Three talking points from the PL

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Arsenal and Manchester City both enjoyed four-goal Saturdays as neither side ceded any ground in the Premier League title race.

1 year ago
Manchester City still trail the Gunners by eight points at the top of the table, but have a game in hand and a 4-1 humiliation of Liverpool was further evidence that Pep Guardiola's men are finding their best form of the season for the run-in.
It was a former City forward who stole the headlines for Arsenal as Gabriel Jesus scored twice on his first league start since November as Leeds were swept aside 4-1 at the Emirates.
At the other end of the table, Leicester finally lost patience with Brendan Rodgers after a 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace saw the Foxes slip to second bottom.
Despite costing City a Premier League record £100 million when he signed from Aston Villa in 2021, Jack Grealish spent most of last season watching his new club win the title from the bench. Not for the first time in Pep Guardiola's time in charge at the Etihad, it has taken a second season for a major signing to come good and City are finally getting the player they splashed out for.
Grealish set up Julian Alvarez's equaliser and rounded off a brilliant performance with City's final goal against Liverpool. But his contribution going the other way was just as decisive as he charged back over 50 yards to prevent Mohamed Salah running clear on goal when Liverpool led 1-0.
"I could not imagine with the big name he is and the price the club paid to have this humility to run like a teenager. I like the standing ovation from our fans. He really deserved it. All season he has been playing well," said Guardiola of Grealish's work ethic.
Jesus was a vital part of Arsenal's flying start to the season that has put them in position to win a first league title in 19 years. There were fears for the Gunners' challenge when the Brazilian suffered a knee injury at the World Cup that kept him out for over three months.
A collective effort from Mikel Arteta's forward line got Arsenal through that spell with their lead at the top intact and Jesus could now provide the perfect boost to deny his former club a fifth title in six years.
Jesus' return to fitness, allied to the form of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, allowed Arteta to drop Bukayo Saka from his starting line-up for the first time in the league since December 2021. That wealth of options will be crucial to getting over the line with just nine games now separating Arteta's men from glory.
Of the sides in the bottom half of the table only West Ham have now resisted sacking their manager this season after Leicester finally showed Rodgers the door on Sunday. The former Liverpool boss led the Foxes to back-to-back fifth-placed finishes in his first two full seasons in charge, as well as lifting the FA Cup for the first time in the club's history in 2021.
That success had afforded the Northern Irishman patience early in the campaign despite Leicester losing six of their first seven games. But panic has now set in at the King Power with relegation a real danger.

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