🔬 The Debrief as Chelsea boost their top five bid and Ipswich relegated | OneFootball

Saturday saw five Premier League games as the season enters its home straight.

Here's what we made of it all.

What happened? 📝

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Chelsea strengthened their bid for Champions League qualification after a 1-0 win over Everton while Newcastle marked Eddie Howe's return to the touchline with a 3-0 victory that condemned Ipswich Town to relegation.

Wolves' transformation continued with a similar score line over an already down Leicester City, who missed a penalty through Jamie Vardy, while fellow basement dwellers Southampton were stunned by Fulham, who claimed a late 2-1 win.

There was another dramatic ending on the South Coast as Brighton scored twice in four minutes to edge out West Ham 3-2.

Player of the day 🔥

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No Brazilian player has scored 16 times in a single Premier League campaign.

Given the wealth of talent the country has imported into the top flight, it seems astounding that Matheus Cunha will become the first to achieve it.

But Wolves' talisman is currently in the form of his life after having a direct hand in all three goals of his side's comfortable victory over Midland counterparts Leicester.

Cunha joined Roberto Firmino and Gabriel Martinelli on 15 PL goals by opening the scoring at Molineux before setting up Jørgen Strand Larsen and Rodrigo Gomes.

Several of the league's big hitters are already taking note, and with good reason.

Stat of the Day 📊

What this means 🤔

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Chelsea were the big winners in the top five race as they move ahead of Nottingham Forest on goal difference although the FA Cup semi-finalists have a game in hand.

It's as you were for the bottom three sides, who have West Ham above them despite a 16-point cushion, while Newcastle are back up to third.

Wolves are up to 13th after their sixth straight win in the top flight. Meanwhile Brighton and Fulham are up to eighth and ninth respectively after their late heroics.

What they said 🗣️

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Enzo Maresca singled out Robert Sánchez following Chelsea's win over Everton, telling TNT Sports: "He has received some criticism in the last weeks that is not good. You can see how his team-mates celebrate with him because he deserves that".

Ipswich's Luke Woolfenden gave a frank assessment of where it's gone wrong: "We've not been at it this season. I think brain-wise we have probably let ourselves down one too many times. We want to come back here and give a better account of ourselves in 14 months and go toe-to-toe with Newcastle."

Brighton captain Lewis Dunk couldn't contain his delight about Carlos Baleba's late winner when speaking to Sky Sports: "We have worked on tactics needing a goal in the last minute and that wasn't a tactic. But he put it in the top corner so the gaffer cannot say anything. I am just buzzing."

Matheus Cunha was full of praise for Wolves boss Vítor Pereira: "Right now it is easy to talk about him. He came here to help us, this is the most important point. When you show these kind of things on the pitch, he has his hand in it."

Fulham's hero of the hour Ryan Sessegnon seemed a little surprised that he scored the PL's 1,000th goal this season: "That's crazy. A very good landmark so I'm happy with that."

What's next? 👀

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All eyes will be on Anfield this Sunday with Liverpool needing just a point against Tottenham to clinch the title for a second time in the space of five years.

Elsewhere, a struggling Manchester United travel to Bournemouth.

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