1) Derby D-day for Mancini

The jury is out on Roberto Mancini's future. The fresh five-year deal he signed last summer was a weighty show of commitment from his employers. Fast forward to 1 April and his Manchester City side are 15 points behind Manchester United, having bombed in the Champions League, finishing bottom of their group. Yet City are five points clear in second position having beaten Newcastle 4-0 on Saturday and there is an FA Cup semi-final to come in a fortnight's time. There is also next Monday's trip to Old Trafford in the league. If United beat Chelsea in the Cup quarter-final replay at Stamford Bridge, this means two consecutive meetings between the crosstown rivals. Two derbies to define Mancini's future may be a little strong but victories in each will hardly harm his prospects of taking his seat on the bench when the 2013-14 campaign commences in August. Jamie Jackson

2) International rescue

Wigan's 1-0 win over Norwich represented their first clean sheet in 15 Premier League home matches this season but it was another maiden event that pleased their manager, Roberto Martínez, most. Never before during the Spaniard's tenure had the Lancashire club been triumphant immediately after an international break but the squad returned from such far-flung places as Australia, Bolivia, Ivory Coast, Panama and Peru – in total 13 players travelled a combined 120,000 miles in the week that preceded the fixture – to make it nine points out of the last 12 in the Premier League. Richard Gibson

3) Bale deserves to be Footballer of the Year

Should Gareth Bale be the Footballer of the Year? There is a school of thought that insists the award should go a player who has been influential in his team winning a major trophy. That probably means Robin van Persie, whose goals are firing Manchester United to the Premier League title, but I have never gone along with collective success being the overriding criterion for what is, by definition, an individual honour. Bale, who is now performing the No10 role for Tottenham, made it 22 goals for the season at Swansea on Saturday, which must be the best return for a converted full-back since Malcolm Macdonald was in his pomp. It is an interesting statistic that the Welshman has now scored more times from outside the penalty area than anybody in Europe's top leagues. Full marks for the spectacular too, then. He has my vote. Joe Lovejoy

4) The Arsenal Penalty Mystery

Winner of the Most-Nailed-On-Penalty-That-Wasn't-Given award this season has to go to Stuart Taylor's wipeout of Olivier Giroud in Arsenal's win over Reading on Saturday. The striker latched on to a pass, touched it by Taylor and was then brought crashing to the ground by the Reading and former Arsenal goalkeeper. It was not even one of those "He got the ball first" moments. Taylor did not; he got nowhere near it. He got the man and only the man. How the referee Chris Foy – or at least an assistant – did not spot it will remain one of life's great mysteries. Russell Kempson

5) Everton's Plan B

When Everton's Champions League push hit the skids in January, one of the main reasons was the absence of Kevin Mirallas. Without him Everton were too often predictable. When his compatriot Marouane Fellaini was not doing the business, neither were the team in royal blue. If the 25-year-old's fragile hamstrings were a little less taut, Everton might have had more than just an outside chance of Champions League football next season. His wonderful solo goal in which he ran from within his own half against Stoke on Saturday, twisting the defence this way and that along the way, perfectly illustrated his value to the team. Against stubborn opposition who have bolted the door shut, he can be Everton's sneak thief, nipping in through the side window to snatch the three points and leave the opposition bereft. Everton will probably lose Fellaini in the summer but they must do all they can to keep hold of their other brilliant Belgian. Gregg Bakowski

6) Mulumbu's majestic meltdown

We have all been there – the red mist descends, the rag gets well and truly lost. Just for an instant blind rage wraps his gnarled fingers around the brain and forces a reaction. Then the moment passes and we are left to nurse whichever part of our anatomy we have slammed into the wall. And, for most of us, that is that. Unfortunately for West Brom's Youssouf Mulumbu his meltdown was a much more public affair than most, with the slightest of tugs from Gary O'Neil, in the 95th minute of West Ham's 3-1 win over Albion, enough to send the midfielder into a fury. The funniest red card of the season? John Ashdown

7) Ferguson's right-back dilemma

A slight wince ran across Sir Alex Ferguson's face as Rafael da Silva limped off in Man United's 1-0 victory over Sunderland with a groin strain, confirming after the game that his full-back will miss United's FA Cup quarter-final replay against Chelsea on Monday – the Brazilian has been a key cog in a United defence that has now not conceded in 670 minutes in the Premier League. Whoever replaces Rafael at Stamford Bridge will mark Eden Hazard, who scored a stunning goal at Old Trafford last month and is Rafa Benítez's best player at present, and whilst Chris Smalling looks the most likely candidate, having aptly deputised for Rafael on Saturday, he lacks the Brazilian's energy going forward. A better choice may be the returning Phil Jones, who has more attacking drive than Smalling and could negate Hazard in the same way he did Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabéu in February (albeit from a more central area). Michael Butler

8) Lambert for England?

Southampton's Rickie Lambert marked his 500th league game with a wonderful free-kick against Chelsea, becoming the leading English scorer in the top flight this season in the process. Not bad for a player who spent several months without a club when he was released by Blackpool as a teenager in 2000. It is an achievement that is bound to stir up a few Lambert-for-England calls (and his 14-goal tally is only two fewer than Daniel Sturridge (5), Danny Welbeck (one) and Jermain Defoe (10) have mustered between them). Is it something that Roy Hodgson should contemplate? John Ashdown

9) Villa keep Petrov in their hearts

Defeat by Liverpool on Sunday has increased Aston Villa's relegation fears and it was obvious from the faces of those supporters who braved the biting Easter cold to watch Paul Lambert's side succumb yet again that many fear the worst. Yet whatever happens, Villa fans should take pride and satisfaction from how they have maintained their support for Stiliyan Petrov during this difficult season. It was 12 months ago this past weekend that the midfielder was diagnosed with leukaemia and every game since, home and away, his plight has been remembered with a round of applause on 19 minutes, an acknowledgment of the Bulgarian's shirt number. It happened on cue on Sunday and, as ever, proved a stirring reminder that for all the criticism they receive, football supporters retain the capacity for genuinely moving displays of affection and admiration. Sachin Nakrani

10) The fashion police

Do not adjust your set. Photograph: Screengrab

Dwight Yorke got dressed in the dark again. And remember people, this is a man that was once voted Britain's 'Best Dressed Man' in 1999 ...