EPL Table: Latest Week 26 Results, Scores and 2015 Premier League Standings

Manchester City reminded Premier League fans everywhere that this title race can still be a close one. The Citizens hit Newcastle United for five after leaders Chelsea were held 1-1 at home by Burnley.

There was a similar shift in momentum in the race for a top-four finish. Manchester United were beaten for the second time this season by Swansea City, allowing Arsenal to go third after beating Crystal Palace.

Here are the scores from Week 26:

Date	Match	Score
Saturday, February 21	Aston Villa vs. Stoke City	1-2
Saturday, February 21	Chelsea vs. Burnley	1-1
Saturday, February 21	Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal	1-2
Saturday, February 21	Hull City vs. Queens Park Rangers	2-1
Saturday, February 21	West Bromwich Albion vs. Sunderland	0-0
Saturday, February 21	Swansea City vs. Manchester United	2-1
Saturday, February 21	Manchester City vs. Newcastle United	5-0
Sunday, February 22	Tottenham vs. West Ham	2-2
Sunday, February 22	Everton vs. Leicester City	2-2
Sunday, February 22	Southampton vs. Liverpool	0-2

Here's what those scores mean for the overall table:

Position	Club	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Chelsea	26	18	6	2	56	22	34	60
2	Manchester City	26	16	7	3	56	25	31	55
3	Arsenal	26	14	6	6	49	29	20	48
4	Manchester United	26	13	8	5	44	26	18	47
5	Southampton	26	14	4	8	38	19	19	46
6	Liverpool	26	13	6	7	38	29	9	45
7	Tottenham Hotspur	26	13	5	8	41	36	5	44
8	West Ham United	26	10	9	7	38	30	8	39
9	Swansea City	26	10	7	9	30	34	-4	37
10	Stoke City	26	10	6	10	30	34	-4	36
11	Newcastle United	26	8	8	10	31	42	-11	32
12	Everton	26	6	10	10	33	37	-4	28
13	Crystal Palace	26	6	9	11	28	37	-9	27
14	West Bromwich Albion	26	6	9	11	24	34	-10	27
15	Hull City	26	6	8	12	25	35	-10	26
16	Sunderland	26	4	13	9	22	36	-14	25
17	Queens Park Rangers	26	6	4	16	27	45	-18	22
18	Burnley	26	4	10	12	25	44	-19	22
19	Aston Villa	26	5	7	14	13	36	-23	22
20	Leicester City	26	4	6	16	24	42	-18	18

Harry Kane Saves Point at the Death for Tottenham Hotspur

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Tottenham Hotspur left it very late to score the equaliser and salvage a point against London rivals West Ham United, as Harry Kane converted the rebound after missing a penalty deep in injury time to make it 2-2.

Per OptaJoe, it was the second-latest anyone has scored in the Premier League this season:

The Hammers had taken a 2-0 lead via Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho after little over an hour, before Danny Rose pulled Spurs back within one.

Spurs looked lively early but failed to show any real intensity after Sakho had made it 2-0, until Rose's strike in the 81st minute. The hosts pushed forward in numbers and threw all their might at a potential equaliser, and they were finally rewarded well past the 90-minute mark.

Alex Song brought down Kane inside the box, and while the young striker saw his penalty initially saved, he was in position to slot home the rebound. Former England international Gary Lineker couldn't help himself:

Spurs face a difficult trip to Italy in midweek to face Fiorentina in the second leg of the Europa League, needing to better the 1-1 result at White Hart Lane. La Viola enter the match with the away-goal advantage, so Spurs know they'll have their work cut out for them.

As shared by BBC Sport, manager Mauricio Pochettino didn't mince his words:

West Ham's push for a finish in the European slots seems all but over with this result, but Sam Allardyce's men can still look back on a fantastic campaign.

Kevin Friend Steals Headlines as Liverpool Beats Southampton

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Officials should never, ever be the main talking point after a match featuring two teams battling it out for a spot in one of the main European competitions. Unfortunately, after Sunday's debacle, referee Kevin Friend will receive as much exposure as the players themselves for his showing in the 2-0 Liverpool win.

The 43-year-old was simply awful. He missed several massive penalty decisions in the first half and failed to spot Liverpool's Simon Mignolet handling the ball outside his box. BBC Radio Nottingham's Robin Chipperfield couldn't believe it:

Bleacher Report UK summarised his first-half performance quite well:

Perhaps even worse than the big misses, Friend allowed Sunday's match to turn into a slugfest in midfield that saw more stoppages than actual football. With two of the league's most exciting teams out on the pitch, that should never have happened.

Anyone wondering what potential this match had only has to look at Philippe Coutinho's opener, a stunning long-range strike. Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez was beyond impressed:

Both squads had the quality to turn this into a fantastic afternoon of football, a joy to watch. Instead, things got out of hand early, and the match never recovered. That's as much on Friend as it is on the players.

Raheem Sterling added a second for the Reds, who survived the carnage the best and deservedly won on Sunday. Leaping over Tottenham in the standings, Liverpool sit just two points Manchester United, who currently occupy the fourth spot, which holds the final Champions League ticket.

Given their current form, you have to like the Reds' chances of continuing their run and at the very least finish among the Europa League spots. But if United continue to struggle, the Champions League should be a realistic goal. Saints still have a chance, but Ronald Koeman's troops should be aiming for the Europa League, not the Champions League.

City Superb in Attack

Even with a five-point cushion, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has to know he can't overlook a challenger with as much firepower as City. The reigning champions destroyed the Magpies with a brilliant display of pace, flair and creativity.

Goals from Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko and two from David Silva were the result of City's technical artistry. As good as that free-flowing group was, it was the latter who stole the show.

The mercurial playmaker produced a superb display, as numbers from WhoScored.com detail:

The cerebral Spaniard offered a reminder of just how important he is to City. When Silva gets the space to weave his magic, City are an attacking force few teams can repel.

Of course, it helps to have Aguero back and firing. The outrageously tricky striker improved his season tally and cemented his place as the deadliest frontman in England's top flight, per Squawka Football:

On this form, manager Manuel Pellegrini's team is still a viable contender to retain the title won last season.

Arsenal in Top-Four Form

Arsenal are hitting form at an ideal moment in the season. Arsene Wenger's squad is also showing increasingly resolute defensive chops to earn vital points.

The Gunners may have sauntered into a two-goal lead over Palace, but they ultimately relied on defensive resolve to protect the win. Squawka Football highlighted just how often the Gunners were called into action at the back:

The stubborn rearguard may seem out of character given Arsenal's form away from home in recent seasons. But the current campaign has seen a change in how the Gunners approach matches on their travels.

Now they are less concerned with bossing possession or creating the most chances. This season's team is more content to cede the initiative and strike selectively on the break.

It worked away to West Ham United in December and at City's Etihad Stadium in January. The same approach undid Palace.

Wenger praised his team's miserly performance at the back, per the Premier League's official Twitter feed:

Arsenal held on after Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud struck during the opening half. Cazorla converted yet another penalty, reinforcing his proficiency from the spot, per Opta Joe:

The Gunners have now lost just twice in all competitions since the turn of the year. With a forward-thinking creator such as Cazorla in such fine form, along with increasing defensive solidity, Wenger's team is a safe bet to maintain its near two-decade stay in the top four.

While many expect Arsenal to finish in that spot, not many would reckon City still being a viable contender in this season's title race. But Chelsea's minor wobble has certainly made things interesting at the summit.