Declan Rice shows his attacking threat to seal Arsenal win over Newcastle – Premier League hits and misses

Rice a fitting match-winner for Arsenal

Declan Rice was Arsenal’s match-winner against Newcastle. His goal, curled beyond the reach of Nick Pope from the edge of the box in stunning style, effectively guaranteed second place.

The 26-year-old has arguably been Arsenal’s best player in a difficult season, his main rival being goalkeeper David Raya, whose saves kept Newcastle at bay in the first half.

Raya provided the platform for the victory but Rice made sure of it. His goal was his ninth of the campaign in all competitions. There have been a further 10 assists. He has been a revelation in the No 8 role and he can be expected to stay there next season.

Only Bukayo Saka has a higher combined total of goals and assists among Arsenal players this term and while more firepower is needed, the club can approach the summer transfer window knowing they have another formidable attacking weapon in Rice.

What makes him special, though, is that he continues to offer so much more besides. Rice has been pushed further forward by Arteta but he remains of huge importance out of possession too.

He showed all sides of his game against Newcastle. Another eye-catching display in a season full of them.
Nick Wright

Everton give Goodison the send-off it deserves

Everton’s 2-0 win over already-relegated Southampton was the fitting send-off that their 133-year-old stadium deserved.

Players from both the past and present were in attendance at Goodison Park to say their goodbyes, but it’s the future that this team can now look ahead to at the Hill Dickinson Stadium next season.

From the fans flooding the streets in the early hours of the morning, to captain Seamus Coleman leading his team out at the Grand Old Lady one last time. Emotions ran high from start to finish.

His return only lasted 17 minutes but the exit allowed Ashley Young to bid farewell to the Toffees fans ahead of his imminent exit, while Abdoulaye Doucoure wiped away tears when substituted with his future still unresolved.

Moyes told his players to end their connection with the stadium on a high and Iliman Ndiaye’s double ensured that. Now, a summer of change approaches if they want to continue this momentum.
Patrick Rowe

Isak missed as Newcastle beaten

Newcastle proved against Arsenal that, despite having big performers including Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Sandro Tonali, it is Alexander Isak who is crucial to the team’s success.

The Magpies have failed to win any of the four Premier League games this season in which Isak has been absent.

They go from averaging two goals a game as a team when he starts, to only scoring one in four without him – and that was a penalty.

Eddie Howe played down the significance of his absence afterwards, talking up the quality of their collective performance in the first half at the Emirates Stadium, but they are not the same side without him.
Sam Blitz

Toothless West Ham play into Forest’s hands

West Ham’s lack of cutting edge in attack is classic Graham Potter.

Throughout his time managing in the Premier League, his teams have been accused of being easy on the eye but easy to defend against such has been the manager’s philosophy of control in midfield. That was on show during this latest underwhelming performance at the London Stadium.

The Hammers posted 16 shots towards the Forest goal but only amassed a total expected goals total of 0.9. That points to a huge problem with creating quality chances. The goal they got through Jarrod Bowen was a moment of individual brilliance and was their only hope of breaking past a Forest defence that have been vulnerable over the last 12 games.

This was their best defensive performance for 10 matches according to the defensive metrics but you’d argue it was more down to West Ham’s toothless attacking play rather than Forest doing anything overly special in defence.
Lewis Jones

Silva remains as underrated as ever

Marco Silva didn’t need to mention articles he had read ahead of Fulham’s win at Brentford which ignored his side’s chances of qualifying for European competition this season.

He decided to make a point in his post-match press conference; it was part the classic us-against-them mentality, but part truth.

“They forgot a team that is fighting really hard and playing really good football most of the time this season,” he said. He’s not wrong.

The Cottagers have already broken their own Premier League points record, with a game to spare. Beyond the halcyon days of Roy Hodgson’s UEFA Cup finalists, in an era where succeeding without significant spending is tougher than it has ever been.

All this with 34-year-old Raul Jimenez leading the line, a net profit on signings this season and having lost their best two players, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Joao Palinha, in consecutive summers.

Silva has had to get the best out of his players and himself to reach this point and demonstrated that fact with the immediate influence of his first two second-half substitutions at Brentford.

Tom Cairney and Harry Wilson both netted to elevate their hopes of European football next season. Whether Silva will be in the dugout should that come to fruition is another question – teams can only look on admiringly at the job he’s doing in west London for so long.
Ron Walker

Wonderous Williams so strong for Forest

In terms of consistency, reliability and delivering high-quality defensive performances, you’d be hard pushed to find a better full-back than Neco Williams this season.

He’s been one of the rocks at the heart of this Forest backline that could still potentially take then to the Champions League next season. It’s now 23 straight Premier League games Williams has started with opposition wingers rarely getting any change out of the Welshman. His battle with Vladimir Coufal down the Forest left was engaging to watch with the Hammers wing-back keen to go out in full-throttle mood in his last appearance for the club.

Williams made a bulky eight tackles in the match, the most of any player, winning seven of those and won 12 of his 16 duels. That’s the beauty of Williams, he turns 50-50 tackles into 75-25 ones in his favour. He’s one of many unsung heroes in that Forest team.
Lewis Jones

Chelsea one step away from Champions League

There was a party atmosphere after the full-time whistle blew for the final time at Stamford Bridge this season. Chelsea’s owners are just one win away from their first Champions League qualification after more than £1bn spent and three coaches sacked.

Behdad Eghbali, co-founder of Clearlake Capital, and co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley were on the pitch enjoying the moment with players and staff after the win was sealed. How different it might have been if there was another slip.

Chelsea did not find it as easy others had against United in the league and, without suspended striker Nicolas Jackson, it was not always clear were the breakthrough would come from as Tyrique George, 19, struggled up front in his first league start.

Tension had built around the stadium – and only grew when Villa’s victory over Spurs was confirmed – until the skipper came up with the moment of brilliance required to break the deadlock, having struck a post with an exquisite strike in the first half.

Seventy minutes had passed when Reece James pirouetted on the edge of the box before picking out Marc Cucurella free in the box. His seventh goal of the season, a fine header back across goal, has a case for being his most important. Win at Nottingham Forest and it is mission complete.

Enzo Maresca will be as relieved as anyone. Chelsea were the better team for much of the game, but the wait made life uncomfortable. The consequences of falling short may have seen attentions turn to him. Instead, Eghbali’s presence on the pitch was just a footnote.
Zinny Boswell

What are Man Utd good at?

Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane said Manchester United had been a disgrace in the Premier League this season before kick-off at Chelsea. This was no disgrace. Not for the first time this season, Amorim’s side upped it against a better side.

This wasn’t a performance akin to the win at Manchester City in December. But, with Amorim warning his players their starting spot in Bilbao was potentially at risk, there was a marked improvement from the defeat to West Ham.

United have set a low bar this season. They managed one paltry shot on target, although they were in the game until Marc Cucurella’s 71st-minute winner, with Amorim going strong ahead of the Europa League final.

Keane was unimpressed by the dropping standards at his former club. “They’re not really good at anything,” was his conclusion. It is difficult to disagree. Every bad result seems to bring with it a new raft of damning stats.

For instance, 18 is the most defeats the club have suffered in the league since losing 20 games on their way to relegation in 1973/74, and they are yet to hit 40 points, usually the target for teams to survive the drop.

If not for the low quality of the promoted teams, Amorim would not have had the luxury of using this game as a means to play his side into form ahead of the Europa League final.

United have not waited this long for a league win since the season Sir Alex Ferguson won the FA Cup in 1990. That trophy is often looked back on as the one that saved him. There are parallels – with the form at least.

Amorim doesn’t appear to be in any danger just yet – even if he loses to Spurs in Bilbao. But success in the final, aside from the financial reward it brings, feels crucial for him to take something positive into next season.

There is nothing which does so in the league. Since the start of April, United are the worst team in the top flight, drawing two and losing six of their eight games.

Being in the latter stages of the Europa League has undoubtedly seen their league form suffer in that time. But that excuse only really carries if the gamble pays off. All eyes on Wednesday.
Zinny Boswell