Week 21 of the 2023-24 Premier League season took its sweet times, stretching across two weekends as the 20 clubs got a rare respite from the breakneck schedule.
And they unpacked their punches like a prizefighter.
Manchester City reminded the Premier League what it looks like with the best attacking midfielder in the world during a wild comeback at feisty Newcastle. And Liverpool look ready to renew their fierce end-to-end title rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s City.
Man United reminded its fans that its star players can score, while Tottenham continued to flex its confidence and depth. And Arsenal look back on track, too.
[ MORE: Upcoming Premier League schedule | Live Premier League table ]
Aston Villa stumbled up front but showed strength at the back and Everton did the same. Chelsea gave its fans hopes of a top-four push, while Luton and Burnley left a six-pointer with one a-piece.
Let’s relive the first five fixtures of Week 21 with our writers Joe Prince-Wright, Nick Mendola, and Andy Edwards supplying analysis on the nine games played in England’s top flight.
Things we learned from Week 21 of the 2023-24 Premier League season
Liverpool improving even as it dominates
The difference between first- and second-half performances couldn’t have been starker on Sunday, as the side that willingly passed the ball side-to-side to begin the game found all kinds of joy playing vertically in the second half. Even with injuries and international call-ups wreaking havoc on his squad, Jurgen Klopp has found a solution in midfield with Alexis Mac Allister continuing to learn the ropes and Curtis Jones papering over massive cracks all over the field. The defense is protected from the front once again, and the Reds find themselves with the best defensive record in the PL (18 goals conceded in 21 games). On top of that, they still have Mohamed Salah (international duty), Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee), Dominik Szoboszlai (thigh) and Andrew Robertson, among others, set to return to the team in the next few weeks. - Andy Edwards
Kevin De Bruyne sends warning shot (and pass) to the Premier League
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It only took a moment for Kevin De Bruyne to remind the world what he brings to one of the very best sides to ever hit a Premier League pitch. Entering the game in the 69th minute, the Belgian and his new, longer flaxen hair needed just five minutes to turn a 2-1 deficit to a 2-2 deadlock. De Bruyne’s low finish was beyond the reach of a diving Martin Dubravka and had an air of inevitability. And perhaps it should’ve been considering foreshadowing, because De Bruyne’s assist on Bobb’s winner will duel with the youngster’s finish as to which part was more sensational. The kid thanked his captain.
“I said thank you to him after,” Bobb said after the game. “He’s the only one in the world who could do that so to play with him is great. Not only one of the greatest players in the Premier League. He’s also like a very nice guy, helps the young lads a lot. He’s one of our captains so he definitely helps strengthen the team.”
The Premier League’s perennial assist leader is back, and capable of turning any team performance into a point or three. Did the rest of the league waste City’s time without him? -Nicholas Mendola
Don’t rule out the Gunners as focus sharpened
Going into this game Arsenal had one win from their last five and had made mistakes and failed to take chances. Their winter minibreak did them good as they looked fresh, sharp and refocused to ease past Palace. Yes, the opposition didn’t test them but Arsenal took care of their business with minimum fuss. They were dangerous from set pieces (the first two goals came from that route) and ruthless on the counter. Arsenal barely needed to get into second gear in this game but never gave Palace a sniff and played with confidence and they have very similar games coming up at Burnley and Forest sandwiched in-between big games against West Ham and Liverpool. This is a pivotal stretch of the season for Arsenal to keep themselves in the title race and it looks like they will be hanging around until the spring. The only thing they now needs is one of their forwards (it’s time, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus) to hit top gear and finally deliver goals and cutting edge. That is the final hurdle Arsenal must get over to achieve their dream of Premier League glory. But if they stay focused like they did against Palace they have individuals to help them win any game. - Joe Prince-Wright
Pochettino’s Blues learning how to grind it out
It’s not great viewing but Chelsea have quietly won three in a row and four of their last five in the Premier League. They needed to. Most importantly, they needed to find ways to win games. Pochettino’s side showed plenty of style and creativity in the early months of the season but struggled to convert chances and were punished. Now, they’re less exciting to watch but they’re getting the job done. They’ve found a balance in the team, injuries are calming down and they can play with a higher intensity defensively for longer. Fulham still had a couple of chances on the counter but Chelsea limited them and did the basics well. They were still a little wasteful in attack but Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling give them enough creativity to create openings and the presence of Armando Broja gives them a focal point to sustain and build attacks. It hasn’t been pretty for Chelsea but they’ve finally shown they can grind out wins when they’re not at their best and that has put them back in touching distance of the top six. Finishing in the top four will still be a big ask for this season but Chelsea have shown they are learning and they’re not making the same naive mistakes from earlier in the season. - Joe Prince-Wright
Hope springs eternal for playmakers on both sides
[ RELATED: Ten Hag sure that healthy Man Utd ‘a strong side’ ]
An expensive striker delivers a vicious striker’s finish and sets up another goal. A one-time ‘next big thing’ forward assists on club debut. A down-on-his-luck 26-year-old forward gets a goal involvement for the second-straight game, while one who’d have carried the same label two months ago scores for the sixth time in his last six games.
Yep, whether you’re Rasmus Hojlund, Timo Werner, Marcus Rashford, or Richarlison, every single goal carried potentially major positive vibes en route to this points split. Hojlund’s day is just a bit above the other thanks to the nasty nature of his finish and the fine 1-2 on his assist, but Werner’s helper can allow Spurs supporters some early dreaming of whether Ange Postecoglou can take another talented player and help him find his very best. Given what Werner did for RB Leipzig before his first Premier League move — an up-and-down Chelsea tenure — that would be a top, top development for player, boss, and club. -Nicholas Mendola
Everton immense at the back but can’t exploit Pau Torres absence
The Toffees are a nightmare to play if you can’t stretch them out, and Villa had a lot of trouble with that on Sunday. Jarrad Branthwaite is quickly becoming one of the Premier League’s top defenders, and James Tarkowski remains reliable. Both men are the right mix of aggressive and big, with Amadou Onana ranging in front of them to keep the central space around the final third a problem for opposing attacks. The group is the reason Everton is unlikely to be in a relegation scrap even if their protest against the 10-point deduction is unsuccessful. Emiliano Martinez is the reason Villa wasn’t behind at the break, as Villa at times showed that Pau Torres’ absence was a real problem. Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s breakaway would’ve been a goal on another day, but Martinez did well to deny the Toffes center forward. -Nicholas Mendola
Steele’s strength down the stretch saves Seagulls point
It took a while for Wolves to figure out Brighton’s hold on the ball, but Wolves counter attacked very well in the second half and will feel unhappy with the zero on their side of the scoreboard. But Jason Steele rose to the occasion once Wolves figured out how to get around and behind the Seagulls’ strong back line, with two of his three saves impressive stops on Pedro Neto. The first saw Steele wise to Neto’s tight-angled and hard shot and the second responded to venom with a strong paw as Wolves registered most of their 1.39 xG in the second 45 minutes. Brighton had three players collect over 100 touches and Pascal Gross was especially strong in putting four created chances on the board. Joao Pedro had four shots, but none were good enough to defy Jose Sa and the draw was fair. -Nicholas Mendola
The Bees appear to be back
Brentford 3-2 Nottingham Forest
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Brentford with Ivan Toney is better than Brentford without Ivan Toney. That’s no surprise. And given the club’s injury list this season, with Bryan Mbeumo out while Toney served his suspension, it’s easy to re-imagine the club’s fortunes with their center forward back in the fold. The Bees entered the game with the fourth-best expected goals against total in the Premier League, and just hadn’t been bailed out by new goalkeeper Mark Flekken the way departed David Raya did so many times last season. Flekken’s -7.7 post-shot xG minus goals allowed is the worst in the PL, and it’s fair to say that should the keeper adjust a bit while Brentford scores more — something likely to happen as long as Toney’s in red, white, and black — the Bees will not be anywhere near the bottom three with Frank at the helm. Nicholas Mendola
Sheffield United’s tactical switch pays off
Even putting the result aside, Sheffield United were massively improved in terms of their performance on Sunday. Chris Wilder moved to a back-four, which gave the Blades another body to join in possession and attack. For a side that has scored the fewest goals in the PL this season (17 in 21 games now, still four fewer than anyone else), it was a welcome change. Having taken over midseason and finally having had two full weeks to train and prepare, it appears that Wilder is finally putting his stamp on his team (again), but it’s still a long, long way back. - Andy Edwards
Never-say-die attitude keeping Luton Town alive in relegation race
Luton have won an additional seven points this season by scoring in the 80th minute or later, amounting to nearly half their points total thus far. Rob Edwards’ side ranks 2nd-lowest in terms of possession (37.8 percent per game) and passing percentage (73), and 4th-lowest in shots (11.1 per game), yet they have a legitimate shot at securing a second season in the Premier League — thanks, in large part, to their never-say-die mindset until the final whistle (and a bit of good fortune — see below). - Andy Edwards
