Premier League Results: 2016 EPL Week 18 Tuesday Scores, Table and Top Scorers

Liverpool moved back into second place in the Premier League after beating Stoke City 4-1 at Anfield on Tuesday. The Reds are six points behind leaders Chelsea, thanks to goals from Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino, along with an own goal from Giannelli Imbula, which cancelled out Jonathan Walters' opener for the Potters.

Substitute Daniel Sturridge opened his Premier League account with around 20 minutes to go, after Stoke skipper Ryan Shawcross was guilty of a blunder at the back.

Here's what the full table looks like after Tuesday's result:

Position	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goal Difference	Points
1	Chelsea	18	15	1	2	27	46
2	Liverpool	18	12	4	2	24	40
3	Manchester City	18	12	3	3	19	39
4	Arsenal	18	11	4	3	20	37
5	Tottenham Hotspur	17	9	6	2	17	33
6	Manchester United	18	9	6	3	9	33
7	Everton	18	7	5	6	2	26
8	Southampton	17	6	6	5	1	24
9	West Bromwich Albion	18	6	5	7	1	23
10	Watford	18	6	4	8	-8	22
11	West Ham United	18	6	4	8	-9	22
12	Bournemouth	18	6	3	9	-8	21
13	Stoke City	18	5	6	7	-8	21
14	Burnley	18	6	2	10	-11	20
15	Middlesbrough	18	4	6	8	-4	18
16	Leicester City	18	4	5	9	-8	17
17	Crystal Palace	18	4	4	10	-4	16
18	Sunderland	18	4	2	12	-15	14
19	Swansea City	18	3	3	12	-20	12
20	Hull City	18	3	3	12	-25	12

Here are the division's top scorers:

Player	Club	Goals
Diego Costa	Chelsea	13
Alexis Sanchez	Arsenal	12
Zlatan Ibrahimovic	Manchester United	12
Romelu Lukaku	Everton	10
Sergio Aguero	Manchester City	10
Eden Hazard	Chelsea	9
Theo Walcott	Arsenal	8
Jermain Defoe	Sunderland	8
Sadio Mane	Liverpool	8
Michail Antonio	West Ham United	8

Recap

Stoke actually began well at Anfield, unnerving the hosts with some high pressing and bold play in the final third. In particular, manager Mark Hughes' decision to play two up top, with Walters alongside ex-Liverpool target man Peter Crouch, provided a constant threat.

Another former Liverpool player wearing Stoke colours, midfield playmaker Joe Allen, was also influential during the first half. The Welshman was always eager to get on the ball and probed well between the lines.

Stoke got their reward for a positive start when Walters opened the scoring in the 12th minute. The bullish forward met a testing cross from defender Erik Pieters with a deft header.

Walters has made a habit of punishing Liverpool throughout his career, according to Sky Sports Statto:

Liverpool were struggling to cope with Stoke's accurate and direct passing, distribution designed to bypass the pressing-in-packs approach the hosts have tormented teams with this season.

However, not many opponents keep Liverpool quiet at Anfield for long. The Reds were level when classy schemer Lallana scored after a mistake from Stoke right-back Glen Johnson, yet another former Liverpool player making his return through the Shankly Gates.

For Lallana, the goal confirmed his growing aptitude as an attacking force, something highlighted by these numbers from BBC Match of the Day:

Lallana has responded well to manager Jurgen Klopp's expansive style of play, but Liverpool's main danger man is still Firmino. The Brazilian made it 2-1 just two minutes before half-time.

Firmino has been more prolific than some of the deadliest marksmen in England's top flight during this calendar year, per Squawka:

"

Roberto Firmino has scored more Premier League goals (15) in 2016 than Jamie Vardy (14) and Romelu Lukaku (13). pic.twitter.com/3VKQM6DunC

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 27, 2016"

Firmino and Lallana getting on the scoresheet also brought to light another strength within this squad. Specifically, the goals are being shared among a host of prolific attackers, as Squawka detailed:

It was 3-1 less than 15 minutes into the second half when Imbula turned a low cross from Divock Origi into his own net. There was still time for substitute Sturridge to net a landmark goal for Klopp's men.

He pounced on a gaffe from Stoke centre-back Shawcross to score a first Premier League goal of the season, according to OptaJoe:

Sturridge's goal also meant Liverpool have reached triple digits in scoring since Klopp took charge:

It's a testament to the attacking football he's brought to Merseyside. Klopp's fidelity to relentless pressing and rapid exchanges of passes in the final third has made Liverpool legitimate title contenders this season.

Chelsea still have a solid lead, but Liverpool's ability to score in bunches and get goals from everywhere means the Reds will stay in the hunt for the long haul.