Liverpool ensured the Premier League title race will go down to the final day after coming from behind to beat Southampton 2-1 at St Mary’s on Tuesday night. Goals from Takumi Minamino and Joel Matip saw Jurgen Klopp’s men move to within one point of title rivals Manchester City as the Reds have been left to call in a favour from former favourite Steven Gerrard, who will take his Aston Villa side to the Etihad on Sunday.
Klopp’s side suffered a setback within 15 minutes as Nathan Redmond saw his curling effort find the top right-hand corner via a slight deflection. Minamino then smashed in the equaliser against his former side 12 minutes later after Diogo Jota controlled Joe Gomez’s fizzed pass and played the Japanese forward in.
Liverpool’s makeshift line-up, which included nine changes for Saturday’s FA Cup final, then completed the comeback with around 25 minutes to play. Matip proved to be the match-winner as his instinctive stooping header looped into the far corner.
Three poitns for Klopp’s side mean the Premier League title race will now be decided on this season’s final day, this Sunday. Express Sport take a closer look at five things we learned from Liverpool’s comeback success over Southampton on the south coast.
Title race will go down to the final day
It was always going to be a tough ask to pip City to the Premier League title following the Reds’ recent draw with Tottenham, but their faint hopes remain alive after they battled back to claim all three points against Southampton on Tuesday. Though it remains unlikely Liverpool will reclaim the Premier League crown come Sunday, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
A comeback win over the Saints saw Klopp’s side move to within one point of title rivals City heading into the final day. Though the Reds still require Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa to do them a favour in upsetting City at the Etihad on Sunday, there’s still a chance of being crowned champions.
Klopp’s side must do their bit by beating Wolves at Anfield as City’s superior goal difference could come into play. Will there be one final twist in this most enthralling of Premier League title race run-ins?
Quadruple charge is taking its toll
With Liverpool having played 120 minutes at Wembley as recently as Saturday, and with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk having sustained knocks, it came as little surprise to see Klopp ring the changes at St Mary’s. Few would have anticipated as many as nine, however.
Only Alisson and Ibrahima Konate retained their places from the Reds’ FA Cup final victory at the weekend as the quadruple charge continued to take its toll. With Liverpool still in with a fighting chance of reclaiming the Premier League title following Manchester City’s 2-2 draw at West Ham on Sunday, Klopp’s decision to make near-wholesale changes was something of a gamble.
However, the German’s selection underlined just how much faith he has in his squad. With the Champions League final a mere 11 days away, and with Van Dijk and Salah having suffered scares on Saturday, it was a calculated risk Klopp simply had to take.
Minamino must seek first-team football
Having clinched a domestic couple double this season, Liverpool have ensured this campaign will go down in the club’s rich history books – and the contribution of Minamino shouldn’t be overlooked. The Japanese international has been used sparingly by Klopp throughout the season, but when given his chance, has almost always seized it.
The 27-year-old will finish this season as the club’s top goalscorer in both the League Cup and FA Cup having contributed seven goals in nine appearances across both competitions combined. On Tuesday night, the forward further underlined his worth by adding his third Premier League goal of the season to that haul.
Minamino, who refused to celebrate against Southampton – the club with whom he spent the second half of last season on loan, will be entering his the final year of his contract this summer, but simply has to move on. The former RB Salzburg star has played his part in the Reds success over recent years but must now show his selfish streak by seeking first-team opportunities elsewhere. He’s too good to be a bit-part player.
There’s life in the old dog yet
While there remain question marks over James Milner’s future at Liverpool, there can be little doubting whether the veteran midfielder should continue his illustrious career. The midfielder is another who has been a loyal servant to Klopp’s cause and has always delivered when called upon.
On Tuesday night, the 36-year-old once again proved his worth. Milner created five chances in the first half – as many as every other player on the pitch combined.
With his contract up at the end of the campaign, it remains to be seen if the former England man will still be with the Reds next season, but his performance at St Mary’s proved he’s nowhere near finished just yet. Should he part ways with Liverpool this summer, one would imagine there will be a lengthy list of suitors queuing up to add someone of Milner’s experience and consistent quality to their ranks.
Klopp right to feel aggrieved
The Liverpool boss came in for some heavy criticism after his outburst over fixture scheduling this week, but against Southampton he was right to feel aggrieved. A day after Klopp slammed the Premier League’s decision to timetable in the Reds’ trip to Southampton on Tuesday – just three days after the FA Cup final – the German continued his “whining”.
This time it was about a decision – or lack of – in the build up to Southampton’s opener. After receiving the ball to feet, Diogo Jota looked to have clearly been bumped from behind by Saints centre-back Lyanco. However, match referee Martin Atkinson waved play on to devastating effect for Klopp’s side as Redmond curled home.
The German was visibly livid at the decision and, on this occasion, he had every right to be. Redmond’s strike decisively denied the Reds all three points and saw Liverpool’s faint title hopes all but ended.
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