Arsenal, Manchester City and some heavy lifting in the title race

It wasn’t the greatest night for Brendan Rodgers. His former charges Leicester City, relegation-bound with the Brodge at the helm, were good value for a precious point at Leeds. Admittedly it was a game they could have lost, but on balance they probably should have won, and so that’ll be seven points from the last nine for new broom Dean Smith once they’ve dealt with Everton on Monday night. The Foxes suddenly look reinvigorated, back on point, James Maddison speaking after the game of the benefit of hearing a fresh voice in the dressing room, and it’s the biggest blow to Brenny’s reputation for elite man-management since he was captured on camera railing at a teenage Raheem Sterling while performing his famous pick-an-envelope conjuring act to a soundtrack of Oxygene, Pt.4.

It wasn’t the greatest night for Steven Gerrard, either. His former charges Aston Villa, relegation-bound with the Me-ster at the helm, were good value for their win at home over Fulham. Admittedly it was a bit of a grind, and it was just as well there were two other games live on BT at the same time, but that’s 26 points out of the last 30 for Villa. That’s the form of champions, the best record in the division over the stretch, and all of a sudden they’re fifth in the table. While they’ve played more games than Spurs, Liverpool and Brighton, their main contenders for Europe, they’ve still got to play all of them. Their fate is in their own hands, and should they make it, here’s your regular reminder that football is a simple game, 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end Emery wins Big Vase. Lump on, kids, it’s a shoo-in.

Rodgers and Gerrard were, of course, the main architects of Liverpool’s tilt at the 2013-14 title, which brings us