The 2022/2023 Premier League season is now into its twenty-eighth game week, and the entertainment continues to be relentless and thoroughly enjoyable.

As a result, we will be breaking down each round of fixtures by picking out 3 of the biggest talking points, covering the biggest results, goals and general talking points from the week. We then will round off by picking our player of the week and game of the week based on what we saw in that round of games.

Let us know over on Twitter (@NextGoalWinBlog) if you have seen anything in a game that you think we should be talking about, or have anything to share from what you’ve seen at a game that week. Any funny stories, tactical analysis or general comments will be featured.

Spurs Implode

Tottenham somehow managed to turn a commanding position into a crisis in the space of 20 minutes at St Mary’s. Leading 3–1 late on against bottom-placed Southampton, Spurs appeared to be cruising towards three vital points in the top-four race. Instead, they collapsed defensively, conceding twice, including a stoppage-time penalty, to draw 3–3 in one of the most damaging results of their season.

While the result itself was painful, the real fallout came after the final whistle. Antonio Conte launched an extraordinary verbal broadside at his own players, accusing them of being “selfish” and unwilling to fight for each other. He went further, questioning the club’s culture and suggesting Tottenham had been stuck in a cycle of underachievement for years.

The rant felt like a breaking point. With Conte’s contract winding down and his relationship with the squad clearly fractured, the draw at Southampton didn’t just cost Spurs points, it accelerated the sense that a managerial divorce was inevitable. What should have been a routine win instead became a defining moment in their season.

Arsenal Turn On Style

While chaos reigned elsewhere, Arsenal looked every inch the league leaders at the Emirates. A confident 4–1 win over Crystal Palace showcased the attacking fluency and belief that had carried Mikel Arteta’s side to the top of the table. Bukayo Saka was the standout, scoring twice and tormenting Palace’s defence all afternoon.

The performance mattered as much as the result. With Manchester City lurking and pressure mounting, Arsenal responded with authority, controlling the game from start to finish and showing no signs of nerves. Goals were shared around, the tempo was relentless, and the atmosphere suggested a team fully bought into the title dream.

Saka’s display also reignited individual accolades talk. Still only 21 at the time, he was playing with the confidence and maturity of a seasoned star, leading to growing debate about his place among the league’s elite performers. More importantly for Arsenal, weekends like this kept their title destiny firmly in their own hands.

Newcastle Keep Grinding

The weekend kicked off with a statement of intent from Newcastle United on Friday night. Their 2–1 win away at Nottingham Forest was sealed late on, but it was the kind of victory that defines Champions League contenders, gritty, composed and taken when it mattered most.

Eddie Howe’s side weren’t at their free-flowing best, but they showed resilience and patience, two traits that have underpinned their remarkable season. The late winner kept them firmly in the top-four mix and ensured momentum heading into the international break.

Crucially, Newcastle continued to combine defensive solidity with timely goals. In a congested race involving Spurs, Manchester United and others, this result quietly underlined their credentials. It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective, and by March, those are often the most valuable wins of all.

Matchday 28 Player of the Week: Bukayo Saka With a brace to his name, Saka showed once again his quality against Palace, helping his side to another win and in full control of the title race.

Matchday 28 Game of the Week: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-4 Leeds United Although Southampton-Tottenham was a close contender, the game with 6 goals and a red card, with a crucial 3 points for the visitors Leeds makes this game of the week due to the overall implications this could have across the table.

Let us know over on Twitter (@NextGoalWinBlog) what you made of the twenty-eighth round of fixtures, and what you’re looking forward to in the next game week.