Southampton vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight
Relive all the action from St Mary’s where Liverpool won to keep the pressure on Man City
Liverpool ensured the Premier League title race will go to the final day of the season by coming from behind to beat Southampton 2-1 at St Mary’s.
Joel Matip’s crucial second-half winner moved the Reds a single point behind leaders Manchester City to set up a tantalising finale on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp’s men knew they had to be victorious on the south coast to remain in contention to become top-flight champions for only the second time in 32 years and were stunned by Nathan Redmond’s superb solo opener.
But the much-changed visitors controlled proceedings for almost the entire evening and levelled through former Saints loanee Takumi Minamino before Matip completed the turnaround with the aid of a deflection off Kyle Walker-Peters.
The Reds, who remain in contention for an unprecedented quadruple, will welcome Wolves to Anfield in five days’ time, hoping Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa can do them a major favour away to City.
Relive all the action live below:
Southampton vs Liverpool
Southampton need four points from their remaining two games to eclipse last season’s final tally of 43.
But, the Saints have lost seven of their 10 most recent league matches which is as many defeats as in their opening 26 fixtures of the season.
Southampton vs Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp’s changes mean tonight’s game with be a tense affair for the Reds. Most of the first choice players are on the bench with Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk excluded from the squad entirely.
The changes signal Klopp’s focus on the Champions League final which takes place in just over a week’s time but he’ll still believe that this line up has enough firepower to earn three points against Southampton tonight.
Southampton vs Liverpool team changes
Ralph Hasenhuttl makes five changes to the Southampton team that lost to Brentford last time out. Alex McCarthy returns in goal with Lyanco and Jack Stephens coming into the defence. Mohamed Elyounoussi slots in alongside James Ward-Prowse in midfield and Nathan Tella partners Armando Broja up top.
Jurgen Klopp also makes a load of changes. Only Alisson and Ibrahima Konate remain in the starting XI from the team that lined up against Chelsea for the FA Cup final last Saturday. Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott come in alongside James Milner in the middle of the park with Takumi Minamino and Roberto Firmino start up front with Diogo Jota.
Southampton vs Liverpool line-ups
Southampton XI: McCarthy, Lyanco, Salisu, Stephens, Walker-Peters, Redmond, Diallo, Ward-Prowse, Elyounoussi, Broja, Tella
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Gomez, Konate, Matip, Tsimikas, Milner, Jones, Elliott, Minamino, Firmino, Jota
Gary Neville hails Andy Robertson as ‘best full back in the league by a mile’
Pundit Gary Neville says Liverpool’s Andy Robertson is the best full back “by a mile” in the Premier League.
The former Manchester United player insists the Scotland international “does more than anyone would ever notice” in a season where Liverpool are gunning for the quadruple.
The Reds have already won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, are in the Champions League final and they are chasing Manchester City in the Premier League.
Gary Neville hails Andy Robertson as ‘best full back in the league by a mile’
Liverpool’s Robertson is an “eight or nine” every week according to pundit Neville
Southampton vs Liverpool
Southampton have lost eight of the last nine league meetings between the teams with the exception in that run being a 1-0 home victory in January 2021 courtesy of an early Danny Ings goal.
The Saints can win a home league match against Liverpool in successive seasons for the first time since 2003-04 and 2004-05 but Liverpool defeated Southampton 4-0 at Anfield in the reverse fixture last November.
Klopp remembers 2018/19 title race
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have been in this position before. Trailing Manchester City until the last day of the 2018/19 season where both teams won and the Reds missed out on the title by just one point.
Something similar seems to be taking shape this year too and Jurgen Klopp spoke about his memories of that previous title race saying:
“It was the last matchday when they played Brighton, right? Brighton went 1-0 up, I could hear it in the stadium, I didn’t know they were 1-0 but I thought, ‘Probably they scored.’ I knew in that moment it’s too early, it doesn’t help. If we would have heard that sound in the 90th minute, I would have probably celebrated myself. So it was clear that City can respond. It was the last home game, so we had the walk and the only thing I felt was pride of the boys, incredible season, wow, all these kind of things.
“It was not a massive disappointment because it was not a surprise really that it happens. But the season was more a surprise than [the] finishing of the season, to be honest. The way the boys performed, the way we learned to put consistency in our performances, that made all the difference. And I knew in that moment we will get another chance, and obviously in life it’s all about timing. If we would have this year already 98 points or whatever, then we could become champions. At that time it was not possible with that amount of points. It’s all fine.
“I’m looking forward to the game tomorrow. Is it a chance, a big chance? I wouldn’t say so because I don’t know when City dropped points the last time two games in a row historically. So Aston Villa has to play in midweek when they are not used to that. As much as I’m sure they’re all professionals and these kind of things, they want to go at City, but City is a pretty good football team. So, I don’t expect City to drop points there. But that has no influence on our game for tomorrow. We know in an ideal world we go in the last matchday and are one point behind. That would be, from today’s point of view, the perfect scenario and that’s what we try to do.”
Saints playing ‘Champions League final’ against Liverpool says Hasenhuttl
Ralph Hasenhuttl says that this evening’s fixture is the equivalent of a Champions League final for his team as they have to contend with a Liverpool side who will play in Europe’s premium fixture later this month.
“They [the players] know how tough it is against the Champions League finalists. But it’s our Champions League final, if you want.” said the Southampton boss. “We are going for this with everything we have. And the team that is on the pitch is the team that will do everything to make them [the fans] proud. “The time you have on the ball will not be that high, I think. We know this, but you also have to play football in the right moments or otherwise you are struggling for defending. “So, play in the spaces you can play football and finally, be aware of the qualities they have.”
Jurgen Klopp expects to have to make changes for Liverpool’s trip to Southampton
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expects to have to make a number of changes for his side’s crucial Premier League trip to Southampton on Tuesday.
The FA Cup winners are back in action on the south coast just three days after Saturday’s draining success over Chelsea on penalties at Wembley.
Key pair Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk were both forced off with injuries during the weekend showpiece and Andy Robertson, who withdrew with cramp, may not be risked.
Jurgen Klopp expects to have to make changes for Liverpool’s trip to Southampton
The FA Cup winners are back in action on the south coast just three days after Saturday’s draining success over Chelsea on penalties at Wembley
‘You don’t know how long is left’: James Milner savouring Liverpool success and eyeing more
James Milner is playing the long game. In more ways than one, really, given he debuted in the Premier League at 16 and is still plying his trade there two decades later. He faced David Seaman in the top flight that season and the former England goalkeeper turns 59 this year. He lined up alongside Lucas Radebe in the FA Cup and the South African is now 53, while Milner became an FA Cup winner again last weekend.
When he traded Manchester City for Liverpool in 2015, he left a club who were champions a year earlier for one who had not claimed that accolade for a quarter of a century. A few weeks into his Anfield career, the manager who signed him, Brendan Rodgers, was sacked with Liverpool languishing in 10th.
Fast forward some six-and-a-half years, and Milner is in a third tight title race between City and Liverpool; the first in blue, the other two in red. He had intended to help restore Liverpool to past glories; do the quadruple, however, and they would outstrip anything even that has gone before. His has been a resolutely unglamorous part in their rise. His faith has been vindicated.
James Milner savouring Liverpool success and eyeing more
Liverpool’s oldest player has completed the career trophy set but still wants more as the season enters its final straight
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