Sheffield United vs Southampton: Great escape looks unlikely for Blades - Seven Premier League talking points

The Blades already knew that they would have to enact something of a great escape to get themselves out of danger this term, but a ponderous loss at the hands of the Saints has left them 12 points adrift with 10 games to play.

We’ve gathered some more of the Premier League’s biggest talking points from another exciting weekend of action below:

Burnley 1-1 Arsenal: Clarets ride their luck at Turf Moor

They say that you need a bit of luck to stay in the Premier League, and Burnley certainly had the rub of the green at Turf Moor on Saturday.

From Granit Xhaka’s gift-wrapped calamity in the build-up to Chris Woods’ equaliser, to a frantic finish that saw Sean Dyche’s men hanging on for grim death in the closing stages, the Clarets rode their luck big time on Saturday.

A point leaves them four points clear of the drop zone, but both Brighton and Newcastle have games in hand.

This is a relegation battle that threatens to go right down to the wire…

Sheffield United 0-2 Southampton: Blades blunted once and for all

If Chris Wilder keeps Sheffield United up from this position he deserves a statue outside Bramall Lane and a key to the city.

Any glimmer of hope that the Blades had of pulling off a great escape following last week’s win over Aston Villa were surely extinguished by a Southampton side who have been enduring something of tailspin themselves in recent times.

The Saints strolled through this one unscathed, and United are now 12 points adrift with 10 left to play.

Regretfully, the Championship beckons…

Brighton 1-2 Leicester City: Albion suffer galling late blow

Graham Potter must be starting to think he is cursed.

After last week’s shambolic episode against West Brom, the Seagulls were once again left dumbstruck by rotten luck as they succumbed to a late, late strike against Leicester City.

To lose would ordinarily have been bad enough, but dropping points against the Foxes now means that they are clear of the relegation zone by goal difference alone.

Things are getting precarious on the south coast, and by hook or by crook, Potter needs to get his men winning some matches.

West Brom 0-0 Newcastle United: Danger never felt so dull

Anybody who sat through the full 90 minutes of Newcastle’s bottom of the table six-pointer against West Brom on Sunday afternoon deserves a medal.

This was, in no uncertain terms, a dreadful game of football – and one made all the more baffling by how much was at stake.

Cagey games at the business end of a season are par for the course, but at no point did either side look even remotely interested in winning this one.

You could perhaps argue that it’s already too late for West Brom, but Newcastle are scrapping for their lives as they desperately try to avoid being the third team in that bottom three, and yet they went at the Baggies with the venom and purpose of a coastal mist.

Steve Bruce has to find a way of galvanising his team, or they are in serious trouble.

Liverpool 0-1 Fulham: Cottagers bring the house down

If one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, then one man’s pain is surely another man’s pleasure.

That was absolutely the case as Fulham picked up a shock 1-0 win at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, consigning Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to a club record sixth straight home defeat.

Things are looking pretty gruesome for the Reds right now, but Scott Parker’s side are very much on the up and up.

Three points on Merseyside took them level with Brighton and to within one of Newcastle United, and the momentum is undeniably their’s.

Next up, a visit from Manchester City.

Manchester City 0-2 Manchester United: Derby win should do little derail City’s title charge

Full credit to Manchester United, this was a win that few predicted, and had it come a couple of months ago, we might well have been talking about a serious title challenge from the Reds.

Alas, that dip they suffered between late January and mid February looks as if it is set to come back to haunt them, and even after taking all three points against their noisy neighbours they are 11 adrift with 10 games left to play.

Surely, surely, it's too late for them to close that gap…

Tottenham 4-1 Crystal Palace: Bale showing glimpses of his old self

It’s taken him a while to get going, but Gareth Bale is finally starting to show the kind of form that made him such an exciting addition for Spurs fans over the summer.

The Welshman scored another two goals in a fairly comfortable win for Jose Mourinho’s men on Sunday, and the big question now is whether or not he has done enough to convince the Special One and his superiors that he is worth another punt in the next transfer window.