Liverpool took another step closer to their inevitable Premier League title on a day when the fate of Leicester City, which had long been decided, was sealed with their relegation to the championship.
Manchester United lost to Wolves One day Both parties were mathematically safe against the drop – but only one game felt as a celebration after Pablo Sarabias stunning free kick.
At the bottom, Southampton drew the level with the worst Premier League points from Derby County ever, while the immediate return from Ipswich Town to the championship closes after their hefty defeat at home in Arsenal.
Elsewhere, Chelsea finally won a victory away from home in the Premier League, while Newcastle United got a reality check in Villa Park to dent their top five ambitions.
In the latest episode of this weekly column, Mail Sports Five of the most interesting points from the last matches of the Premier League.
The key to Villa Landing Top Five Spot
The Champions League race seems to go to the thread, but if there is one team to pay attention to the Aston Villa.
The Side of Unai Emery is the most in -form team in the Premier League in the last eight games and seem to peak at the right time with so little to separate Newcastle United -which they humble this weekend with a 4-1 victory -which they play on Tuesday evening, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.
Villa's banging victory This weekend she saw the six consecutive home wins in all matches in which they scored two or more goals in all: Chelsea, Cardiff City, Club Brugge, Nottingham Forest, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United.
Make their longest series of victories with Two-Plus goals that have been scored for Villa since 1990.
Victory about Newcastle also made 16 games in the Premier League in the Premier League this season, and for the last time lost on their own peat in August 2024 against Arsenal.
They are now one behind their Recordrun at home of 17 unbeaten competitions, between March to December 2023, a record also located by Unai Emery.
Villa has defeated Man City, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Newcastle United on their own patch and already have the momentum, despite the fact that they are currently seventh in the table.
Fulham and Tottenham both have to go to Villa Park while they are confronted to Manchester City in the midweek to Manchester City – a huge match in the race for Champions League – Bournemouth, who have stuttered lately, and Manchester United, who have lost a soft Touch and over season.
Emery has recruited well, has brought one of the best young players of the competition in Morgan Rogers to New Heights and still gets a tune from Ollie Watkins, even though he does not start 'smell' in the Champions League.
Chelsea and Manchester City won crucial road during the weekend, while Newcastle United were the biggest losers, but where others climb to the finish, it is villa that looks fresher than ever.
Odegaard is at the top of the classroom
There was once a surprise to see Martin Odegaard bloom as one of the best players of a competition. Not now.
Odegaard brought the ball rolling for Arsenal in Ipswich by cleaning up Leandro Trossard for the first goal and further inspection of the statistics shows how proactive Odegaard is in this midfield of Arsenal.
The Norwegian has completed more this season via Ballen (13) than any other Premier League player. Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United and Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United are second and third.
On Sunday on Portman Road, Odegaard also saw Odegaard producing 70 accurate steps in the last third part in a Premier League match, only the fourth midfielder in the competition since 2016-17 to do this.
The others? That would be Mesut supposing – who managed it twice, against West Brom (75) and Swansea City (72) – Jorginho (72) against Newcastle United, and CESC Fabregas managed 70 versus Huddersfield Town. The common denominator here is all that are played for the same team.
But Odegaard's fingerprints are good everywhere that this Arsenal team does when they are at their best.
At Ipswich he had completed the most touches (115), most of the passes (90), had the most touches in the opposition box (16), created the most opportunities (5) and won the most of everyone in the last third (4).
Odegaard has arrived this season of some quarters for criticism, but a self -assured Odegaard is comfortable to settle as one of Europe's most important central midfielders.
Solid West Ham still leaves a lot to be desired
It is not to be denied that West Ham has become more difficult to beat since Graham Potter walked through the door. The statistics support that too.
The hammers give fewer goals per match under Potter (1.23) compared to his predecessor Julien Lopetegui (1.95); confronted with fewer shots on their goal under Potter (14.2) than under Lopetegui (16.6); With an expected goals against (XGA) up to 1.33 under Potter compared to 1.82 with Lopetegui.
But what the 1-1 draw of the weekend to the Soil Southampton underlined was how anemic this team could be.
Thirteen goals of his 13 games, three of them came in his first Premier League match that was in charge of the club in a 3-2 home victory on Fulham.
They scored more than one goal in only two of the following 12 games and against Southampton they managed to get only four of their 12 shots on goal, gathering an expected goals (XG) of only 0.91.
It was not a big surprise to see fans at the end Boo. After all, this is an entertainment company and Potter's football has difficulty doing that about 13 games.
'In the modern Premier League you have to do both sides of the game – we struggle to do that, to maintain attacks, to keep the ball good to create opportunities. We were struggling, “said Potter.
“The we looked was in transition, where the goal came from, but in general we are disappointed.”
It spoke volumes that the ruthless post-match interview of Niclas Fulkrug in which he concluded that teammates have a 'mindset' problem and they do not try to play football, not negative, with supporters.
From the outside of Potter perhaps goes under the radar with a terrible lower three and a horrible competition campaign from Manchester United that offers useful foil.
But those in the East End are tired of bored for your week. West Ham has to redecorate – fast.
Frank should be the next man
Let's turn to a manager who does much more impressive work throughout London: Thomas Frank.
This man should be the No. 1 candidate for a 'Big Six' Premier League track that will rise in the near future.
When Tottenham Hotspur Time calls on Ange Postecoglou, Frank Target must be no 1. Manchester United already has a long, concise look before he went for Ruben Amorim. Chelsea did the same before he settled on Enzo Maresca.
Immediate change will not appear in Liverpool or Arsenal, and probably not with Man City, but Frank's work with Brentford is now of such a sample size that it is impossible to ignore when that next prime minister touches the open market.
Frank continues to elevate good players to better players – just look at the development of players such as Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo this season – while when needed, he shown real tactical flexibility.
His parties can mix a on -possessing game with flowing attacks to a counter -attack that continues to catch opponents cold.
Frank is an ambitious guy, so much is obvious, but he is also a smart one and has shown in the past that he does not want to show all his cards when it comes to taking that next step.
Frank said last year on the Podcast of Sports Agents: 'I am probably at one of the best clubs in the world. End of discussion.
'In terms of coordination, leadership, culture, everything. Why would I ever leave this place?
'It can happen and you can want new inspiration, maybe you will find a different inspiration in your club and you will stay.
'Certainly, if I ever got the offer to go to a big club and I decided to go there, it would probably not make my life better. I think we all know that. Maybe it's a challenge that you should try. It is not something I think about. '
Whether he takes the leap of faith to try to rub his magic elsewhere, is one thing, but there is no excuse for the Premier League to overlook him more.
Tottenham Trip feels must-win for forest
With Newcastle United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa are all playing again before Nottingham Forest on May 1 on May 1 on May 1, Monday evening in Tottenham, in Tottenham feels huge for their Champions League heap.
Win and Nuno Espirito Santo's side regain control of third place, with each team playing 33 games. One point would take them above Chelsea and back in the top five.
But losing and they could find a mountain to climb by the time they organize Brentford.
Forest is 12th in the form table over their last 10 games, with Aston Villa (3rd), Newcastle (5th), Man City (6th) and Chelsea (7th), all of which get a bigger foot on the top five race.
The extra Champions League spot of England has improved the chances of everyone. But five teams do not do in the three places that are available in 3rd, 4th and 5th and other teams peaks at exactly the right time.
The semi-final of the following weekend for Nottingham Forest is a milestone opportunity in Wembley Stadium but the true characteristic of their season would end in the Champions League places for 2025-26.
Tottenham has been a soft touch lately, but Forest will not have a divine right to go there and win it tonight.
Do this and psychology in the top five race will be back in their favor. Loss and the increasing sense of fear threatens Bosbos to envelope.
A huge night is waiting in North Londs.