It was a weekend that finally saw a lobotomised title race twitch into something approaching life, as Chelsea's faltering at Old Trafford was prefaced by another Tottenham cruise, this time against Bournemouth. While Manchester United's pursuit is not over yet, Liverpool and Manchester City stiffened their grip on the Champions League: the former showed a resolve we weren't sure they had, the latter weaving the verve we always expected.
At the other end, the relegation battle has taken its structure: it's Hull v Swansea in a bid to avoid slithering to the Championship with 'Boro and Sunderland as
Stoke, Leicester, and West Ham all took relieving strides toward safety.
To look back at it all in more detail, here are our stats of the weekend.
Tottenham v Bournemouth
Ahead of this game, Mauricio Pochettino had a reputation for the top seven manager with the least appetite for bullshit, but he ignored his better nature after his side's 4-0 hammering of Bournemouth: complaining that the public "wanted to kill" Spurs in the title run-in last year, such was the overwhelming support for Leicester City. We're not quite sure about that, but it can't be denied that Pochettino has helped insulate Spurs from their usual selves, too: 'Spursy' holds no truck with Pochettino and his brilliant young team.
One of the main figures helping the obsolescence of 'Spursy' is Harry Kane, who this weekend became the fourth player in Premier League history to score at least 20 goals for three consecutive seasons. The others? Henry, Shearer, and Van Nistelrooy. Good company.
Spurs are also on of two sides (along with Man United) not to lose to a side in the bottom half of the table this season.
Everton v Burnley
We feel it's not an overstatement to say that Morgan Schneiderlin wearing number 2 in central midfield is indicative of Everything That Is Wrong With Modern Football, so what a relief to see Gareth Barry to come off the bench to redress the balance for the last thirteen minutes of Everton's win over Burnley.
Barry is hewn of the old-school, and as Schneiderlin is fecklessly swapping shirt numbers, Barry hasn't even changed his hair. At 36, we're not sure how much longer Barry will be hanging around the Premier League, but he does hold a distinctive record: no player has made more tackles in the competition's history than Barry.
He is currently at 993, with the next nearest Liverpool's Lucas Leiva, with 971. Gael Clichy is a surprising third, with 925.
Le Saviez-Vous ? Gaël Clichy est le 3eme joueur ayant effectué le plus de tacles dans l'histoire de la Premier League !
Zabaleta est 5e ! pic.twitter.com/OvqfIF2HkD— MANCHESTER CITY FR (@MCIFrance) April 16, 2017
Sunderland v West Ham
Whereas Spurs are dispensing with 'Spursy', David Moyes has gleefully accepted the word 'moribund' in recent years and turned it into a grisly art form. The Misery of Moyes has been a ceaseless theme for nearly four years now, and he was jeered by Sunderland's supporters during his side's 2-2 draw at home to West Ham on Saturday. He might be slightly taken aback: Saturday's action represented a kind of thrilling escapism for Sunderland fans, given that they actually scored a goal for the first time since February 4. The first was a goal directly from a corner, through the delightfully-named Wabi Khazri.
Goals from corners make fools of goalkeepers, and this one did not reflect well on Darren Randolph, who has now made four errors leading directly to goals this season, more than any other player.
West Brom v Liverpool
After a bad wobble against Bournemouth, Liverpool have composed themselves in successive away games to Stoke and West Brom. These are the games that Liverpool have traditionally struggled in, with the figure of Tony Pulis a looming presence in their anxieties, the man who preys on their limitations unlike any other. Thrice Pulis has played Liverpool after his side has reached 40 points, and thrice he has drawn, the most notable the infamous 3-3 draw at Selhurst Park upon which their most recent title push perished.
But yesterday, Liverpool beat him at his own game: a 1-0 win from a set-piece, all the while sustaining the aerial barrage that came their way. Jurgen Klopp celebrated exuberantly afterward, and history tells him he deserves to: this was the first time that Liverpool had won away to a side managed by Tony Pulis in the Premier League.
Man United v Chelsea
Jose Mourinho ended this game by striding off down the tunnel, pointing at a Manchester United crest, a sharp reminder of how quickly things change in the Premier League. But some things do not, as Mourinho had orchestrated the ultimate Mourinho performance: his United were utterly dominant against the league leaders, shutting them down tactically by man marking Hazard and Pedro out of existence and pouncing when opportunities fell their way.
No team has ever done the double over Mourinho in a league season, and such was the extent of United's dominance, Chelsea failed to have a single shot on target in a Premier League game for the first time since September 2007.
0 - Chelsea failed to have a single shot on target in a PL game for the first time since Sept 2007 (v Man Utd at Old Trafford). Repeat.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 16, 2017
