3 things we learned in the Premier League this weekend

As Crystal Palace and Arsenal prepare to close out the latest round of Premier League fixtures on Monday, we take a look back at what happened in the English top flight over the weekend.

Watford burnt by Son

Watford started well, with the trio of Stefano Okaka, Isaac Success, and M'Baye Niang making inroads in attack, but when Tottenham Hotspur took the lead it dominated.

Related - Watch: Alli dispatches curler from 25 yards to begin Watford wrecking

Dele Alli's opener was sublime, but so were the moves for each of the home side's four unanswered strikes. It was also a match that displayed the strength in depth Mauricio Pochettino has at his disposal.

Kieran Trippier's knack for delivering devilish balls after travelling from his base position on the right-hand side of defence was in full display - it was arguably a man of the match performance from Kyle Walker's backup. And Heung-Min Son, so often in the shadow of fit-again local idol Harry Kane, should've scored a hat-trick in another fine outing.

This is the best Spurs outfit in living memory, evidenced in a point tally that would've had it two points clear after 31 matches last season. While some of Pochettino's acquisitions have been questionable - see Moussa Sissoko, Vincent Janssen, and Clinton N'Jie - the fact that he's got his best talents signed to long contracts is the best bit of business made by any side in the division this season.

If Chelsea stumbles, Tottenham can still pounce.

Stoke gets a Brazilian

Stoke City was stripped of its one-goal advantage over Liverpool on Saturday thanks to a proactive personnel change by Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds lined up with a back three again - the German reviving the same dubious experiment from Wednesday's disappointing 2-2 home draw to Bournemouth - but deploying Nathaniel Clyne at left wing-back, Trent Alexander-Arnold on the other side, and James Milner back in midfield for the first time in 11 months didn't work at all. Ben Woodburn, the 17-year-old Welsh forward, made his first Premier League start.

The half-time introduction of the surprisingly benched Brazilian duo of Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino prompted a reshuffle and, in the space of 126 second-half seconds, the Merseysiders were ahead.

Related: Coutinho becomes top Brazilian scorer in Premier League history

Although this was a morale-boosting win in the Potteries, a top-four finish is far from assured for Liverpool. Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson, and Adam Lallana are all sidelined, and the club's opponents for the rest of the season are all supposedly lesser sides - and they've tended to be Klopp's Achilles heel.

Lukaku's brace ends Leicester's run

The goals came fast and furious, but it was Everton who came out on top of Sunday's six-goal thriller against Leicester City.

In a match that resembled a bout between two heavyweights trading blows, Everton and Leicester City wasted no time as the two combined for three goals, including Marc Albrighton's lovely free-kick from an acute angle, in the opening 10 minutes.

Romelu Lukaku added his name to the score sheet when he got on the end of Ross Barkley's cross and headed the eventual winner beyond Kasper Schmeichel.

The Belgian striker added an insurance goal in the second half to give him 23 on the season - a tally that eclipses Middlesbrough's total (22). One more and he'll match Sunderland's output.

Along with keeping Everton's hopes of securing a place in Europe alive, Sunday's 4-2result also brought an end to Leicester's run of six straight victories since Craig Shakespeare succeeded Claudio Ranieri.

Around the grounds

One goal would have done for Manchester United.

Instead, Jose Mourinho's men battered Sunderland 3-0 at the Stadium of Light, where the home support didn't even stick around to jeer their underachieving team in the final minutes of yet another defeat.

The genuine threat of relegation was accompanied by the undesirable record of becoming the fourth team in the Premier League era that's failed to score in seven straight matches. It's a mark made worse considering Sunderland has only found the back of the net in three of its 12 matches in 2017.

Elsewhere:

• Manchester City 3-1 Hull City
• Middlesbrough 0-0 Burnley
• Sunderland 0-3 Manchester United
• West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Southampton
• West Ham United 1-0 Swansea City

Monday: Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal

Two of the elder campaigners of Premier League football lock horns at Selhurst Park, and both have reasons for optimism. Before Wednesday's setback in Southampton, Crystal Palace had won four in a row, and Arsenal is coming off the back of an encouraging 3-0 ease over West Ham United. It could be a classic clash between Sam Allardyce and Arsene Wenger.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)