Premier League: talking points from the weekend’s action

Arne Slot was seething as he lamented the decision to allow Manchester United’s second goal to stand despite claims of handball by Benjamin Sesko. “The curve on the ball changed so there must have been a contact,” argued the Liverpool head coach. “But it’s no surprise to anyone that if there is a VAR intervention then the decision goes against us. It’s happened to us all season.” As PGMO confirmed at the time, however, there “was no conclusive evidence that Sesko handled the ball before scoring”. Slot was stretching it to pin Liverpool’s latest defeat on poor refereeing. United’s movement pulled the visitors apart in the first half and, without the injured Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak, the threat from Liverpool was nonexistent until capitalising on two errors early in the second half. Defeat stemmed from an anaemic first-half performance, nothing else. Andy Hunter

What took you so long, Mikel Arteta? “Because probably I don’t have a clue,” the Arsenal manager joked. The home game against Fulham on Saturday was the first time he had started Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield. Given the stakes, it was a big risk. Never mind the 19-year-old played in midfield for Arsenal’s academy teams; this felt like a sink or swim moment. Lewis-Skelly, who broke through in such dazzling style as a left-back last season but has dropped off this time out, rose to the challenge, delivering a fine all-round performance defined by the security of his passing and the energy that he brought. He helped to set a blistering tempo and maintain it. There has been no little muttering about how Arsenal might look to sell him in the summer, the words “pure” and “profit” bandied about. On this evidence, they cannot do so. David Hytner

The final whistle was the cue for Yasir al-Rumayyan – Newcastle’s chair and the governor of the club’s majority owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – to seize the ball and enjoy a kick about with his fellow director Jamie Reuben. Newcastle’s minority owner was heard calling Rumayyan “boss” before they headed inside for a special dressing room photograph to commemorate an edgy 3-1 home win over Brighton that ended a five-game losing streak for Eddie Howe’s team. The picture captures Rumayyan commanding centre stage alongside, perhaps inevitably, Howe’s beaming assistant, Jason Tindall. Almost everyone is smiling, with one notable exception towards the back. The Germany striker Nick Woltemade, Newcastle’s £69m record buy, stares blankly into space after spending yet another match on the sidelines. Woltemade was among the five expensive signings made by Howe last summer that warmed a bench valued, collectively, at £335m. A relief-tinged bonhomie may have reigned on Saturday evening but, once the season ends, Rummayan must decide whether he trusts Howe to preside over this summer’s necessary rebuild. Louise Taylor

Nick Woltemade at St James’ Park before the visit of Brighton, during which he was an unused substitute. Photograph: Craig Cowan/Every Second Media/Shutterstock

Aston Villa made seven changes from the side that lost 1-0 at relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on Thursday night and lost 2-1 against relegation-threatened Tottenham on Sunday night. Unai Emery’s team had not completed an arduous journey post-match, it’s about an hour’s drive back from Nottingham, but only Emi Martínez, Matty Cash, Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers remained in the starting lineup. This was clearly a gamble based on keeping his big guns fresh for the second leg. It backfired, Villa were outfought and managed one effort on target all game; Emiliano Buendía’s late consolation. Emery’s record in managing successful Europa League campaigns gives him leeway to take such risks, but picking a midfield of Tielemans, Lamare Bogarde and Ross Barkley to go up against a workmanlike, but creatively limited, trio of Conor Gallagher, Rodrigo Bentancur and João Palhinha played into Spurs’ hands. This was a game won with industry, not craft, and credit must go to Roberto De Zerbi for instilling that endeavour in his team, but the Spurs manager was certainly handed the initiative by his opposite number. Tom Bassam

The Brentford fans would not stop. “We want Josh,” they cried as the second half of their side’s win over West Ham wore on. “I didn’t have any idea they were nagging me,” Keith Andrews said, but the Brentford manager still made sure not to disappoint the crowd. There were 89 minutes on the clock when Andrews turned to his bench and brought Dasilva on for his first appearance since January 2024. “A very special moment for him,” Andrews said of the 27-year-old midfielder, who had been out for over two years with a knee injury. “I got quite emotional looking at him coming into the pitch.” Andrews added: “He’s a very special human being. He’s a very intelligent young man and his ability isn’t in doubt. I was looking at him from afar in years gone by. We just need to keep Josh fit and I think the rest will be absolutely fine.” Jacob Steinberg

Football clubs live and die by recruitment. Leeds and Burnley finished on 100 points in the Championship last season and had plenty of time to plan for life back in the Premier League but one club got their business right and the other extremely wrong. It was further proven on Friday night when three of Leeds’ summer arrivals scored to all but secure their Premier League status. Noah Okafor and Anton Stach cost a combined £35m and were not the sort of names being linked with every club under the sun but fitted the model of play Daniel Farke wanted, providing speed and physicality, not to mention plenty of goal threat. The other scorer, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, was available on a free transfer but was ignored by others on account of a chequered injury record but his 12 league goals have been vital. Burnley’s new striker, Armando Broja, cost £20m and has found the net once. He came on for a meaningless cameo in this latest defeat, wondering if he needs to drop down a level to reignite his career, while Calvert-Lewin has been fully revived. Will Unwin

Anton Stach is embraced by his Leeds teammates after scoring against Burnley. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

European football draws close for Bournemouth. Marco Rose, the former RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund coach set to replace Andoni Iraola, will inherit a squad of widely admired talent. Continental competition will stretch that squad. Crystal Palace’s display was evidence of the drain playing a Thursday-Sunday schedule places on resources. Where Bournemouth’s profit and sustainability status enforced the sale of talent last summer, the Europa League – or perhaps the still live chance of the Champions League – would reduce such necessities. Those within the club are under no illusions that imported players and coaches, Iraola as a prime example, will use the Vitality Stadium as a launchpad. “They are two world-class talents,” said the Bournemouth captain, Marcus Tavernier, a player from the club’s other seam, the lower English leagues, of scorers Rayan and Eli Junior Kroupi. “I don’t think they will be at Bournemouth for a long period of time, given the quality they have got.” His club’s steady rise is accompanied by healthy realism. John Brewin

The Sunderland defender Dan Ballard received a red card for pulling Tolu Arokodare’s hair in his side’s 1-1 draw with Wolves. It’s the third red card of its kind in the Premier League this year after Michael Keane was sent off for pulling Arokodare’s hair in January and Lisandro Martínez saw red for tugging Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair in April. The PGMO have made it clear that hair pulling is considered an act of violent conduct worthy of a red card, but it was still difficult for the Sunderland head coach to “digest”. Régis Le Bris said: “If the rule is the rule, when you have a striker with long hair, you will have problems because you can’t defend.” While it’s easy to understand his frustrations about the severity of Ballard’s three-match ban and the classification of the defender’s actions as violent conduct, it’s harder to buy the idea that you can’t defend against players with long hair or that they are the problem. Like many rules, it will take a bit of adjustment from the players and some pragmatism from referees. That should be easy, then. Xaymaca Awoyungbo