Saturday’s talking points
Bournemouth 1 Brentford 2
It was a wild finish at the Vitality Stadium, Brentford taking the lead on 86 minutes and Bournemouth equalising on 89, before Yoane Wissa found a winner in the fifth minute of added time. But despite the late drama, it was Bryan Mbeumo’s opener for which this game will be remembered because, after it, Brentford’s players ran to Thomas Frank, whose father had died the previous day, mobbing him in a moving show of love and respect. Frank’s is not a name often mentioned when jobs at richer clubs arise and fans of the Bees will be grateful for that, but his blend of attitude and aggression, coaching chops and tactical acumen, mean he should be a strong candidate. Daniel Harris
Everton 1 Sheffield United 0
A fully fit and in-form Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been a major contributor to Everton’s impressive end to the season, which culminated at Goodison Park with a fifth successive home win and clean sheet – the club’s best run in a single campaign for 11 years. His impact may have come too late for a return to the England fold for the Euros but, with four goals in his last six outings the striker’s importance to Everton is lost on no-one. But now comes the crunch. CalvertLewin, who has missed only six league games this season, enters the final 12 months of his contract in the summer. Everton are in no position to lose a valuable asset for free in 2025. Andy Hunter
Fulham 0 Manchester City 4
City were so many streets ahead of Fulham, it was easy to ignore that Erling Haaland had a game to raise eyebrows. Can you really question the Premier League’s leading scorer? Pep Guardiola certainly can, calling out in agony after one particularly bad miss. Haaland, last year’s Football Writers’ Player of the Year, received no votes in this year’s poll, whereas Diogo Dalot, John McGinn and Ross Barkley each found the favour of at least one hack. At Fulham, his linkup play was better than the “League Two” standard Roy Keane tarnished Haaland with, but there are times when City’s interchange could be slicker. It can seem Haaland the franchise player does not quite fit the franchise. John Brewin
Newcastle 1 Brighton 1
Newcastle’s 52,000 capacity home might not be the division’s biggest ground but Roberto De Zerbi believes it is England’s best. “We played in a fantastic atmosphere,” said Brighton’s manager following their draw on Tyneside. Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian majority owners would rather like Eddie Howe’s team to be the division’s best on the pitch too, but their hopes of Europa League qualification were dented by a combination of the gifted Julio Enciso and De Zerbi’s players’ ability to wind the clock down by slowing the game to walking pace. Howe’s European hopes rest on Wednesday’s trip to Manchester United and Sunday’s to Brentford. Louise Taylor
Nottingham Forest 2 Chelsea 3
Amid a colossal mixed bag of signings since returning to the Premier League, Brazilian centreback Murillo has looked like the best bit of business Nottingham Forest have done. The defender impressed once more against Chelsea, not solely with his defensive attributes but also with his ability to lead counterattacks and pick out 50-yard passes. Ever since his debut the 21-year-old has looked comfortable in a struggling team, able to cope with the physicality of English football and showing he has the brain to deal with the speed of play. One slight issue for Forest is that they may need to sell Murillo in the summer in order to comply with financial rules. Will Unwin
Tottenham 2 Burnley 1
There was no one more relieved that Tottenham managed to end their poor run of form than Ange Postecoglou. Micky van de Ven’s late winner arrived after the Dutchman had been moved to left-back to replace Oliver Skipp and found himself in a position to produce a finish worthy of any striker. It was another example of one of Postecoglou’s tactical tweaks making the difference in a campaign undermined by defensive injuries, although he hinted that Van de Ven is likely to revert to central defence against Manchester City tomorrow. “I’ve been mindful with Micky that he’s had a couple of injuries and the demands of playing left-back are a lot different to playing centreback,” said the Spurs manager. “I just have to be careful.” Ed Aarons
West Ham 3 Luton 1
George Earthy’s Premier League debut did not go well. He came on against Fulham and lasted seven minutes before going off with a nasty head injury. Yet the 19-yearold’s next appearance went better. On as a substitute against Luton, Earthy scored with his first touch – his first senior goal for West Ham. Converting Mohammed Kudus’s cutback was a lovely moment for the youngster, who is one of the best players in West Ham’s academy, and it is to be hoped that incoming manager Julen Lopetegui is paying attention. “George is a really talented player,” the departing David Moyes said, and went on to explain that the next step for the midfielder is to improve his physicality. Jacob Steinberg
Wolves 1 Crystal Palace 3
Crystal Palace are ending the season well – their last six games have featured wins over Liverpool, West Ham, Newcastle, Manchester United and now Wolves. This may reflect opponents already on the slide or with little for which to play, but more likely that the players have grasped what their new manager wants of them. Consequently, Palace fans should be looking forward to next season, wondering how good they might get once Oliver Glasner has had a full pre-season. Sadly, football isn’t like that. Rather, speculation persists that Michael Olise will soon be off – his contract contains a release clause – and Eberechi Eze will surely have suitors too. And perhaps worst of all, Dougie Freedman is likely about to join Newcastle, meaning the man who brought the two to the club won’t be around to find replacements. Daniel Harris