ALEX CROOK: Saka’s Back, Chelsea Blues & Iraola’s Parting Gift? (TOTU)

Our football ambassador ALEX CROOK is back with his latest Tales Of The Unexpected, highlighting five takeaways from the Premier League weekend!

Anything that caught you by surprise over the weekend? Email content@starsportsbet.co.uk and we’ll include the best submissions in next week’s TOTU!

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NDIAYE THE TOAST OF NORTH LONDON – BUT WILL EVERTON KEEP HIM?

David Moyes will not have to buy a drink in Islington if Arsenal go on to win the Premier League.

Everton’s 3-3 draw at home to Manchester City, a match they were unlucky not ti win, ensured the title pendulum swung back to the Gunners.

City’s terroriser in chief was Iliman Ndiaye, who ran the visitors’ defence into the ground.

Ndiaye is one of my favourite players in the league to watch and the silky Senegalese must surely be on the radar of bigger clubs.

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SAKA TIMES HIS RETURN TO PERFECTLY

Bukayo Saka’s beautiful assist to set Arsenal on their way to a 3-0 win over Fulham was perfect both in terms of timing and execution.

Saka tied Raul Jimenez in knots before laying the goal on a plate for Viktor Gyokeres.

It is a sight that has been few and far between in an injury-plagued second half of the season.

The simple fact is Arsenal are a much more formidable attacking force with Saka in full flow.

If he can maintain fitness and form they should go on to win their final three games and be crowned champions.

A fully-fit and firing Saka also gives England a much better chance of glory at this summer’s World Cup.

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VILLA OWE WEST HAM NOTHING

The furore that greeted Aston Villa’s line-up as they lost 2-1 at home to relegation-haunted Tottenham is laughable in the extreme.

With a top-five finish virtually secured, Villa had to prioritise Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg at home to in-form Nottingham Forest.

It is not down to Unai Emery that the Hammers were thrashed 3-0 at Brentford 24 hours earlier.

It was not Villa’s fault that West Ham threw away points against Brentford and Leeds in Nuno Espirito Santo’s early games in charge due to bizarre team selections.

If West Ham go down they will only have themselves to blame, having also kept a lame duck manager in Graham Potter for too long.

West Ham to be relegated – currently at 2/7 with starsports.bet

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CHELSEA PLAYERS A STAIN ON THE BADGE

No wonder so many Chelsea fans find their class of 2026 such a dislikable bunch.

After downing tools in Liam Rosenior’s final game in charge at Brighton, the Blues rallied to beat Leeds at Wembley and book their place in the FA Cup final.

Where was that level of commitment and energy as they slumped to a humiliating 3-1 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest’s reserves on Monday?

The team famously dubbed ‘£1b bottle jobs’ by Gary Neville have now lost their last six league games and are in danger of missing out on any form of European football.

Good luck to whoever accepts the challenge of being their next manager as he is inheriting a team of frauds.

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL IRAOLA’S PARTING GIFT?

It was Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola who came out on top in the battle of two departing bosses as the Cherries beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Sunday.

It extends the south coast side’s club record unbeaten Premier League run to 15 matches.

If the league season ended tomorrow and Villa went on to win the Europa League then sixth-place Bournemouth would qualify for the Champions League.

Not many saw that scenario coming when they sold £200m worth of players in the summer and then Antoine Semenyo in January.

Their incredible form is testament to top-class recruitment and the coaching skills of Iraola. What a parting gift he is promising to leave.

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Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

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