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After a weekend of FA Cup action which saw some big upsets, the Premier League returned this weekend, with a potential title decider between Chelsea and Manchester City. Though there were no major surprises like the FA Cup 5thround played last weekend, with Chelsea, Manchester City, Southampton and Tottenham all getting knocked out of the FA Cup, there were plenty of goals, dramaand emotional moments for the fans.We take a look at the5 Talking Points from the Premier League weekend.
#1 Liverpool on the rise and Daniel Sturridge returns
Liverpool are the only team in the Premier League that are unbeaten in the year 2015 and they continued their impressive form against West Ham United in a 2-0 win at Anfield. Brendan Rodgers’ men have finally started to replicate last season's performance.
The Reds have now been solid defensively too as they have kept three consecutive clean sheets. Daniel Sturridge made a goalscoring return from injury when he converted a sublime pass from Philippe Coutinho with a powerful finish into the back of the net. Sturridge scored 21 goals last season for Liverpool, and he took no time to show the Anfield faithful what they have been missing.
Since Rodgers has changed the formation to a 3-4-3, Liverpool hae been solid defensively and Mamadou Sakho has been a key player for the side. Though the Reds are four points from a Champions League spot, they have some difficult fixtures coming up against Everton, Tottenham, Manchester City and Southampton in the coming weeks.
#2 Jose Mourinho gets what he wants
Chelsea once again showed why they are favourites to win the Premier League title this season. Jose Mourinho was without key players Deigo Costa and Cesc Fabregas in what was a must-win game for Manchester City. But even after a poor second half performance, the Blues managed to get a draw.
One of the key attributes of this Chelsea side is they manage to get a result even when they are not favourites or don't play well enough, and it was on display once again. Mourinho once again showed why he is so good in big games, as he settled for a draw in the second half when Manchester City dominated possession.
Chelsea are now five points clear on top and with a set of relatively easy fixtures coming up.
#3 Are Arsenal really a one man team?
The Gunners once again impressed as they registered a 5-0 win over Aston Villa while also keeping their fourth consecutive clean sheet. Alexis Sanchez was left out of the squad due to a hamstring injury, but they hardly missed him.
Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin all found the back of the net to prove they are not a one-man team. Arsenal looked ruthless throughout the game and this was one of the best performances by the North London side for a long time. Since Arsenal's 3-2 defeat against Stoke City, they have just lost against Southampton and Arsene Wenger's men have finally started to find some consistency.
Mesit Ozil and Theo Walcott have both returned from injuries with a bang, and if they can keep themselves fit for the rest of the season there is no reason why the Gunners can't finish in the top 4 and maybe go on to win the FA Cup.
#4 Manchester United get their revenge
The last time these two sides met, Leicester City shocked everyone by beating Manchester United 5-3 at the King Power Stadium in September. The Red Devils lost the game after leading 3-1 and Louis van Gaal admitted it was his worst day as the United manager.
But his players made no mistakes this time as they comfortably won 3-1. Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao found the back of the net while Wes Morgan scored an own goal in a game where United were comfortable winners. The home side dominated the entire game and the Foxes never had any control in the game.
It was a game where Louis van Gaal opted for a diamond in the middle of the park where Rooney played as a central midfielder. Leicester City remain at the bottom of the league table in a relegation dogfight with 17 points while results went United’s way to take them to third spot above Southampton.
#5 Jonjo Shelvey silences his critics
In the absence of Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama, Southampton fell to a late defeat against Swansea at St.Mary’s. Former Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey scored a beauty in the dying minutes of the game to grab all three points for the Welsh side.
The England international once again showed why he is regarded as one of the best young talents in the country, but the problem with Shelvey is he often fails to capitalize on it. Shelvey, on his day, can create havoc for any defence and score some absolutely stunning goals. But he can also be a problem as he often loses his concentration in the middle of the park.
After serving a four-match ban earlier in the season for elbowing Emre Can during Swansea’s 4-1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield, he has now come back with a goal which eventually turned out to be the winner keeping the Swans in the top half of the table.
