Premier League 2018-19, Matchweek 23: 5 things we learned

What a weekend of Premier League action we just witnessed. Two seven-goal thrillers, a big scare for Tottenham and Liverpool, a resounding London derby win for Arsenal and continued progression under the new man for the Saints.

Liverpool remain top of the league and may have conceded more ground to City had Palace held their nerve. Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea make up the top four.

Arsenal and United move within three points of the top four. Cardiff, Fulham and managerless Huddersfield make up the bottom three.

Here's a look at 5 things we learned from matchweek 23 of EPL action:

#5 Liverpool have not won the title yet

Liverpool earned a hard-fought win against Palace

Crystal Palace wrecked Liverpool's hope for the Premier League title in 2014 with a 3-3 draw at Selhurst Park. The image of Suarez in tears and captain Gerrard consoling the Uruguayan and shoving the cameras away is one that will remain long in the heart of the Anfield faithful.

Although this weekend's encounter happened at Anfield, one would have forgiven the Reds fans in the ground for having a feeling of déjà vu after the first half.

Liverpool had the majority of possession but somehow still found themselves behind to a well-worked goal, finished off by Andros Townsend. The second half started well as the Reds struck twice within eight minutes.

The lead lasted for a mere 12 minutes as Palace defender James Tomkins equalized from a corner. A goal from Salah, red card for Milner and goals from Mane for Liverpool and Meyer for Palace rounded off the 4:- scoreline and it was as close as the scoreline showed.

If Liverpool had drawn this encounter or even lost it, they would have been just one more poor result away from gifting the advantage back to City. The title race is well and truly on and the Reds must avoid any slip up if they are to win their first league title in almost 30 years.

#4 Forget Higuain, Sarri needs a plan B quickly

This fixture between Arsenal and Chelsea became even more important after Manchester United dispatched Brighton at home. United had closed down the gap to Arsenal and were only six points behind the top four before this round of fixtures.

A loss for any of the teams would have serious ramifications and one expected a very tightly contested battle of wits between two highly-rated managers in their debut season in English football.

The game proved to be anything but a battle of wits. Sarri's team came to the Emirates set in their ways and they were outmanoeuvred by a very flexible Unai Emery outfit. Emery elected to start Aaron Ramsey in the hole in a 4-3-1-2 system and it worked wonders.

Chelsea's early-season loss to Tottenham had shown how disrupted the West London club can be when Jorginho is tightly pressed. This proved to be the case again as Arsenal pressed tirelessly in the first half and disrupted Chelsea's rhythm.

The real worry for Chelsea fans is the blunt refusal of Sarri to change the system, style of play or even tweak formation when the need arises on the pitch. Like every other game in all competitions this season, Chelsea started and finished the game in Sarri's favoured 4-3-3 irrespective of the result.

Chelsea ended the game with only one shot on target. Olivier Giroud was on the pitch for the latter part of the game and not once was the ball fed into the area for him to attack.

This tactic was often used by Arsenal and saw Giroud become the second highest scoring substitute in PL history.

Much has been made of the proposed arrival of Higuain to Chelsea but if Sarri doesn't begin to adapt his teams to various opposition, even Higuain wouldn't save him from the losses this team would accumulate.

A certain Antonio Conte after two damaging defeats tweaked his formation and style of play and ended up with a Premier League title in his first season.

#3 The race for the top four is well and truly on

Arsenal's victory over Chelsea has widened the top four race even further

Manchester United's resurgence under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has added even more heat to an already hot race for the top four spots in the league. United have closed down an 11-point gap to the top four to only three points.

With the momentum Manchester United carry at the moment, it is highly unreasonable to doubt their ability to cement a place in the highly coveted top four come the end of the season.

It is safe to assume that the title contenders, Liverpool and Manchester City will make the top two. The other two spots are up for grabs for the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and United.

Spurs sit third on 51 points and have to contend with injuries to key players. Chelsea are currently in fourth and are four points adrift of Tottenham. Arsenal and United are 5th and 6th and only separated by goal difference. They are also just three points behind the top four.

With fifteen rounds of matches still to be played, lots of changes can still occur in the table. The race for two of the top four spots may even be more intriguing than the title race and race for the golden boot.

#2 Where would Liverpool be without Salah?

Salah scored his 50th PL goal against Palace

Mohamed Salah scored his 50th PL goal in the 4-3 victory over Crystal Palace. The goals came in just 72 games that see the Egyptian join an elite group of players who took less than 75 games to score 50 Premier League goals.

This achievement added further gloss to the Premier League career of the man who has taken the league by storm and is stating his case for his second player of the year award.

However, the worry for Liverpool fans should be what happens to their title challenge if the Egyptian sustains an injury or enters a bad run of form during the title run in.

Liverpool have scored 54 goals in the PL this season. Salah has scored 16 of those and assisted another seven. That makes 23 goal contributions for the Anfield based club. With two of the 54 goals being own goals, it means that Salah has contributed to about 44% of the goals the Reds has scored this season.

It is unjustifiable to say that a club should not rely on their star man for game-changing contributions. However, a reliance of just under 50% is not healthy for a club with title ambition in a league as competitive and strenuous as the Premier League.

It simply means that injury to Salah might spell the end of Liverpool's title hopes.

#1 Mesut Ozil should be leaving Arsenal and not Aaron Ramsey

Ozil should be leaving Arsenal and not Ramsey.

It seems like a foregone conclusion that Aaron Ramsey would be leaving Arsenal this summer. The Welshman has reportedly signed a pre-contract agreement with Juventus and seems all set to join the Italian giants in the summer.

It is a pitiful end to the Arsenal career of one of the best Arsenal midfielders in the last decade. The Welshman would leave having scored the winning goal in two FA cup finals for Arsenal.

On the other hand, Mesut Ozil who signed a contract with the club last summer looks likely to remain with the Gunners. For many fans, ex-players and pundits, the reverse should be the case.

In Arsenal's two victories over their major rivals this season, Ramsey has played a starring role while Ozil did not even come on in both games. His overall goal and assist contribution in the PL this season is much more than that of the German.

In the Chelsea game, Ramsey was a tireless worker for his side. The game plan was based on him marking Jorginho out of the game and he executed it perfectly.

Ramsey's dedication to the cause has not waned even slightly despite his imminent departure in the summer. However, Ozil's commitment has been questioned many times over in his five and a half year spell with Arsenal.

Aaron Ramsey is far more suited to Emery's hardworking and pressing style of play and should be the one kept at the club. Mesut Ozil seems ill-fitted and should be the one shipped out to free up the wage bill.

There has to be a reason why Unai Emery has not played the German playmaker since boxing day but keeps faith with the Welshman. If there is a choice on who to leave the club between both players, Unai Emery's choice cannot be any clearer.

Edited by Debjyoti Samanta