Thoughts and analysis from hectic weekend of Premier League action

theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points from the weekend's slate of action in England's top flight.

Home cooking has United bound for UCL

Manchester United passed another difficult test in their quest to secure a return to the Champions League next season. This time, it was a confident and organized performance against Europe-chasing Aston Villa that saw Erik ten Hag's Red Devils strengthen their grip on fourth place.

Although Villa have been one of the hottest teams in England, entering Sunday's contest on a nine-game unbeaten run, Manchester United's recent spell of dominance at Old Trafford continued.

A week after coughing up a two-goal lead at Tottenham Hotspur, it was one-way traffic for a Manchester United side that hasn't lost at home since October. The hosts dictated play and enjoyed plenty of chances before taking the lead, with Bruno Fernandes scoring off an Emiliano Martinez rebound before halftime.

Victor Lindelof was especially important after Manchester United opted for a more cautious approach in the second half as Aston Villa pressed for an equalizer. A pair of vital blocks combined with a strong shutdown performance against red-hot Ollie Watkins helped to seal another home win while also dispelling concerns about the Swedish defender deputizing for injured regulars Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

The win extended Manchester United's home unbeaten run to 26 games (22 wins, four draws) while padding their lead over fifth-place Liverpool to seven points.

It was a positive end to a day that began with Manchester United supporters staging another protest against the club's owner, the Glazer family.

Amid the protracted sale of the team, frustration has grown amongst a section of supporters who've been vocal about their disproval of the American owners for a majority of their almost-20-year reign. There were even some in the protest who campaigned for Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani to win the bid over potential suitor Jim Ratcliffe, who's reportedly open to offering the Glazers a chance to stay at the club.

O'Neil does the unexpected

There are a number of strong candidates for this season's best managerial performance. Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta's battle at the top of the table has been enthralling. Eddie Howe has almost clinched Champions League qualification for Newcastle United while improving several players who seemed destined for the exit. Unai Emery's reversal of Aston Villa's fortunes is a hugely impressive feat. The overachievements of Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton & Hove Albion and Marco Silva's Fulham are also noteworthy.

But Gary O'Neil should rank high on that list of names.

Bournemouth are close to securing Premier League safety after Sunday's 4-1 win over Leeds United moved them 10 points clear of the relegation zone. This is the team that former boss Scott Parker described as "ill-equipped" to compete in the top tier. This is the side that lost 9-0 to Liverpool. This is the club that had widening chasms between its coaching staff and executives before it entrusted a rookie with handling the senior squad.

The Cherries were bottom of the table at the start of March.

But O'Neil has learned on the job and produced results that no one expected. The team has been more resilient under his watch, conceding one or no goals in half of its games while producing some appealing attacking football. There have been some excellent individual performances during Bournemouth's rise to 13th in the table (and level on points with Chelsea) - midfielders Philip Billing and Marcus Tavernier and selfless forward Dominic Solanke among them - but it's truly been a team effort masterminded by a 39-year-old who's still only 30 Premier League games into his managerial career.

After five wins in their past seven matches, O'Neil should start to prepare for his first full season as a Premier League boss.

De Zerbi lifting Brighton to new heights

De Zerbi has, rightfully, earned widespread praise for his outstanding impact since taking over at Brighton. The Italian has built on Graham Potter's foundations, lifting the soaring Seagulls to another level with a sumptuous style of play that's the envy of nearly every fan base in England.

And while Saturday's 6-0 destruction of Wolverhampton Wanderers won't go down as the most celebrated result of the campaign - even if it is their biggest-ever top-flight win to date - it speaks to how De Zerbi's philosophy has permeated the entire club. Brighton made a handful of lineup changes for the contest, leaving influential starters like Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo, Kaoru Mitoma, and Robert Sanchez on the bench to begin the match. And yet, even without arguably their three best players in the lineup, there was no obvious drop-off in performance. Yes, some of that was the result of Wolves' dreadful showing, as the visitors contributed to their downfall with several woeful defensive errors. But it's a testament to De Zerbi that the core tenets of his entertaining tactics remain in place regardless of who's on the pitch for Brighton. Everyone has bought in, and everyone gets a chance to shine. Left-back Pervis Estupinan, for instance, got a clean break through on goal late in the contest. A rising tide lifts all boats.

That could be vital in helping the club recruit new talent ahead of a potential European campaign next season; Brighton have reportedly already struck a deal to sign Watford star Joao Pedro. It could also help convince some of the current ascendant talents to stick around for another season. Whether it's Conference League, Europa League, or potentially even Champions League action in 2023-24, the entire Brighton squad will get continued opportunities to thrive in De Zerbi's fluid system.

Why not keep the good times going?

Brighton will lose some players this summer. That's just the reality of the football ecosystem. But Saturday's emphatic triumph was the latest sign that no matter who's on the pitch, this team is in excellent hands.

"The most important is not to lose our DNA and style. We deserve to achieve our target, Europe, but we shall see," De Zerbi said after the match. He added: "I am lucky to work with these players."

The feeling is undoubtedly mutual.

Hodgson an inspired appointment

Roy Hodgson still has the magic touch.

When Crystal Palace coaxed the 75-year-old out of his unofficial retirement to replace Patrick Vieira last month, relegation was a very legitimate concern. Palace were winless in 12 matches, hadn't recorded a single shot on target in three games - an alarming, almost unbelievable stat - and looked entirely toothless despite boasting an eclectic collection of attacking talent.

Hodgson turned things around immediately.

Under the respected manager's tutelage, Palace have won four of their six games, hitting the mystical 40-point plateau that is so often associated with safety following Saturday's entertaining 4-3 victory over West Ham United.

"The sword has been removed from my head, it's been removed from the players' heads," Hodgson said of the club's vanquished relegation fears.

With Palace 11 points clear of the relegation zone, the job is all but done. Incredibly, they've leapfrogged London rivals Chelsea in the table.

It was always inconceivable that a group including the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Eberechi Eze, and Michael Olise could be so limp in attack. Having all looked jaded near the end of Vieira's reign, they appear reinvigorated under Hodgson. Zaha and Eze both scored in the seven-goal thriller at Selhurst Park on Saturday, while Olise notched an assist and played a decisive role in creating another of his team's four goals.

"We're thriving under Roy - we're creative and positive when we have the ball," Eze told BT Sport.

It seems so simple, but Hodgson has put his best players in a position to succeed, and the results have followed. There's a reason he's occupied a permanent place on the Rolodex for so many years.

Quick free-kicks

City's ugly win a bad omen for Arsenal

This was exactly what Arsenal haven't done over their run of three draws and one defeat. Manchester City weren't at their best while the other team was playing above expectations - something the Gunners have dealt with for much of April. However, unlike Arsenal, Pep Guardiola's side took all three points in a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Fulham on Sunday. The main difference between this version of City and the other seasons under Guardiola is that, while they're still capable of passing their opponents to death, they're now at ease without the ball. The defense is sturdier, the protection from counter-attacks is stronger, and the press is better organized. And, of course, it helps when they've got a certain striker who's already reached a half-century of goals in all competitions. This is arguably the most well-rounded City team of Guardiola's trophy-laden reign.

Why the 'Spursy' tag sticks

Imagine if Tottenham could rouse themselves to work a 90-minute shift. Instead, they conceded three goals as they reluctantly navigated the opening 15 minutes at Anfield - only three teams have conceded more than Spurs in this period (13) over a single campaign; they looked only mildly interested as they hit the post three times; and then they impressively dug deep late in the game to rally and level through Richarlison in the 93rd minute. It must be so frustrating for fans to know that the players can be better, but their habitual lapses in concentration and professionalism continually cost the team. And this is Tottenham: Richarlison's equalizer wasn't the final act. To cap a wonderfully chaotic match on Merseyside, Spurs winger Lucas Moura inadvertently played an inch-perfect through ball to Diogo Jota, sending the Portuguese attacker through to score just 99 seconds after Richarlison's goal. The wild 4-3 defeat was peak Spursiness.

Wolves not out of the woods just yet

Sitting eight points clear of the drop zone after Saturday's slate, Wolves should be safe. But the manner in which they completely crumbled in the 6-0 hammering against Brighton is reason for concern for manager Julen Lopetegui, who watched parts of the defeat with his head in his hands as his players made one boneheaded error after another. Wolves likely need just one win from their last four games to secure safety, but the schedule isn't exactly forgiving. Three of those fixtures are against teams within the top six - Aston Villa, Manchester United, and Arsenal. The other contest, against a desperate Everton side trying to avoid the drop, will be a battle, too. Coming off their largest top-flight defeat since 1968, pressure will mount considerably if Wolves can't hit the 40-point plateau ahead of their season finale versus the Gunners.

Will set pieces save West Ham?

Speaking of not being safe ... West Ham, who still have the Europa Conference League to contend with, sit perilously close to the relegation zone after Saturday's loss against Crystal Palace. "The thing I pride myself on is that my teams are normally pretty hard to beat," David Moyes said afterward. "Today, we weren't hard to beat, and we weren't hard to play against. That's probably the most galling bit for me." It doesn't get any easier. Their next two games are against the two Manchester clubs. Not ideal. Nor is the Hammers' continued reliance on set pieces to create offense. All three of West Ham's goals against Palace came from corner kicks; they've scored five times from corners in their last six league games. Having that edge is great, especially when the margins between relegation and survival are razor-thin, but West Ham look incapable of threatening the opposition from open play. That's not a viable path to salvation.

Soft goal could come back to sink Forest

When the final whistle goes on the 2022-23 season, Nottingham Forest may very well look back on Saturday's crippling loss as the moment their Premier League status truly slipped away. Leading 1-0 against Brentford and edging toward three enormous points, Forest conceded two late goals, including a 94th-minute tally to Josh Dasilva, en route to a potentially backbreaking defeat. Brentford's equalizer, a free-kick from Ivan Toney, was a nightmarish tally to concede in such a vital moment. Toney's effort went directly through the defensive wall - an absolute no-no - and eluded Keylor Navas, who, despite not getting protection from his barricade, would probably like a mulligan after getting his outstretched arms on the shot. That soft goal set the stage for Dasilva's winner. "It's a tough one to take," Steve Cooper admitted. The tiniest details can make the biggest difference.

Stat of the weekend

Erling Haaland is doing things not seen in England for nearly a century.

Tweet of the weekend

Liverpool came away with the wild win Sunday, but Virgil van Dijk entered meme territory after getting juked into next week by Ivan Perisic.