After an action packed Gameweek 15 of the Premier League which provided 36 goals in 10 matches, game week 16 was slightly disappointing in that aspect as it produced only twenty-two goals. Chelsea managed a slender 1-0 win over Sunderland to keep their lead at the top with six points.
The unexpected result from these set of fixtures came from Goodison Park as Everton came back from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 to hand the Gunners their first league defeat since the opening day.
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Liverpool were the beneficiaries of Everton's win as they leapfrogged Arsenal to the second spot with a 3-0 win over Middlesbrough. Spurs and Manchester United maintained the pressure on top four sides with a 3-0 and 2-1 victories respectively.
All three sides in the relegation zone suffered losses which means there is not much movement in the bottom of the table. So after a rather quiet game week after a blockbuster one, let's take a look at the ten things that we learned from game week 16:
#1 Chelsea survived a scare against Sunderland
A trip to Stadium of Light is always considered a daunting task and the Blues experienced just that as they managed to scrap through a 1-0 win over relegation battlers Sunderland. Winning three points was a must for Chelsea considering Liverpool won their game easily and are just six behind them in the title race.
Conte has to thank Thibaut Courtois for his splendid saves which made it 10 out of 10 for Chelsea as his last minute save from a shot from Patrick van Aanholt can be said as the moment of the game.
#2 Yaya Toure does have a future under Pep Guardiola
With an unfortunate injury to Ilkay Gundogan which will keep him out of the action for 8-10 months, Yaya Toure had to step up for the faltering Citizens. And he did just that against Watford, producing a wonderful display in the centre of the park to give Pep Guardiola and Manchester City a much-needed breather and three points.
Toure covered the third most distance in the game from his side and also won the most tackles (4) along with playing the most accurate passes (65) in the game. With him retiring from international football and being available in January during the African Cup of Nations, Guardiola must be relieved to have such a quality option in midfield when he needs it the most.
#3 Arsenal showing signs of complacency
Facing Everton at Goodison Park is always a tough ask but a team's title credentials come to the fore when they face tricky fixtures like this. This fixture was a banana peel moment waiting to happen and it unfolded just like that as even after going ahead with a lucky Alexis Sanchez free kick, the Gunners surrendered a 1-0 lead thanks to two pinpoint headers from defenders, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Williams.
Arsenal showed no urgency in their gameplay after going ahead and were looking susceptible to concede every time the Toffees had the ball.
This was a must-win fixture to keep the pressure on Chelsea and Liverpool and with City hosting Arsenal next, a lot is going to be learned about this Wenger's side who many have claimed to be the most balanced in recent times.
#4 Spurs get back on track
After a lacklustre 1-0 loss to Manchester United, Pochettino had urged his side to come back strong. And against Hull City, they did just that as a Christian Eriksen masterclass drove the Lilywhites to a routine 3-0 win.
Victor Wanyama also got on the scoresheet while Dele Alli showed glimpses of his abundant talent. It was Hugo Lloris who made some crucial saves to help Spurs keep a clean sheet as the North London side did enough to keep the pressure on the top four sides.
#5 Refereeing decisions were the talking point in Crystal Palace vs Manchester United
Hardly a game sees so many blunders from the match officials as was the case at Selhurst Park. Despite some clinical finishing from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a wonderful team goal from Palace, the focus of the game was on the referee who made some dubious calls throughout the 90 minutes.
Firstly, the first United goal should not have stood as Ibrahimovic was seen handling the ball and more importantly, goalscorer Paul Pogba was offside. Marcos Rojo survived yet another red card after committing yet another rash two-footed tackle.
Palace were helped by the referee's decisions when Juan Mata scored a legit goal but was horrendously given as offside and Alan Pardew's men should have conceded a penalty when Matt Delaney had clearly handled the ball in the box but the referee chose to ignore it.
#6 Divock Origi making his case heard
Origi was falling down the pecking order at the start of the season with Jurgen Klopp opting to play Roberto Firmino as a centre forward or Daniel Sturridge. But injuries to Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho helped the young Belgian to get a much-deserved chance and he proved his worth as he did last season by grabbing the opportunity by both hands.
The 21-year-old has now scored five goals in his last five appearances with his pace being helpful to the side in stretching defences. His goalscoring record might pave the way for Daniel Sturridge to leave the club in January or in the summer.
#7 Salomon Rondon enjoying his time with the Baggies
A 13-minute hat-trick with three headed goals was the most interesting thing to happen this game week. Rondon became only the second player in the Premier League to score a headed hat-trick with Duncan Ferguson of Everton scoring it before.
West Brom are now seventh in the table as Tony Pulis and his men are enjoying a dream season with the Venezuelan towering striker helping them out, time and time again.
#8 Darren Randolph has a bright future in the Premier League
West Ham are slowly getting the results they were hoping for as a 1-0 win over Burnley took them out of the relegation zone, at least for now. The Hammers' squad does not deserve to be in the bottom half with their talisman Dimitri Payet struggling for form this season. A major reason for their slow rise is custodian Darren Randolph's form as he has managed to replace Adrian and has made the no.1 spot his own.
He was again on top gear against Burnley as he produced some sensational saves to keep West Ham in the game. Randolph's save last week against Jordan Henderson's curler from 30 yards will hands down be one of the best saves of the season.
#9 Bournemouth's Adam Smith blossoming in a midfield role
Eddie Howe is an astute tactician which is evident yet again this season as the Cherries are doing remarkably well. A 1-0 win over champions Leicester takes them to the tenth spot on the league table.
To adjust Chelsea loanee Nathan Ake in the side, Howe made an adjustment to accommodate fullback Adam Smith in midfield which has proved to be a decisive move by the Englishman. Smith created the most chances for his side and also lost possession just three times with a shift in the position helping the former Tottenham trainee to perform well.
#10 James Ward-Prowse has made Claude Puel change his mind
The England U21 international has been a regular in Southampton's midfield since first bursting onto the scene with his set piece abilities being once compared to the legend, David Beckham. Puel started the youngster in their first match of the season but substituted him after 55 minutes.
Till the end of November, Prowse was not selected by Puel but that has changed with the 21-year-old now playing four games in a row for 90 full minutes. He dictated the tempo in their 0-0 draw with Stoke City and Puel has hoped that Ward-Prowse continues his progress under him.
