An enthralling weekend of Premier League football saw Manchester United and Chelsea push clear in the fight for a top four place while Liverpool moved to within two wins of the title and the relegation picture tightened up again.
Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace all claimed wins on Saturday, before Billy Gilmour starred for Chelsea and Bruno Fernandes put on a show again for United as they downed Manchester City on Sunday.
Sportsmail looks at then 10 things we learned from the weekend matches across the Premier League.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw Manchester United go 10 games unbeaten against Manchester City
Bruno is lifting his United team-mates to new levels
Victory over rivals Manchester City made it 10 games unbeaten for Manchester United – one short of the total managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he first took charge of the club as a caretaker in December 2018.
There have been plenty ups and downs since he was permanently appointed in March 2019, from that Champions League upset at Paris Saint-Germain to missing out on the top four last season, but United are now just three points behind Chelsea and looking upwardly mobile.
There is no doubt the January additions of Bruno Fernandes and Odion Ighalo were well-judged but the likes of Fred and Luke Shaw appear to have come of age. They have raised their levels alongside the new signings.
Add to that Anthony Martial becoming the first United player to score both home and away against City in a Premier League season since Cristiano Ronaldo and, far from papering over the cracks as he did in his opening months, Solskjaer appears to have the shoots of a serious team coming through.
Fred has benefitted from playing alongside Bruno Fernandes for Manchester United
Lampard’s fountain of youth isn’t drying up
Frank Lampard’s decision to place his faith in youth has been debated for much of this season. And even after turning to more experienced heads at Stamford Bridge of late, the kids keep on coming back for more.
Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are all out injured, Fikayo Tomori is increasingly a back-up option and even Reece James was dropped against Everton. But Billy Gilmour is the new face of Chelsea’s youth drive.
Billy Gilmour ran the show for Chelsea from midfield against Everton on Sunday
Lampard named 18-year-old Gilmour at the heart of a midfield already shorn of N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho and having run the show in Tuesday’s FA Cup victory over Liverpool, the Scot handled his first Premier League start with equal calm and poise to mastermind a 4-0 win over the Toffees.
Mason Mount scoring his first strike in 14 Premier League games was an added bonus, while Olivier Giroud brought up his 80th Premier League goal to prove the old guard still have a role to play too.
With the late substitute appearances from Tino Anjorin and Armando Broja, both 18 and at Chelsea since the age of six, the Blues’ supply of gifted young talent shows no signs of drying up anytime soon.
Chelsea starlet Armando Broja, 18, was given a late run-out by Frank Lampard against Everton
Things aren’t so dire for Dele
By all accounts, converting a penalty to rescue a point for Tottenham at Burnley is not a cause for particularly emphatic celebration.
Yet the thought of reaching 50 Premier League goals may be the morale boost Dele Alli needs right now, a reminder of all he has achieved before the age of 24.
It has taken Alli, who has endured a mixed campaign amid general turbulence in north London, just 153 games for his half century.
That is faster than Eden Hazard, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard all managed.
Notably, the now-departed Christian Eriksen is the only other midfielder to reach that landmark for Spurs.
Alli is far from the perfect player, he has plenty of room to improve and both Jose Mourinho and England boss Gareth Southgate will surely want more from him over the coming months.
But for now it is worth appreciating how accomplished he has become over the past six seasons at Tottenham.
Saint-Maximin has the fight Newcastle need
A goal, three somersaults and a backward flip and Allan Saint-Maximin was very much back in the good books at Newcastle.
Upset at being overlooked for the draw at home against Burnley a week ago due to an apparent injury, the Frenchman set up two goals in the FA Cup fifth-round victory at West Brom then fired in a winner against Southampton on Saturday.
Such a clear demonstration of desire and application will present a huge boost to Steve Bruce with the Magpies inching closer to Premier League safety.
Allan Saint-Maximin was on target for Newcastle United to help them beat Southampton
That vital away win moved the Magpies above their Saints into 13th and, more importantly, eight points clear of the drop on 35 points.
March will see the visit of Sheffield United then the FA Cup quarter-final at home to Manchester City before a month that could seal their destiny this season.
Trips to relegation rivals Bournemouth and Watford come either side of a visit from also-under-threat West Ham.
If Saint-Maximin can turn up for those games, then Bruce can harbour serious thoughts of moving up the table.
Steve Bruce was delighted at the winger’s impact but knows safety is not secured just yet
Lacazette finds value in home comforts
It was a long time coming, but Alexandre Lacazette’s 79th-minute winner for Arsenal against West Ham meant each of his last 10 Premier League goals have come at the Emirates.
Of the seven scored this season, only one – against Brighton in Decmeber – has come in defeat and the Frenchman’s finishing on home turf over the remaining games will be vital if hopes of European qualification are to be kept alive at the Emirates.
Sitting in ninth, five points from fifth-placed Manchester United, Mikel Arteta will feel his team have a realistic chance of at least grabbing a Europa League spot but Lacazette upping his recent form will be vital to that.
Alexandre Lacazette’s fine home form could fire Arsenal to European qualification
Defence-less Pep is desperate for this Premier League season to end
Twenty-five points behind in the title race and 12 points clear of fifth place, Manchester City’s domestic season feels like it has run its course already
They still have plenty to play for – Champions League success is a realistic aim, while retaining the FA Cup is certainly a target – but in the Premier League at least Pep Guardiola’s side look desperate for the campaign to end.
It is clear that solutions need to be found, particularly in defence, and the final nine games could provide the opportunity for experimentation that may set up a renewed title challenge next season.
Pep Guardiola has nine Premier League games to prepare Manchester City for next season
With City also needing to assess the potential ramifications of their Champions League ban for Financial Fair Play breaches, Guardiola’s mind could turn to giving his fringe players audition time.
Phil Foden, Eric Garcia and even 18-year-old Tommy Doyle may all eye increased roles next season should the squad undergo a shake-up.
With Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich to come in May, City could play a key role in the relegation fight but the focus for the club should now switch to the future.
Young midfielder Phil Foden can be integrated into the first team during the final months
Liverpool back up to speed again
It’s been all but certain that Liverpool will win the Premier League title for a good couple of months now.
But the constant wins throughout the season have meant we just didn’t know how they dealt with with a setback once one had been handed to them.
Liverpool came from behind to beat Bournemouth with Mohamed Salah on target
That setback finally came with the shock 3-0 defeat at Watford at the end of February, their first of the Premier League campaign and one that ended their hopes of ending the season unbeaten just as the prospect was coming into the horizon.
Heading into the clash with Bournemouth, the Reds were on a run of three defeats in four across all competitions having also lost 1-0 at Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie, and 2-0 with a weakened team against Chelsea in the FA Cup midweek.
But they were instantly back to winning ways domestically, coming from behind to see off Bournemouth at home. The pressure may be off, but the professionalism radiates as they now prepare to turn their deficit around against Atletico on Wednesday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have responded well to their recent Premier League setback at Watford
Hodgson celebrates new deal in perfect fashion
Roy Hodgson may be 72-years-old now but having penned a new-one year deal at Crystal Palace last week is showing no signs of slowing down.
And neither are his team. The Eagles marked their manager’s new deal by recording a third consecutive Premier League victory in a row with a narrow 1-0 win over Watford.
There have been fears Hodgson could be made to stay away from Palace games if the Premier League are forced into banning over 70s from top-flight games due to fears over the coronavirus.
Jordan Ayew’s recent winning goal shave been crucial to Crystal Palace this term
The Eagles faithful will be hoping that’s not the case as Hodgson has once again steadied the ship after a poor run of form.
Hodgson has permanent summer signing Jordan Ayew to thank for the club’s last two victories.
Ayew’s winners against Brighton and Watford have lifted spirits in south London.
The Selhurst Park outfit would be 19th without Ayew’s eight Premier League goals this season.
The result leaves them on 39 points with nine games still to play and all but ensures they will be playing Premier League football again next term.
It could even be more. Should Manchester City’s appeal for their European ban fall flat, it could open up fifth place for a Champions League spot – a position the Eagles are just four points behind. Hodgson and Palace at the Bernabeu anyone?
Roy Hodgson celebrated his new one-year-deal at Crystal Palace with a third straight win
Hope for Hammers in relegation fight
Sitting just outside the relegation zone on goal difference, West Ham fans have plenty to fear heading into the run-in.
Form and points have barely improved since David Moyes took over and defeat at Arsenal on Saturday did little to help their chances of staying up.
But supporters can take heart from their side’s showing at the Emirates Stadium, which saw them seriously threaten to take all three points at the Gunners.
More tough games are coming up against Chelsea, Wolves and Tottenham but after that they have a kind run-in.
As long as Moyes can get his side playing like they did against Arsenal for the rest of the season, they have an excellent chance of beating the drop.
West Ham United slipped to a narrow defeat at Arsenal but a strong performance bodes well for their battle against relegation from the Premier League
Bournemouth looked much sharper… but their defence is their fatal flaw
Bournemouth gave Jurgen Klopp’s men a bloody nose – and it could have been much more. Sadly they couldn’t land the knockout blow they so desperately need.
It all started so well. Callum Wilson stunned Anfield to silence when he scored after nine minutes, the first time the Cherries have scored against Liverpool in the league since 2017. At that stage there was a genuine feeling that Eddie Howe’s men could get a result; and it could have been 2-0 if Nathan Ake’s header soon after had snuck under the bar rather than clipping it.
Liverpool were stunned and potentially there for the taking, but then Steve Cook’s injury seemed to turn the game. His replacement, Jack Simpson, was at fault for Mohamed Salah’s opener and a weak link in an already shaky back line for the rest of the game.
Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth side threw away the lead at Liverpool before slumping to defeat
‘The big moment for us is Steve Cook’s injury, that was a hammer blow for us at that point of the game as we had started so well,’ Howe said. ‘As our captain, it was a tough one to take. The reshuffle to our back line wasn’t helpful to us, it’s very difficult for players to get adjusted to the speed of the game and probably Jack (Simpson) has felt it for the first 10 minutes’
Bournemouth are now winless in the Premier League since the start of February and have lost more away games since the start of last season than any other side in the division. Only four points separate 19th-placed Aston Villa and 15th-placed Brighton, so there is scope for Bournemouth (18th) to jump a few spots up the table quickly if they can start getting results. But with their defence as it is, that is unlikely to happen.