Key Takeaways from Premier League Slate of Midweek Action

In a league as deep as the Premier League, it is rare for results to hold to form almost universally. But in the most recent round of midweek matches, that is exactly what happened, as the top seven teams all came out on top, and only Aston Villa improved its standing in the relegation battle.

With such a tight battle at both ends of the table, each match is more important than the last, and this week's results are no exceptions. But while the top teams all stayed the course, it wasn’t without some eye-opening performances and potentially big moments that will impact the coming weeks.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the midweek action in the Premier League.

Chelsea does enough to survive without Nemanja Matic

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

It wasn’t pretty against West Ham, it rarely is when a Jose Mourinho-managed side takes a lead early, but Chelsea did exactly what it needed to do without Nemanja Matic.

It survived, with a 23rd-minute goal from Eden Hazard the difference in the match.

Matic, who was suspended for two matches following an incident with Ashley Barnes against Burnley, has been one of the best players for the London club this season, and there were fears that Chelsea would struggle without him.

But after an impressive 2-0 win to claim the Captial One Cup against Spurs, the Blues survived West Ham’s late charge to maintain their lead on Manchester City.

With five points separating the two clubs, and Chelsea having a game in hand, it feels like it would take a monumental collapse to see the title return to Manchester. Jose Mourinho teams aren’t exactly known for collapsing when the pressure is on, so it is looking more and more likely that Chelsea claims another title.

Against the Hammers, Chelsea did what it always does, dominating play for a stretch, taking an early lead and holding on for a slim victory. But the difference was that West Ham looked like the team that was fourth at Christmas, not the 10th-place team it is.

Without Matic in the lineup, Chelsea was supposed to be vulnerable in the middle of the pitch, but the Hammers could never break through, as Kurt Zouma put in another excellent shift to secure another clean sheet.

If Chelsea does end up winning the title this year, it could be because of performances like this one, where the play wasn’t the prettiest, but it was exactly what the team needed to hold off its opponents.

Manchester clubs win, but something looks off

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

Wednesday was a day for the top teams to stretch their muscles and put some more distance between themselves and the teams who are battling it out in the relegation zone.

But while teams like Liverpool, whom we’ll discuss momentarily, and Arsenal looked relatively impressive against bottom sides, Manchester City and Manchester United both put forward less-than-stellar performances in wins.

United, who has been winning games regularly this season without ever really clicking as a team, had another poor outing that it managed to steal a win from. As the game against Newcastle approached the final whistle, the Red Devils hadn’t created many real chances and were on the verge of dropping points they shouldn’t have.

A mistake by Tim Krul came at the perfect time, which Ashley Young promptly took advantage of to steal the points and keep United from slipping any farther down the table.

The noisy neighbors didn't have the easiest of matches against Leicester City, despite a score line that might have said otherwise. Surviving multiple decent penalty shouts in the first hour of play, City managed to score a cheap goal on the stroke of halftime, before James Milner sealed the points near the end of the second half.

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EPL: David SIlva goal #tapin.... Man City 1-0 Leicester https://t.co/ZtBddakzne

— Football News Alert (@Footy_Layne24) March 4, 2015"

Manchester City could have ill afforded to drop any additional points at this point in the season, with Chelsea inching closer and closer to taking the title back to London at the end of the season.

When it comes down to it, winning all three points is the most important part of any match, and a win is a win, but the forms of both of these Manchester clubs is worrisome heading into the final couple of months of the season.

Liverpool might be peaking slightly too early

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Although Chelsea and Manchester City are battling it out at the top of the table, and with no change in that aspect in sight, it is tough to find an argument that Liverpool is not the league’s hottest team at the moment.

All the way up to fifth after a 2-0 win against Burnley Wednesday, Liverpool hasn’t lost a match in the Premier League since Dec. 14, including wins against Tottenham and Manchester City. An injury to Steven Gerrard forced the team to change its formation and style of play, and it has paid dividends.

Using a back three, Liverpool looks like the marauding side from last season and has stormed back up the table in the league. With a top-three of Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho, who is in the form of his life, not to mention a healthy Daniel Sturridge, the Reds are currently the most dangerous team and will push for back-to-back top-four finishes.

But has the run come too early? Liverpool has shown its quality this year, but despite all the success the club is only in fifth in the Premier League right now, and this run can’t last forever.

All it takes is a single slip against one of the top teams to turn a magical run into a defeat, as Liverpool knows better than most. With matches against rivals Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal still remaining, the Reds still have a number of chances to climb the standings but also could suffer the inverse.

The streak the Reds are on in the Premier League is impressive, but odds are it can’t last forever, and Liverpool is going to have to find a way to cope with that if it wants to finish in the top four once again.