5 Truths: The double is Chelsea's to lose, Hugo Lloris is a very lucky man
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Updated 22/04/2017 at 19:50 GMT
5 Truths from Saturday's action with Chelsea keeping their dreams of a double under Antonio Conte very much alive after reaching the FA Cup final.
Chelsea players celebrate wildly after beating Tottenham
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The double is Chelsea's to lose
Antonio Conte's team selection may have revealed his chief objective - dropping Diego Costa and Eden Hazard ahead of the Premier League run-in - but make no mistake: the Double is there for Chelsea's taking.
Not only did victory scupper any hope of Tottenham draining their confidence, but it also ensured their rivals will start life at Wembley next season with a hoodoo still hanging over them. Given the potential knock-on effect, Chelsea may have ended Spurs' title bid in 2016-17 AND 2017-18.
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Eden Hazard
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Mousa Dembele did not deserve to lose
It's rare for a central midfielder to ship four goals and still come out with their stock severely raised. But that's exactly what happened with Mousa Dembele.
The Belgian midfielder was everywhere, barging blue shirts around and sparking a wave of relentless attacks. Mauricio Pochettino made it clear that he could have made him one of the best players in the world had they met sooner; on this evidence, he's going to come quite close anyway. David Luiz was announced as man of the match on the tannoy, but there was only one standout player on the match - and it was not the Brazilian.
Hugo Lloris lucky to avoid an early bath
If Hugo Lloris produces a world-class save at Selhurst Park on Wednesday, he'll have Martin Atkinson to thank. The Frenchman, perhaps the goalkeeper most acquainted with the white lines separating his penalty area with the remainder of the pitch, took a trip just beyond his 18 yards and clearly palmed the ball back into his box during the first half. Mr Atkinson was unmoved.
Had his whistle gone, a red card would have surely followed given the Chelsea shirt in close proximity. Sure, Spurs lost anyway but - crucially - they still have their No.1 available for all of the Premier League run-in. And it's not over just yet...
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Hugo Lloris
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Willian demonstrates Chelsea's abundance of talent
The fact that Willian produced a spectacular performance, including two goals, against Tottenham is no surprise. The fact that he does not play nearly as much football as he should is more of a surprise considering his class.
With Antonio Conte shocking just about everyone with his starting XI, resting both Diego Costa and Eden Hazard, only served to demonstrate just how deep his squad is. Willian was able to thrive in the star duo's absence and Chelsea hardly missed a beat despite the Italian being afforded the luxury of keeping two of his best players on the bench for most of the match. Willian should be playing a lot more than he does, but that only hits home what a fine squad Conte has at his disposal.
Marco Silva is a beast on his own turf
The stats speak for themselves. Marco Silva is unbeaten in 41 home league games, a run that dates back to March 2014, and has won 22 of the last 23. His Hull side were up against it against Watford, going down to ten men after just 25 minutes, but they were resolute and his tweaks at half-time worked as they ran out 2-0 winners. Teams looking for a new manager this summer will have been impressed.
The Tigers have two home games left and, currently two points above Swansea, two wins may well be enough to keep them up. One of those is against Tottenham though so Silva may need to figure out how to replicate this home form on the road.
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Sam Clucas of Hull City celebrates
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Never forget how much Howe is overachieving
It can be difficult at times to keep in perspective just how brilliant a job Eddie Howe is still doing at Bournemouth. After all he has achieved, it is easy to take for granted that he is more than keeping the Cherries alive in the Premier League after having taken them up against all the odds.
After rightly receiving no end of plaudits in Bournemouth's first season after securing a famous promotion, Howe has hardly been talked about this campaign - that, despite having hauled his side up to 12th in the table. A resounding 4-0 win over Middlesbrough again demonstrated just how incredibly he and his side are continuing to perform.
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Bournemouth's English midfielder Charlie Daniels (L) celebrates after scoring their fourth goal during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Middlesbrough at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on April 22, 20
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Everton need to spend big
Everton need a few reinforcements if they are to build on this season after a tepid display against West Ham. A new keeper is a priority as neither Maarten Steklenburg or Joel Robles look like a steady number one choice. A playmaker is needed as an alternative to Ross Barkley and Kevin Mirallas, who were both anonymous against the Hammers.
If contract rebel Romelu Lukaku decides to leave in the summer, a targetman will be on Ronald Koeman's shopping list. The Belgian had little service against West Ham but looked below-par so even if he does stay, another forward option when he is having a bad day at the office will be vital. The Hammers were there for the taking after a bad run of form but the Toffees offered little and were fortunate to come away with a point.
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Lukaku takes on Winston Reid (L) and Jose Fonte of West Ham United (R) during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton at the London Stadium on April 22, 2017 in Stratford
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