Manchester City and Arsenal made sure the title race stayed alive this weekend, with both earning victories that maintained the Gunners’ one point-lead over Pep Guardiola’s side.
Mikel Arteta’s men went 3-0 up against north London rivals Tottenham on Sunday, before eventually defeating their neighbours 3-2 to remain top of the Premier League.
Man City are hot on their heels thanks to a fairly routine win at Nottingham Forest as Erling Haaland came off the bench to net his 21st goal of the season.
Liverpool, however, look to be out of the running after they dropped another two points in a 2-2 draw away at West Ham.
At the bottom, Sheffield United’s relegation back to the Championship was confirmed with a 5-1 thrashing at Newcastle, but Everton secured their survival with their third win in a week.
With the drama running wild, some new and returning aces have made the Premier League power rankings, but who has earned top spot this week?
10. Zeki Amdouni (new entry)
Much of the attention coming out of Burnley’s 1-1 draw at Old Trafford fell on Man United throwing away yet more precious Premier League points and ending their Champions League hopes.
However, a big reason behind the game finishing as it did was the cameo performance of Amdouni, who came off the bench with half an hour to go and had a major say in final result of the game.
There haven’t been too many highlights in Burnley’s campaign, but this point is certainly one of them and could prove to be vital if Vincent Kompany’s men pull off an unlikely escape.
If they do, it will be the Swiss attacker they have to thank. Not only did he win the penalty for his side as Andre Onana clattered into him with minutes remaining on the clock.
But Amdouni dusted himself off and calmly slotted the high-pressure 87th spot kick home, scoring only his fourth goal of the season and giving his team a vital share of the spoils.
9. Erling Haaland (new entry)
Any week where you get upgraded from a League Two to a Championship player deserves to be part of our Power Rankings – especially when it settled a vital title-chasing game.
Roy Keane jokes aside, much has been made of Haaland’s contribution to Manchester City this season and whether he’s lived-up to his sensational first year at the club.
However, Sunday’s clincher against Nottingham Forest was his 21st goal of the season, and put him back at the top of the Premier League’s goal-scoring charts.
The Norwegian may have only been on the pitch for half an hour, but it was enough time to net a crucial goal, where he once again combined with Kevin De Bruyne.
It’s the sign of a deadly striker, and it was a goal that keeps City on track to retain their league crown.
8. Jarrod Bowen (new entry)
With all the talk around England’s attacking options at Euro 2024, one name that isn’t mentioned enough in the conversation is Jarrod Bowen, whose form for West Ham this season can surely not be ignored by Gareth Southgate.
On Saturday he netted his 20th goal of the season, making him the first West Ham player to reach that total since Teddy Sheringham and Marlon Harewood nearly twenty years ago.
The goal also drew him level with Paulo Di Canio for the most Hammers goals in a Premier League season with 16, a total you’d bet on him beating before the end of the campaign.
As well as his goal, he was a constant menace for Liverpool throughout Saturday’s 2-2 draw and his creative spark and work rate are exactly what makes him the club’s standout star this season.
7. Idrissa Gueye (up three)
Everton’s three wins on the spin may have been credited to Sean Dyche’s change of matchday attire, but the Toffees’ midfielder has played a bigger role in securing the club’s Premier League survival.
Fresh off scoring against Nottingham Forest in Everton’s 2-0 win last weekend – only Gueye’s second goal from 100 shots from outside the box in the Premier League – he was on the score sheet once again as Brentford visited Goodison Park.
His winner on the hour mark not only won all three points for Dyche’s men, but made sure the club are mathematically safe from relegation.
Gueye’s goals and energy in the middle of the park have seen the Toffee’s see off their two separate points deduction and secure survival with three games left to spare.
6. Ollie Watkins (down five)
A rare weekend in this Premier League season where Ollie Watkins didn’t rack up either a goal or an assist in his incredible campaign, yet he remained a constant worry for the Chelsea defence in their 2-2 draw.
So much so, that it was the striker who helped Villa take the lead in the teatime clash, as he got in the way of John McGinn’s fourth-minute strike to see the ball deflect off him and then the unfortunate Marc Cucurella to give the home side the lead.
After that, Watkins kept the Chelsea defence on their toes, but didn’t manage to add to his 19 goals or 12 assists this season.
5. Cole Palmer (down two)
For once Chelsea didn’t need Cole Palmer to bail them out of another mess, but the forward still had a hand to play in Chelsea’s stirring comeback against Aston Villa.
The Blues looked to be on the end of another demoralising defeat as they went 2-0 down in the first half at Villa Park, but Mauricio Pochettino’s team rallied and Palmer was a second half nuisance for the home side.
His intelligent footwork helped to pile the pressure on Unai Emery’s men and it almost saw the England man finish off the comeback with a late winner.
Unfortunately Palmer couldn’t match his neat build-up in creating the space with a finish, and his shot was saved by Robin Olsen.
4. Conor Gallagher (new entry)
One of the most damning images of the season came last Tuesday night, when it showed a young Chelsea fan holding up a sign towards the players.
However, this wasn’t because the young supporter wanted one his heroes’ jerseys, it was a request to see more fight for the shirt from the Blues players – and on Saturday night he got a response.
2-0 down at half time to Aston Villa, it looked as though it would be another outing to forget for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, but they finally found their fighting spirit – with Conor Gallagher leading from the front.
The England midfield took on a captain’s responsibility and helped drag Chelsea back into the game.
Playing a role in Noni Madueke’s goal to get his team back in the game before scoring the equaliser with sumptuous strike into the top corner.
3. Anthony Gordon (new entry)
In Anthony Gordon England have another player who’s bang in form ahead of this summer’s Euros.
Throughout Saturday’s 5-1 demolition of Sheffield United, Gordon tormented the Blades with his clever feet and directness in front of goal.
Gordon laid on two of the Magpies’ goals, and also won the penalty in which Alexander Isak converted in an all-action display that sent the Blades back to the Championship.
The winger is another one making a claim so loud that Gareth Southgate has to listen when picking his final squad.
2 Bukayo Saka (new entry)
Big games bring on the best in top-drawer players and Bukayo Saka had a day to remember in north London as Arsenal came out on top against their rivals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
After a rare quiet spell from the England forward, Saka has been slowly getting back to his best and he ran Ben Davies ragged for most of Sunday’s game – which can only be good news ahead of the Euros.
Saka even got to silence the small minority of fans giving him unwarranted abuse as he took a corner. His response? To fire a ball into the box that saw Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg put the ball into his own net.
No wonder he gave a cupped ear in response.
1. Alexander Isak (new entry)
No club seem to appreciate an archetypal number nine more than Newcastle United, and in Alexander Isak the club have finally found a player who can live up to the lineage of the Magpies’ favourite shirt number.
The Swede was twice on the scoresheet against sorry Sheffield United, first with a classy finish that he tucked over Wes Foderingham to get Newcastle back in the game, before he then added a second after the break when he coolly slotted home a spot kick.
Isak has now scored 19 times in the Premier League this season, the highest total since Alan Shearer netted 22 goals in 2003-04.
The brace also saw him score in his seventh consecutive home game, one short of Andy Cole’s record of eight back in 1993-94.
Isak is making a habit of scoring goals and breaking records, and the Toon Army will hope they’ll be able to cling on to him this summer.
