English Premier League Gameweek 26: 5 Conclusions from This Week's EPL Matches

After a shed-load of goals, what have we learnt after this weekend's action in the English Premier League?

Are Tottenham really better than Arsenal?

Has Andre Villas-Boas bought himself some breathing room?

Are we any closer to knowing where the league title is going? 

How is the fight for Premier League survival shaping up?

Find out after the jump. 

It's Too Close to Call Between Arsenal and Spurs

In contrast to the predictions of many in the media, Arsenal hammered Spurs on the weekend, putting five goals past their North London rivals.

Despite controlling the early sections of the game, Spurs seemed to fall apart after Emmanuel Adebayor converted a penalty that had been won under dubious circumstances by Gareth Bale. 

Bacary Sagna and Robin van Persie dragged Arsenal back into the game before halftime, before Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott blew Tottenham away in the second half.

The result leaves Arsenal seven points adrift of Tottenham, with 12 games left to play. In spite of their inconsistency in the league this season, the Gunners are breathing down Tottenham's neck. 

Will the red or white half of North London finish higher in the table come May? It's still too close to call.

What's now certain is that Spurs will finish no higher than third. This game surely ends any vague pretensions they may have held towards winning the title. 

Andre Villas-Boas Buys Himself Some Breathing Space, for Now

The trendy coat and ginger beard live to fight another day. 

Without a win in the league since January 14, the Blues turned over a disappointing Bolton side at Stamford Bridge with ease. 

The fact that two of the Jose Mourinho old guard, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, were among the goal scorers will not make Villas-Boas' attempts to renew the Chelsea squad any easier in the long-term. But, in the short-term, the victory gives the Chelsea boss some much-needed breathing space.

After Villas-Boas sat with the Porto directors at their game against Manchester City on Wednesday, speculation has become rife that he is planning to return to Portugal in the summer. 

Whether he does or not, he will want to secure Champions League football for his current employers, and this result leaves Chelsea in fifth, level on points with Arsenal.

With Chelsea's next two games against Stoke and West Brom, Villas-Boas will be hoping that the win against Bolton will be the start of a run of good form in the league.

If it's not, he may not end the season in charge.

United Won't Give Up the Title Without a Fight

When Grant Holt equalized for Norwich in the 83rd minute of the game at Carrow Road, it seemed that Manchester United were destined to drop two points, and cede vital ground to Manchester City in the title race. 

But United simply do not give up.

They pounded Norwich for the last 10 minutes of the game, and finally made the breakthrough in stoppage time, when Ryan Giggs nudged a cross from Ashley Young into the Norwich net. 

That Giggs celebrated with such ferocity shows what an incredible competitor he still is, after all these years and all those trophies. He knows that every point counts in the title race, and he will fight until the bitter end to stop Manchester City from winning the Premier League. 

Whether United retain their title or not, it's results like these which will ensure that the title race goes down to the wire. And after Tottenham's defeat to Arsenal, it looks like United are only the team who stand in the way of City and their first Premier League trophy.  

A Poor Advert for the Premier League, but Three Vital Points for City

It's often said that the Premier League is the most competitive league in the world. Maybe it is—but not on the basis of Manchester City's encounter with Blackburn on Saturday.

This was one of the most one-sided games on football seen in the Premier League era. Despite the fact City only scored three times, they did so without ever slipping out of first gear. If they'd upped the tempo, one dreads to think of what the final score might have been. 

City had 69 percent of possession, and Blackburn did not muster a shot on goal until stoppage time at the end of the game. 

Even the slogan on Balotelli's T-shirt "Ti Amo Raffaella" (I love you Rafaella) was mundane by his standards. 

City will have no complaints if all of their remaining 12 fixtures are this easy. Thankfully, they won't be, because this game was a poor advert for English football.

Sport is only interesting when it's competitive, and this was far from a real contest. 

West Brom and Fulham Pull Away from the Drop Zone; QPR Remain in Trouble

It hasn't been much fun for West Brom fans at the Hawthorns this season, as the team haven't won a home game since November. The Baggies ended this poor run of home form in emphatic style on the weekend with a thumping 4-0victory over Sunderland. 

With West Brom now up to 12th place with 32 points, they are inching ever closer towards Premier League survival. Just three more wins in their remaining 12 games should guarantee West Brom's safety, although they may have eyes on an even more comfortable mid-table finish, given their recent good form. 

Another team who are moving away from the drop zone are Fulham, who secured back-to-back wins with victory over 10-man QPR. 

Maybe if Mark Hughes was a little more concerned with his team's performance, and a little less with handshake protocol, his team would not be in 17th place.

Despite all the money QPR have invested in Premier League survival, they remain in a perilous position, and the logic of appointing Hughes becomes ever more confusing with each passing defeat. 

Despite all the resources at their disposal, QPR remain level with Blackburn on 21 points, and face a real battle to remain in the Premier League.