Premier League Table: 2016 Standings, Week 19 Fixtures After Week 18 Results

Tottenham Hotspur kept their top-four hopes alive after thrashing Southampton 4-1 at St Mary's Stadium on Wednesday. Two goals from Dele Alli, along with strikes from Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, gave Spurs all three points after Virgil van Dijk had put the hosts in front early on.

Spurs played most of the second half against 10 men after Southampton winger Nathan Redmond received a red card for bringing down Alli in the box before the hour mark. In a mild shock, Kane was wasteful from the spot, skying his effort over the bar.

Tottenham stay fifth but are now one point adrift of north London rivals Arsenal in the race to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League. Yet Spurs are still 10 points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea in the title race.

The Blues have won 12 straight in England's top flight and will host Stoke City at Stamford Bridge on New Year's Eve, making them a strong bet to make it 13.

Week 19's biggest game will be the tussle between second-placed Liverpool and third-placed Manchester City at Anfield. The loser risks leaving themselves with too much to do to catch Chelsea in the title race.

Here's what the table looks like after the final match of Week 18:

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	37
4	Arsenal	18	11	4	3	20	37
5	Tottenham Hotspur	18	10	6	2	20	36
6	Manchester United	18	9	6	3	9	33
7	Everton	18	7	5	6	2	26
8	Southampton	18	6	6	6	-2	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 fixtures for Week 19:

Date	Time (GMT/ET)	Match
Friday, December 30	8 p.m./3 p.m.	Hull City vs. Everton
Saturday, December 31	3 p.m./10 a.m.	Burnley vs. Sunderland
Saturday, December 31	3 p.m./10 a.m.	Chelsea vs. Stoke City
Saturday, December 31	3 p.m./10 a.m.	Leicester City vs. West Ham United
Saturday, December 31	3 p.m./10 a.m.	Manchester United vs. Middlesbrough
Saturday, December 31	3 pm./10 a.m.	Southampton vs. West Bromwich Albion
Saturday, December 31	3 p.m./10 a.m.	Swansea City vs. Bournemouth
Saturday, December 31	5:30 p.m./12:30 p.m.	Liverpool vs. Manchester City
Sunday, January 1	1:30 p.m./8:30 a.m.	Watford vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Sunday, January 1	4 p.m./11 a.m.	Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace

Recap

Spurs showed their battling qualities after going behind to Van Dijk's well-placed header just a minute after kick-off. The Saints had Tottenham rattled early by hunting in packs in midfield.

Oriol Romeu and Steven Davis harried the man in possession and always looked to launch quick breaks. It took a last-ditch interception by left-back Danny Rose to prevent the Saints from doubling their advantage.

Rose's heroics were probably the turning point of the game, as Tottenham seized control soon afterwards when Alli headed them level after rising to beat Van Dijk to a deflected cross.

Things were deadlocked at the break, despite Spurs' obvious superiority. It took just seven minutes after the restart for Kane to put Tottenham ahead thanks to a deft header at the near post to meet Christian Eriksen's perfectly weighted corner.

As Sky Sports Statto pointed out, no striker in England's top flight is deadlier on his travels than Kane:

Kane then ballooned over from the spot after Alli won a penalty. It was a decision that led to Redmond's dismissal.

Even against 10 men, it took Spurs until the 84th minute to put the game out of reach. The goal was worth waiting for, though, as Son finished smartly after being put through by Eriksen.

For a statistic sure to please Tottenham fans, Danish schemer Eriksen is now outperforming Arsenal's chief playmaker, according to Squawka:

Alli completed the rout with a terrific curling shot to punish slack defending.

On this form, Spurs are beginning to look like the efficient and resourceful side that took the fight for the title to the bitter end last season. While the big prize is likely beyond manager Mauricio Pochettino's men this season, another top-four finish is more than in sight.

With Tottenham clicking, Arsenal must be wary. The Gunners must also know their margin for error has been all but eliminated.

Spurs will look to keep up the fight at Watford on New Year's Day before Arsenal host Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium later in the day. Those are winnable fixtures for both local rivals, meaning this fight will go on.