Harry Kane is world class; Daley Blind a defensive star; boring Leicester; Alex Pato offers Chelsea glimpse

Seven things we learnt from the Premier League this weekend

Kane is world class

Harry Kane enjoyed another pretty good weekend, even if Tottenham Hotspur failed to keep pace with title favourites Leicester City. The Spurs and England striker scored his 22nd league goal of the season - not only moving him past his tally from last year's break out campaign, but making him the highest Spurs scorer in a single season since the Premier League's inception, beating club legends Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham and Gareth Bale.

When Kane started the season failing to score in any of his first six games, the cat calls were inevitable. Last season's form was a rare purple patch that would never last, he was a one season wonder, a flash in the pan.

The opposite is true. Not only is Kane a more lethal goalscorer, he is scoring important goals. In only the last month, his individual excellence won a point at Liverpool and another point at home to Arsenal.

His general play is much improved, although he has fewer anymore, he is not just a goalscorer anymore, operating deeper and affecting the play much more. He has created more chances than last season, wins more headers, is better at dribbling past players and is hitting the target more often. He even has more blocks, interceptions and clearances than he did last season.

Kane proved against Germany, with a quite brilliant goal, that he is good enough against the very best opposition. If you didn't already believe it, believe it now.

Kane is one of the best in the world and Spurs have to hold on to him.

Boring, boring Leicester?

Last season, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea won over few fans as they crawled over the line with a series of uninspiring wins where they defended well and just about did enough to pick up three points.

Claudio Ranieri's team have now won four of their last five matches 1-0, and solely looking at the results you'd be forgiving for thinking they have gone back into their shell to try and mimic Chelsea in winning the title.

That's not wholly true. Leicester are, understandably, no longer operating in the all-out attack mode that brought such thrilling results over the winter, but it's not true that they are only grinding out wins either. It's more down to some missed chance, plus mental and physical fatigue, that has the Foxes not quite as sharp in the final third as they were. The win against Southampton proved that Leicester are still as enjoyable to watch as any team in the Premier League.

Blind among the Premier League's best

Daley Blind gives up about four inches and 3.5 stone to Everton striker Romelu Lukaku and can't run as fast, jump as high or push as far. No matter, the Dutchman put on an absolute defensive masterclass in restricting the Belgian striker - sought after by the world's elite clubs - to just one shot (off target).

All season, pundits and fans have looked at Blind as a supposed weakness in the United defence. 'They should've bought somebody else, he's too small, not fast, not strong, he can be bullied' goes the theory. That's not true at all.

Blind has not been exposed once this season, and while Chris Smalling and David De Gea have taken the majority of the plaudits for United's excellent defensive record, second only to Spurs in goals conceded, Blind has been every bit as important.


 Daley Blind got the better of Romelu Lukaku on Sunday 
 (Getty)

The Dutchman's greatest strength is his brain. He's excellent on the ball - easily good enough to anchor the midfield as he did last season - but his ability to read situations and snuff out danger before it evolves is second to none. He barely ever gives away free kicks, he leads the Premier League in tackles made by a center-back.

Today's Premier League may well be marked by a lack of truly brilliant, dominant centre-backs, but Daley Blind still deserves to be in the conversation as one of the best in the league.

Not even Benitez can fix Newcastle defence

Wherever he has been, Rafa Benitez has always based his reputation on his ability to create a defensively solid side. He was criticised for being too cautious at Liverpool, while his defence first approach had a big part in fans and ownership running out of patience at Napoli and Real Madrid.

Newcastle had to win at Norwich on Saturday. Their run in is not easy at all and picking up points over a direct relegation rival would have been vital, but they blew it.

They got themselves back into the game, only to concede a sloppy equaliser almost immediately. Newcastle then only had to hold on for a draw but conceded a poor goal in added time. Injury luck has a portion of the blame (Karl Darlow is the third choice goalkeeper and Vurnon Anita a midfielder after all) but Newcastle are a terrible defensive team, with only Aston Villa conceding more this season.

Norwich have scored more three goals in a game just four times all season, with only two of those since early September.

Benitez says Newcastle still have time. It's fast running out.


 Rafa Benitez's Newcastle were sloppy in a crucial defeat to Norwich City 
 (Getty)

Clattenburg decision affects top and bottom

Since 21 December, Crystal Palace have picked up just five points from a possible 42, not winning at all in that time. That's the worst record in the league. Before that date they were sixth in the league, on goal difference, with 29 points from 17 matches.

That they find themselves in a relegation fight is in incredible, but they were given a huge helping hand by a terrible decision from Mark Clattenburg that had ramifications at both ends of the Premier League.

West Ham United were in control when the referee harshly sent off Cheikou Kouyate at Upton Park on Saturday, with the Eagles eventually battling to a draw. The result left Palace seven points ahead of 18th place Sunderland.

At the other end West Ham were shorn of two points - a win would have left them in fifth, just a point off the Champions League places.

With only seven games remaining for both clubs that moment could become key.

Cheikhou Kouyate after being sent off against Crystal Palace (2016 Getty Images)

De Bruyne the real key

All season Vincent Kompany has been lauded as the main man for Manchester City. When the Belgian plays Manuel Pellegrini's side are a much better outfit, much more solid and better led.

But perhaps it's another Belgian who is the more influential operator for City. Kevin De Bruyne returned for City at Bournemouth after two months out with an injury, a spell where City won only four of their 12 matches, falling well behind in the title race and out of the FA Cup.

The last time De Bruyne played in the Premier League - 23 January - City were second, only three points behind leaders Leicester City. Pellegrini's team were the top scorers in the division, with 45 goals from 23 games, with the £55m summer signing having a hand in 14 (five goals and nine assists) of that total.

De Bruyne came back against Bournemouth on Saturday and City were leading 3-0 in less than 20 minutes, with the Belgian scoring the second in a man of the match performance.

He's returned just in time for the Champions League quarter-final with Paris Saint-Germain.

Kevin de Bruyne was excellent in his first game back since January (Getty)

Pato and youth offer glimpse of the future

It may have only been against Championship bound Aston Villa, but Chelsea offered a glimmer of hope to their supporters that things would be better next season in west London.

Guus Hiddink offered debuts to three players at Villa Park, with seven of the 14 players who appeared under 25.

Alexandre Pato scored and had a hand in all four goals on his Chelsea debut (Getty ) (Getty)

Alexandre Pato had a hand in all four goals and fit in straight away - he should be given every opportunity between now and the end of the season to prove he has a future at the club (especially if Diego Costa is as unhappy as he's been made out to be). Matt Miazga looked assured for a 20-year-old centre-back, Ruben Loftus-Cheek was excellent in midfield, while Baba Rahman, Kenedy, and Jake Clarke-Salter all offered glimpses of their raw potential, despite their performances being uneven.

The senior players on show, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro especially, were also excellent. Again, Aston Villa are a Championship side not putting up a fight, but Antonio Conte (or whoever comes in) has a solid base from which to start his rebuild.