Premier League things we learned: Newcastle’s unsung hero deserving of an England call-up, why Wolves need their star to keep his cool and the forward who is now the league’s undisputed penalty king

Manchester United got the latest reminder of just how big the gap is between themselves and those teams chasing a top four finish as they were thrown around by Newcastle United on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur had a similarly distressing weekend, losing 4-2 at Wolves, while Chelsea and Manchester City spared their blushes with a 2-2 draw and 5-2 win respectively having both gone down 2-0 in games against Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace.

Liverpool pulled themselves within six points of the Premier League title after Arsenal‘s draw at home to Brentford was paired with the Reds’ slender win at Anfield against West Ham.

Meanwhile, the race for the top five is becoming even more nail-biting after Nottingham Forest tripped themselves up against Everton, while Newcastle put themselves in the driving seat ahead of their midweek game-in-hand against Crystal Palace.

And that’s all before Monday evening’s game, which sees out-of-form Bournemouth play hosts to Fulham in Monday Night Football. 

In the newest instalment of this weekly column, Mail Sport picks out five of the most interesting talking points to emerge from the Premier League’s latest round of matches.

Liverpool, meanwhile, moved a step closer to the Premier League title as they beat West Ham

Man City strengthened their grip on a top-five place thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s class

TIME FOR AN ENGLAND CALL-UP

Thomas Tuchel took his seat at St James’ Park on Sunday afternoon with a whole host of players to cast his eye over.

Nick Pope was between the sticks for Newcastle, while Dan Burn, who was recently handed his first international call-up, anchoring the Magpies’ defence.

Harvey Barnes, who scored twice in the 4-1 win, starred and he hasn’t felt part of the Three Lions squad since his last and only call up back in 2020.

But the player Tuchel no doubt wanted to get a closer look at was the man on the opposite wing for Newcastle: Jacob Murphy.

The 30-year-old can count himself among the form players in the country now and having never been capped by his country – and just one Under-21s cap to his name way back in 2017 – he may well have written off his chances.

Yet, team-mate Burn is a sign that age is just a number and Tuchel is going to reward players on merit and no player would be more deserving of the German’s recognition right now than Murphy.

Thomas Tuchel was at St James’ Park on Sunday to watch the English players involved in Newcastle’s win over Manchester United

Jacob Murphy is among the form players in the country but has never been capped by England

His assist on Sunday for Barnes’ first goal made it 19 goal contributions and counting for Murphy this season.

‘(Murphy) has been very, very important and probably more than people realise,’ Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said recently.

‘Isak probably owes him the majority of his goals with his crossing ability, which has always been very strong.’

As revealed by Mail Sport recently, Murphy has decided against switching his international allegiance to Nigeria despite interest, leaving the door open for England.

‘To see Dan [Burn] get his call-up was amazing,’ Murphy said last month. ‘It does give you that extra motivation to know it’s possible. We’ve got Gordy [Anthony Gordon], Lewis Hall, Tino [Livramento] and when you’re kicking it with them every week, you know what you have to offer, you think there’s every chance in the future.

‘I keep my head down and, you know, I’ve just won a cup with Newcastle, so who’s to say no to getting a call-up?’

England are blessed with an array of attacking players in wide areas but if it is down to form people like Murphy deserve to be recognised.

Nothing about Sunday’s outing will have dissuaded Tuchel from that school of thought, either.

Murphy, who has shone on the right for Newcastle, suggested last month that he could be in the running for an England call-up

DO YOUR TALKING ON THE PITCH, MATHEUS!

Matheus Cunha wants to leave Wolves, that much is obvious.

But there are ways to go about it and what he was thinking with his social media posts on Saturday I have no idea.

24 hours out from Wolves’ clash at home against Tottenham, where Cunha was returning to eligibility after a four-game ban, he took to his Instagram story to stir up trouble.

‘Time to be happy. I will follow my dreams and yours… So stay cool,’ Cunha wrote, before quickly deleting it. Not before Wolves fans saw it, of course.

Then shared by a fan page, rather than leave it alone, Cunha bit back again.

‘Do you know what you want?’ Cunha commented. ‘For people to not like me here, unfortunately I’m going to field to solve the problem of your favourite club.

Matheus Cunha wants to leave Wolves, but has been going about it all the wrong way

‘I’m not here looking for alternatives to be someone important. Fans root for their own, they don’t create misfortunes all the time.’

It’s been quite the week for players going nuclear with their words off the pitch.

Andre Onana took a shot at Lyon before a war of words with Nemanja Matic dominated the lead up to a Europa League game where he made two costly errors that led to him being taken out of the side.

Now it was Cunha’s turn to again stoke the flames of discontent that he wants a move amid interest from Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal.

Cunha is box office, no doubt about that. He came on, scored to make it 4-2, and then looked to apologise through his celebration. To some that will ring hollow.

Cunha will get the move away that he wants this summer; no doubt one team will trigger his £62.5million release clause.

But cut out the silly social media posts and save your statements for the pitch. You’re embarrassing yourself.

He hit out at a fan channel on social media the day before returning to the Wolves squad 

He will get the move away he wants this summer – but is embarrassing himself with his antics

ARSENAL’S AERIAL BOMBARDMENT

Watching Arsenal’s draw against Brentford on Saturday night it felt like a training session for corners, such was the regularity with which Declan Rice and Co were lining set-pieces up.

It was not just a feeling, either. The data backs it up.

Arsenal’s 10 first half corners versus Thomas Frank’s side was the third-most in a Premier League first half in 21 years.

Since 2003-04, only against Bolton (11) in September 2008, and Aston Villa (11) in March 2012 have they produced a greater aerial bombardment from corners in a single half.

But, for a change, Arsenal looked human from these corners, producing an Expected Goals (xG) of just 0.05 from set pieces in the first half.

In the Premier League this season, on average, only Tottenham Hotspur (7.0) wins more corners per game than Arsenal (6.72).

At the other end, no team gives up fewer corners to opponents than Arsenal (2.94).

So to those sides readying to play Arsenal between now and the end of the season, buckle up for the aerial bombardment…

Arsenal had 10 first-half corners against Brentford – the third-most in a half of Premier League football in 21 years

Sides should ready for an aerial bombardment if they are to play the Gunners before the end of the season

JOAO DOES IT AGAIN… AND AGAIN

When a statistic is shared around and only Mohamed Salah is ahead of you, you know you’re in good company.

And that is where Brighton striker Joao Pedro finds himself right now, second only to Salah when it comes to penalties scored since the start of last season.

Pedro’s pair of spot kicks against Leicester City on Saturday takes his tally to 15 and counting, just three behind runaway Player of the Year contender Salah.

In fact, since 2020-21, then at Watford, Pedro has missed just one penalty in his career, denied in a 1-0 win against Aston Villa by Robin Olsen. That gives him a 94.4 per cent career conversation rate from the spot.

Team-mates are so relaxed seeing him step up to the spot – and with good reason.

His pair of penalties at the weekend saw Pedro surpass former Seagulls midfielder Alexis MacAllister, thriving at Liverpool these days, and ex-striker Glenn Murray as Brighton’s best ever Premier League penalty taker with nine scored in the league, passing the duo’s seven.

There has been some clinical penalty takers in the league in the recent years when you think of Ivan Toney at Brentford and, more recently, Cole Palmer at Chelsea.

But Pedro is spot on with the best of them.

Nerves of steel for the biggest moments? Look no further than the spot-kick supremo on the south coast.

Joao Pedro is second to only Mohamed Salah in terms of penalties scored since the start of last season

Yoane Wissa’s strike against Arsenal means Brentford are the only team to have two players reach 15 league goals this season

THE PREMIER LEAGUE’S MOST UNDERRATED STRIKER?

Yoane Wissa’s goal at Arsenal saw Brentford become the first team to have two players score 15+ goals in the Premier League this season.

Bryan Mbeumo has 16 and many have tipped him for a big-money move this summer.

But Wissa’s name is rarely put into the mix for that next step – the question is, why not?

The 28-year-old is at the peak of his powers right now and so many clubs would be much improved if they had him leading their attack.

‘He has been very good,’ boss Thomas Frank told the BBC.

‘How many teams have their No 9 that has scored 15 goals? Maybe Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland? That is exceptional for him. A big credit.’

Wissa’s career has been something of a slow burn but he is reaping the rewards now and while he may never land that ‘major’ move – with respect to Brentford – he knows he can go toe-to-toe with the best of the best on a weekly basis and that is invaluable at this level.