A wild Wednesday with ramifications for both the top and bottom
4 more matches are in the books following another fascinating night of Premier League action.
Arsenal 4 - Norwich 0
Bournemouth 1 - 4 Newcastle
Everton 2 - 1 Leicester
West Ham 3 - 2 Chelsea
Bournemouth 1 - 4 Newcastle
Starting at the bottom - it was yet another disastrous night for Bournemouth. With Manchester Utd, Spurs and Leicester on the horizon, it was essential that Bournemouth boosted their survival hopes by picking up 3 points at home to a Newcastle team that tend to struggle on their travels.
Instead more lapse defending, saw the Cherries 1 down after the 5 minute mark- with the game almost out of sight at half time and unable to contain the electric Allan Saint - Maximin, Newcastle, turned in one of their best away performances in seasons which now leaves Eddie Howe's men looking in real danger of the drop.
Without a win in 7 - it is hard to see where the next win is coming from. With Howe facing scrutiny and a loyal fan base starting to question his methods - the immediate future is looking bleak. A late Yarmolenko goal to give West Ham a vital victory over Chelsea made this a truly sour night for the Cherries.
For Newcastle it's another win, making it 7 points from 9 since the restart. It has left them looking firmly up the table. Only 4 points off Arsenal in 7th - are the toon army starting to dream of European nights?
Arsenal 4 - 0 Norwich
The fat lady is almost singing. Norwich's latest stay in the premier league looks to be over after just one season. It was a performance that epitomised their season - they can knock the ball around like a team that sits much higher up the table, but once again it was their defensive frailities that let them down.
Gifting two goals to Aubameyang, Norwich look like a team who know the game is up. This was the 8th time they have conceded 3 or more goals this season. An away trip to Arsenal is never easy - but Daniel Farke will be dissapointed at the manor of the goals his team conceced and their subsequent capitulation after conceding the 1st goal.
For Arsenal the mini revival continues after a tricky restart - wins against Southampton and now Norwich have seen the Gunners rise to 7th, one point above North London rivals Spurs.
It's been a great week for the Arsenal with them reaching yet another FA cup semi final and European football being firmly back on the agenda. This type of performance against weaker opposition is what Arsenal do and have done for years - they can be the ultimate flat track bullies at home - however with games against Wolves and Leicester to come, the next two games will play a huge part in deciding what Arsenal can achieve this season.
Everton 2 - 1 Leicester
Another disappointing evening for the Foxes. Champions League football seemed like a foregone conclusion a few months ago - but it is now starting to look in real peril. With Manchester Utd and Wolves narrowing the gap in recent weeks, Leicester really needed a win against a stubborn Everton side.
Instead, it is now 1 win in 8 and Leicester are now firmly looking over their shoulders. It was another poor start, being 2-0 down after 20 mins. It could have been worse, with Everton having a strong claim for a second penalty before half time waved away.
To Leicester's credit they had the run of the second half - registering 15 shots to Everton's 7. No-one would claim that they didnt deserve more out of the game but it is a sign that things just arent falling for them at the moment. With James Maddison quiet, and Jamie Vardy not firing all cylinders, it is imperative that these two find their form quickly. With tricky fixtures against Tottenham, Sheffield United, Arsenal and Man Utd still to come, there isnt a great deal of room for them to drop anymore points.
For Everton, it was a big win and keeps them firmly in the hunt for European football. Since Carlo Ancelotti's arrival Everton have quietly gone about their business and steadily climbed up the table. 5 points from fixtures against Liverpool, Norwich and Leicester is a decent return. With Richarlison and Calvert Lewin providing a threat against whoever they play, there is a chance with fixtures against fellow European rivals - Spurs, Sheffield Utd and Wolves that Everton could play European football for the first time since 2017.
West Ham 3 - 2 Chelsea
The shock of the night and arguably one of the shocks of the season. West Ham who have looked really short of confidence and form since the restart put on a really spirited display to secure an absolute vital 3 points to pull themselves a little clearer of the relegation zone.
Credit must be given to David Moyes who seemed more willing to abandon his default defensive mindset to try and create more goal scoring opportunities. His substitutions were positive and it was one of these substitutes, Yarmelenko who got the winner the Hammers craved.
In Michail Antonio, West Ham have a forward who is willing to run himself into the ground every time he steps on the pitch. Everything good that West Ham do, often comes through Antonio and he was rightly named the man of the match. With more favourable fixtures than their other relegation rivals you get the feeling that this could be a real defining night in the Hammers quest for safety.
For Chelsea, it was a performance that symbolises how far they still need to go in order to rival Liverpool and Man City as contenders next year. There have been several moments throughout the season where Chelsea have failed to capatilise on the opportunites that have been presented to them. A win tonight would have seen Chelsea move above Leicester into 3rd and maintain their 5 point cushion over chasing rivals, Man Utd and Wolves. Instead it was an opportunity lost and the race for the top 4 has taken yet another twist.
With some great early investment in the purchases of Ziyech and Werner, Chelsea look so exciting at the top end of the pitch but the frailties at the back still remain. The 1st and third goals were soft and avoidable - it feels that Chelsea are one good centre back away from being a really top side.
Chelsea have been effective at bouncing back from defeats and Lampard will need to get his team right back on track. With games to come against Wolves, Liverpool and Sheffiled Utd there is the possibility of more points being dropped which will leave the door to the Champions League wide open. Chelsea are still firmly in the driving seat for a top 4 finish but they need to avoid anymore nights like this.
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