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It was only after a few good weeks' time that the Premier League delivered on the complete action that the fixture list had promised. Due to COVID outbreaks at various clubs, we have witnessed multiple fixtures getting postponed every weekend.
However, on Matchday 23, we had a full house of footballing action with not a single game interrupted due to COVID. All 20 Premier League sides engaged in exciting clashes and the impact on the points table was that much more decisive.
There was despair and delight for the sides from each tier of the Premier League table. Some gained points in the top-end while some surprisingly lost points in the top-end. The rock-bottom of the table looks similar but has surely grown livelier after the weekend and the mid-table teams are trying to break in on the upper end.
Here are the five talking points from Matchday 23 in the Premier League.
#1 Rashford brings back good old 'Fergie' time and thrusts Manchester United into top-four
Before the weekend, Manchester United's chances of making the top-four were looking quite grim. It was not just their position in the points table but also a string of average performances that was the cause of worry. However, the way Matchday 23 panned out, it would restore the fans' confidence back in their team.
Manchester United are currently placed fourth in the Premier League, a position they snatched from fellow competitors West Ham. David Moyes and his side have been a tough nut to crack for any side in the division and have already beaten Chelsea and Liverpool.
The result at Old Trafford for Ralf Rangnick will paper over the cracks in his team's inefficiency in the attacking-third but there were positives nonetheless. All three of his substitutes were involved in the last gasp winner, truly symbolic of 'Fergie Time' from good old Premier League nights.
Marcus Rashford hasn't been his true self lately, but has now scored in two consecutive substitute appearances. The late involvement of Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial could also not be ignored in the making of the goal.
It will be interesting to see what changes Rangnick is forced into making in his front-three after this performance. Will Cristiano Ronaldo be on the bench for the next game? Also, keep an eye on Declan Rice.
The midfielder displayed every quality that the Red Devils midfield has been lacking all this time. He could be a quality edition into the Old Trafford side and it would be no shocker to see them pursue him.
#2 Chelsea ambush Conte's party and get back to winning ways in the Premier League
A win was long due for Thomas Tuchel and his men in the Premier League, who last earned all three points from a game back on Boxing Day. The Blues have not looked their usual selves and due to a string of disappointing results have fallen out of the title race.
But Tottenham Hotspur were probably destined to give their rivals the momentum they had lost. This was the third meeting between the two sides in the last three weeks and the result always favored the Blues. Having won their two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final, Chelsea were favorites and their dominant display was deserving of all three points.
Hakim Ziyech, who has found it difficult to settle at Stamford Bridge, brought out his A-game on Sunday and broke the deadlock with a beautiful left-footed curler. It was his second goal in consecutive league appearances. The player could have been with Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, but due to the fallout with his national side, continued in the Premier League.
Good choice, lad. Chelsea, however, will remain in third spot, realistically out of the Premier League title race.
This brings our attention to two great friends who were part of this fixture but facing each other. Romelu Lukaku and Antonio Conte. The Blues striker has scored only one goal in last six appearances in all competitions, notably the only strike was against Chesterfield in the FA Cup.
This drought will surely trouble Tuchel as the manager and the Belgian are nursing their damaged relationship. As far as the Spurs manager is concerned, he needs to be given full support in January and in the summer at all costs.
This was Conte's first loss at Tottenham in the Premier League. The Italian has spoken about how his team are not good enough to challenge at the top. If the hierarchy does not back him then he will not shy away from leaving through the front door.
#3 Inspirational Saints hold Manchester City to a surprise draw
The Premier League title race is being considered virtually over by most fans even though it's just January and Manchester City are to blame for it. The Etihad side are just relentless and like a well-oiled machine, keep churning performance after performance.
However, on Sunday, Pep Guardiola and co. endured a tough day at the office. Their 12-match winning streak came to a halt thanks to an inspired performance from Southampton at St. Mary's Stadium. The home side caught the Premier League leaders by surprise when Kyle Walker-Peters scored his first league goal from an outside of the boot finish.
It was one-way traffic for the majority of the game afterwards as Man City controlled the proceedings and had 74.2% possession to show for it. Armando Broja had the ball in the back of the net on 23 minutes but was correctly flagged offside. The Chelsea prospect has put on encouraging displays and this is sure to raise his stock in the market.
Manchester City then bombarded Southampton with chance after chance but they lacked that cutting edge in the final-third. Happens with the best of the best, it seems. They got their deserved equalizer in the 65th minute, through Aymeric Laporte's header.
Despite a late onslaught, the Saints kept their low block well and managed to earn a respectable draw. City are still in pole-position to win the Premier League and by a healthy margin of 9 points. Keep the hopeless romantics aside, this may just be January but we all know the 'title race' sounds fun, but there isn't one.
#4 No Salah? No Mane? No problem, for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool!
The hope is glim, very bleak at this point, but when one is looking to catch onto hope, they'll take whatever little bit of it is available. That is the case with Reds fans who are now hopeful that they have rekindled the flares of a Premier League title race. A title that has virtually slipped away like sand from hand.
On Sunday, Liverpool registered their second Premier League win without Mo Salah and Sadio Mane and scored three goals for the second straight time. Jurgen Klopp's men rode their luck and Alisson Becker rushed to their rescue on numerous occasions.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has scored in consecutive Premier League appearances and Fabinho scored his fourth goal in January. It has to be said that the Reds have taken their game a notch higher as the stakes have risen and must be credited for doing so without their best players.
Salah and Mane will face off against each other in the Africa Cup of Nations play-offs which means one of them will knock out the other. On the positive side, Liverpool will be getting some of that firepower back soon. The Reds have one game in hand and if they are victorious in it, they will be within six points of City.
All of a sudden a Premier League title race does not sound that bizarre after all.
#5 Relegation Zone comes alive as Newcastle United and Norwich City register surprise Premier League victories
It could be a little too early to get excited for the Canaries, but after spending more than half of the season in the relegation zone, they are finally out of it. Norwich City put three past Watford in an enticing bottom-of-the-table battle to push Claudio Ranieri closer to the sack.
Josh Sargent scored his first Premier League goal and followed it up with a second to secure three points for his side. Watford's player of the season so far, Emmanuel Dennis, was sent off after successive yellow cards and and an own goal piled more misery on them.
The Hornets have two games in hand compared to the Canaries and winning them will see them condemn Norwich back to the relegation zone. But Ranieri may not be the manager to make the difference in those two games.
From one manager in danger we move to the other manager, supposedly hired to reduce the threat and danger. Eddie Howe helped Newcastle United get their second Premier League victory of the season at Elland Road. Leeds United had more than 60 per cent of possession but this was an affair that was scrappy and short-on-quality.
A moment of brilliance from midfielder Jonjo Shelvey in the 75th minute turned the tie of the game in the Magpies' favor. He bent his free-kick with absolute precision to beat the wall and Illan Meslier in goal. It is on the back of these victories that Newcastle could attract some good players in January and help themselves stay in the Premier League.
