Week 18 of the English Premier League is finally done and dusted after Liverpool and Spurs hammer Stoke & Southampton respectively.
Football fans should be giving Liverpool some festive cheer for keeping this Premier League race open. Chelsea is a juggernaut at the moment, but Liverpool is still in the rearview mirror after thumping Stoke 4-1.
The gap is only six points, and with Liverpool scoring 86 goals in 2016, they can be real title contenders if they stop conceding sloppy goals and sort out their goalkeeping situation.
Once again, Jurgen Klopp preferred Simone Mignolet to Loris Karius between the Liverpool sticks, and he should have prevented Jon Walters opening the scoring in the 12th minute.
Stoke had come to Anfield with a game plan. They were in faces; aggressive and full of spirit, and if they could have held on until half time maybe they could have escaped with at least a point.
But Liverpool is a formidable outfit at Anfield these days. Unbeaten in the league this season once Adam Lallana and Firmino had given them a 2-1 lead at half-time, there was only ever going to be one winner.
Stoke simply ran out of steam in the second half allowing Liverpool to score two more goals through a Giannelli Imbula own goal and Daniel Sturridge’s first league goal of the season after coming off the sub’s bench.
The victory pushes Liverpool ahead of Man City by a single point. The pair clash at Anfield on New Year’s Eve. Inconsistent Stoke is now winless in four. Next up for Mark Hughes’s men? A trip to Stamford Bridge.
Spurs Hammer Southampton
Spurs maintained their pursuit of a Champions League berth after a comfortable win against 10-men Southampton at St Mary’s. It’s a happy stomping ground for Spurs who have now won four out of their last five visits.
But Southampton is no mugs and proved it by taking a second-minute lead courtesy of a Virgil van Dijk header. However, Spurs were soon level thanks to the first of two goals from Dele Alli. His towering header was his 15th league goal for Spurs in 50 appearances.
Harry Kane scored his first goal in three matches within 10-minutes of the restart to give Spurs the lead. And he should have sealed the victory five minutes later when handed the opportunity to convert from the penalty spot. Referee Mike Dean gave Nathan Redmond a red card for his troubles. Kane smashed his penalty over the stand.
With the pacy Redmond out of the picture, Southampton regrouped and tried to prevent Spurs from breaching their defence, but Mauricio Pochettino has a few lock pickers in his team. Son Heung-Min came off the bench to score Spurs third goal in the 85th minute before Alli added a fourth with time running out.
Spurs are now three points ahead of Man Utd and one behind rivals Arsenal in the chase for a top-four spot. Southampton remains a respectful eighth.
Premier League Results (Week 18)
Watford 1 v 1 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 1 v 0 West Brom
Burnley 1 v 0 Middlesborough
Swansea 1 v 4 West Ham
Man Utd 3 v 1 Sunderland
Chelsea 3 v 0 Bournemouth
Leicester 0 v 2 Everton
Hull 0 v 3 Man City
Liverpool 4 v 1 Stoke
Southampton 4 v 1 Spurs
Premier League Table
1. Chelsea – 46
2. Liverpool – 40
3. Man City – 39
4. Arsenal – 37
5. Spurs – 36
6. Man Utd – 33
7. Everton – 26
8. Southampton – 24
9. West Brom – 23
10. Watford – 22
11. West Ham – 22
12. Stoke – 21
13. Bournemouth – 21
14. Burnley – 20
15. Middlesbrough – 18
16. Leicester – 17
17. Crystal Palace – 16
18. Sunderland – 14
19. Swansea – 12
20. Hull – 12
Premier League Title Odds (Courtesy of Bodog)
Chelsea -150
Man City +500
Liverpool +600
Arsenal +1000
Man Utd +2000
