the FA Youth Cup final second leg, with the tie poised at 1-1 from Friday’s opening game at the Academy Stadium. And, by Wednesday week, following the return against Real at the Bernabéu, they could be in the Champions League final. This is a club nearing its desired trajectory. And it is only the beginning. Jamie Jackson

• Sid Lowe: Why Bale is more settled in Spain than ever
• Manchester City must get it right against Real Madrid, says Pellegrini
• Match report: Manchester City 4-0 Stoke City

6) How will Conte use Fabregas and Hazard?

Midfielder

Francesc Fabregas

Appearances

33

Free Kicks

128

Corners

55

Crosses

45

Assists

7

Guus Hiddink was pretty relaxed when questioned about Cesc Fàbregas and Eden Hazard after Chelsea’s win at Bournemouth. After all, he had just watched his side produce a highly polished attacking display and, when the subject of the players’ future arose, he could answer in the knowledge that the issue is not really his problem. Both Fàbregas and Hazard were excellent on Saturday, the Spaniard especially so. Hazard scored his first Premier League goals since May 2015 and, while slightly rusty after five games out injured, produced the kind of effective performance that was so common last season. Hiddink will depart in the summer and, after the European Championship, in comes Antonio Conte. Change will be afoot and the Italian is bringing in his own backroom staff, with transfer targets already being discussed. However, there are key decisions to be made over who will remain from the current team. This season there have been few who have emerged with much credit, Willian being one of those. But on this evidence Fàbregas and Hazard may have turned a corner. In February the Belgian admitted it would be “hard to say no” to PSG if the Parisian club came calling, and although Hiddink believes he will stay, surely Conte will have a final say. James Riach

• Match report: Bournemouth 1-4 Chelsea
• Terry could return to face title-chasing Tottenham
• Hazard happy at Chelsea, insists Hiddink after Bournemouth win

7) Stable summer can help Southampton find the right formula

The wide open spaces behind the Aston Villa defence might not be the best environment to judge a team’s attacking qualities, but there were undeniable positives in Southampton’s four-goal stroll at Villa Park. Shane Long, Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mané were all on target, while Jay Rodriguez’s 70-minute shift was his longest this season. The presence of James Ward-Prowse, Graziano Pellè and Mané on the bench, with Charlie Austin set to return from injury, demonstrates the options Ronald Koeman has available to him. Victory has kept Southampton on course for their third straight top-eight finish. It’s an entirely admirable achievement, but one perhaps tinged with frustration as Leicester, Tottenham and West Ham have accelerated further up the table. There have been disappointments this term, particularly meek exits from three separate Cup competitions, and a clear path to greater heights in the league has proved elusive. Put simply, this team seem to struggle to deliver in defence and attack simultaneously – but the qualities shown in patches this season could be formidable if they can be combined. A summer of stability would certainly help after the costly departures of key players after the past two seasons. Flying relatively far from the radar this season should benefit them, as will the continued presence of last summer’s signings; Virgil van Dijk, Oriel Romeu and Cédric Soares lead a clutch of young players who are improving with experience. There will undoubtedly be players in this talented team who aspire for higher than eighth place; Koeman’s challenge is convincing them that they can achieve their goals at Southampton, rather than elsewhere. Niall McVeigh

• Southampton refuse to give up Europa League dream, says Long
• Match report: Aston Villa 2-4 Southampton
• Said & Done: Legal highs; PR news; and sharing the story of Jesus
• Okore refused to play for club, says caretaker manager

8) Sunderland make clear how fragile Premier League survival is

The cost of Arsenal season tickets are – a bit like London house prices – crazily, ridiculously, ludicrously high. For those of us who lived in the capital during the far distant days of negative equity it’s all a bit bizarre but, even so, fans of Arsène Wenger’s side maybe should not whinge quite so much. Yes he and the team are not perfect but Sunderland are a broadly similar-sized club and as Sam Allardyce said: “I’d be happy to finish fourth bottom.” The Wearsiders – for those who doubt they should be bracketed alongside Arsenal, were the one-time “team of all the talents” and the “Bank of England club” – are in the box seat to do so, but will they? “Who knows,” said Allardyce, who is smart enough to realise the odds are still against Newcastle United but knows better than to underestimate Rafael Benítez. And then there’s Norwich; are we writing them off too soon? Might Alex Neil be the joker in the pack? So what, Arsenal, if you haven’t actually won the title; it’s all extremely fragile and you’re very lucky to be at the top table. Louise Taylor

• Sunderland 0-0 Arsenal: Read Louise Taylor’s match report
• Wenger admits Arsenal’s Champions League place is under threat

Pos	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Leicester	35	30	76
2	Tottenham Hotspur	34	39	68
3	Man City	35	32	64
4	Arsenal	35	24	64
5	Man Utd	34	12	59
6	West Ham	34	14	56
7	Liverpool	34	13	55
8	Southampton	35	12	54
9	Chelsea	34	7	47
10	Stoke	35	-14	47
11	Everton	34	5	41
12	Watford	34	-7	41
13	AFC Bournemouth	35	-19	41
14	West Brom	34	-11	40
15	Swansea	35	-15	40
16	Crystal Palace	35	-9	39
17	Sunderland	34	-18	31
18	Norwich	34	-25	31
19	Newcastle	35	-26	30
20	Aston Villa	35	-44	16