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

Questions for Liverpool’s supporting cast

There is rarely an opportunity for champions to show a sentimental side. It is such hard work to win a title over a 38-game season, with the race often going down to the wire. Arne Slot had four matches to spare and used the trip to Stamford Bridge to give first league starts of the season to Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott. The former has been used frequently as a late sub while the latter is often brought on to make an attacking impact, but the form of their teammates and Elliott’s long-term injury have limited chances under Slot. Jarell Quansah was given a rare start and Federico Chiesa was permitted a fifth league game which qualifies him for a medal. The four have rarely let Liverpool down; no one can blame Quansah for the own goal but he looked understandably rusty and tired when he gave away the penalty. They will have to decide if they want to be bit-part players at a title-winning club or drop down to be key men elsewhere. Will Unwin

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Chelsea need Lavia fit and firing

Enzo Maresca must wonder where Chelsea would be if Roméo Lavia could maintain his fitness. This was his 43rd Premier League appearance across three seasons, one with Southampton. Hamstring problems have hampered him and a tweaked thigh put him out for a month from mid-March to keep him out of Maresca’s thinking. The Belgian was given a start against Liverpool, quickly showing his quality to instigate the move that ended with Enzo Fernández’s opener. Sitting in front of the defence is a role associated with wise old heads but there are not too many of them knocking about at Stamford Bridge and, if Lavia can string a set of games together to get the experience required to perfect the role, then he could be in that position for a long time to come. WU

Mount shows glimmers of his past self

Mason Mount’s goal at Brentford was a throwback to the homegrown hero Chelsea cashed out for “pure profit” in the summer of 2023. He has since been one of many fishes out of water at Manchester United. His smart finish reminded fans why he was once a huge favourite of Thomas Tuchel and key for Gareth Southgate in England’s run to the Euro 2020 semi-finals. There have been glimmers of that player of late, though his return to prominence may take some time yet. Tuchel was at the Gtech and watched Mount play as what Ruben Amorim termed “a third midfielder who can reach into the box”. Those late runs are usually under Bruno Fernandes’s purview at United, but Amorim is happy enough with Mount’s efforts to revive his career, saying: “He trains really hard. Sometimes I have to push him back and take him off the training pitch because he wants to do so much more.” John Brewin

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Vardy deserves to go out on a high

Jamie Vardy is on 199 goals for Leicester after scoring in the win over Southampton. The race is on to reach the double century in his final three games for the club. He has enjoyed many fairytale moments in the east Midlands, winning the Premier League and FA Cup the most notable, with the odd Champions League strike chucked in. Finishing off with a personal milestone in a desperate season for the club would be fitting. It seems unlikely he will return to the Premier League; few clubs are chasing strikers who like to run in behind. They are a dying breed; the same goes for players who are happy to show their personality on the pitch, as Vardy did when he picked up the whistle of the stricken referee, David Webb, to call a halt to proceedings while the official was treated then replaced after an 11-minute delay. Defenders will not miss him, but Leicester fans will, and he deserves to finish on a high. He only needs one chance to do it. WU

Guardiola counting on Doku’s quality

Pep Guardiola is beginning to rely on Jérémy Doku. The winger has created the winner in City’s past two matches thanks to his dribbling skills and ability to find teammates in the right place to score. Previously the Belgian’s output had been quite unpredictable, whether because he would try to take on an extra man before delivering a cross or produced a wayward delivery. Experience always helps and the 22-year-old is getting the thought processes right. He has his first goal contributions in the league since the end of January and, if he wants to stay at City, he needs to be scoring and assisting more regularly. With Kevin De Bruyne’s exit on the horizon, others at City need to step up. Doku certainly has the attributes to make things happen more consistently, but he needs to start showing it. WU

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Villa fans have no problem finding the joy

Aston Villa fans showed a becoming humility in response to this reporter’s claim that “only” qualifying for the Europa League would be tantamount to an anticlimax after finishing fourth in the Premier League last season was followed by a run to the Champions League quarter-finals. “It was brilliant,” DogPipes wrote. “After competing on all fronts [this] season, I don’t think Villa qualifying for any manner of European football is an anticlimax. We’re not entitled to it, after all.” VirgilHilts added: “While another season of CL would be absolutely brilliant I’d happily accept any European football. What I really want is to see Unai [Emery] win a trophy with us and maybe Europe is the best chance for that.” Emery praised the supporters’ attitude during Saturday’s 1-0 win over Fulham where others might show disappointment. Note how flat Nottingham Forest fans were in their home defeat by Brentford on Thursday. Peter Lansley

Delap could be the answer for Everton

Liam Delap became the boo-boy in the penultimate game at Goodison Park for leaving his mark on the Everton defenders Jake O’Brien and Jarrad Branthwaite, although he appeared to have been forgiven afterwards. Before boarding the Ipswich coach, the in-demand striker entered a house on Goodison Road and added his name to a wall of signatures inside. What David Moyes would give to have it on an Everton contract. Well, his release clause from the relegated club is £30m. Moyes is a confirmed admirer of the 22-year-old and spoke only on Friday of the need to bring more robust players to the club this summer. But, with Manchester United and Chelsea among Delap’s admirers, the Everton manager also appreciates a fresh start at Bramley-Moore dock might not be the striker’s first choice. At Everton as at Ipswich, however, Delap would be his manager’s first choice. It is open to debate whether that would be the case at Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge. The promise of a leading role at this important stage in Delap’s career means Moyes’ sales pitch cannot be completely discounted. Andy Hunter

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Arsenal miss Gabriel’s towering presence

There was something very retro about watching Arsenal concede a goal direct from a long throw, a flashback to the mid-Wenger years and unhappy meetings with Stoke. While Bournemouth play much more progressive football, as shown in their two impressive wins against Mikel Arteta’s side this season, Antoine Semenyo’s catapult into the box exploited an obvious weakness: the absence of Gabriel Magalhães. Arsenal’s much-celebrated success at set pieces, both attacking and defending, is down in no small part to the Brazilian’s towering physical presence and dominance in the air. They look vulnerable without him, despite Jakub Kiwior’s best efforts as stand-in, but with an all-or-nothing match at the Parc des Princes to come in midweek they have to steel themselves as best they can. Will Magee

Isak seizes his opportunity with both hands

For Alexander Isak, it had been a frustrating afternoon. He’d barely been involved and had only 27 touches, one of them a shot. Twice it had looked like he would be given opportunities from the spot only for VAR to intervene and then finally, in the 89th minute, he was given a penalty. He converted with great calm, his 23rd league goal of the season, more than any other Newcastle player in a top-flight campaign since Alan Shearer in 2001-02. “He’s got that ruthless mentality to scoring goals, and that’s where you really lean on those type of players,” said Eddie Howe. “And it was a brilliant penalty in a big moment, because we needed something from the game. And I thought his performance, his general performance, was good in that second half. Alex is an outstanding finisher, technically he’s got every finish that you need, left and right foot. But the biggest thing is his ability just to slow the game down when he needs to.” Jonathan Wilson

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Spurs left to sweat over Maddison

Ange Postecoglou delivered worrying news after Tottenham’s 1-1 draw at West Ham. Spurs were without James Maddison, who has had a scan on a knee injury, and it is unclear if the midfielder will be fit for the second leg of the Europa League semi-final against Bodø/Glimt on Thursday. “It’s not looking great,” Postecoglou said. He knows that losing Maddison would be a big blow. The 28-year-old has been playing well and is Spurs’ creative fulcrum at the moment. Dejan Kulusevski, who has not been as effective since returning from a foot injury, will need to step up if Maddison is absent when Spurs head to Norway. Kulusevski played the full game against West Ham, which Postecoglou took as a positive. “He’s missed so much football and he’s just getting back into some rhythm,” the Australian said of Kulusevski, who was Spurs’ best player during the first half of the season.