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:
A must win game for Liverpool
Liverpool trail Premier League leaders Manchester City by four points, with the trip to Southampton their game in hand.
Defeat at St Mary’s Stadium would end their title chances but a draw could be equally destructive. If Liverpool pick up one point tonight they will mathematically still be in the title race but their hopes of lifting the trophy will be shattered.
Man City have a goal difference of +7 on the Reds meaning Liverpool would have to put at least that many past Wolves without reply on Sunday and also hope City lose to Aston Villa.
Even if Liverpool win tonight, they are banking on Villa getting a result against the Premier League leaders. If City win on Sunday the title is theirs, anything less and Jurgen Klopp’s men are in with a chance.
That goal difference remains a problem though and Klopp will be hoping his team can get ahead early this evening and run up a sizeable lead to reduce the deficit.
Hasenhuttl on achieving ‘big’ things
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is confident that his team can get a positive result against Liverpool tonight and pointed to the Saints’ other performances against ‘big six’ teams as confirmation of his team’s determination.
“I think we have shown in the past that we can be committed in these games,” he said. “When I remember these games this season at home against the big teams, I remember the Tottenham game where we were one man down.
“We did a fantastic job against Arsenal. We have one [draw] against Man City. We have drawn against Man United.
“So we have shown against the top teams that we can, together, achieve something very big. And this is what we need on Tuesday evening.”
Klopp on Salah and Van Dijk
Jurgen Klopp gave an update yesterday on the fitness of Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk after both players were subbed off in the FA Cup final against Chelsea.
"The target is they could be involved again at the weekend," said Klopp. "It’s very positive. We’re realistic about the Wolves game, but for tomorrow, [we’d] rather not."
That means that the Reds will need to defeat Southampton tonight without two of their most influential players in order to keep the title race alive.
This is why Liverpool fans boo the national anthem and this is what would stop it
The contrast between Boris Johnson and Jurgen Klopp could not be starker. The Liverpool manager would make a great statesman. He is honest, takes responsibility, cares about people in worse situations than himself and does his best to contribute to a wider society.
The prime minister is the polar opposite.
When Klopp talks politics, it makes sense. When Johnson pontificates about football, it’s more of the same bluster that has characterised his entire career. On Monday, according to certain sections of the media, Johnson “slapped down” Klopp because the 54-year-old suggested it might be worth at least exploring the reasons why Liverpool fans booed the national anthem and the Queen’s grandson before the FA Cup final on Saturday. A spokesman said the prime minister disagreed with Klopp and called the behaviour of the supporters a “great shame”. It takes some fairly deranged spin to see this as a slap-down. Klopp probably hasn’t even noticed that he’s supposed to have been put in his place.
This is why Liverpool fans boo the national anthem and this is what would stop it
The booing is a cry for justice, for equality, a howl against hunger and poverty. It is depressing that so many in Britain cannot hear that
Jurgen Klopp defends Liverpool fans who booed national anthem at Wembley
Jurgen Klopp has defended the Liverpool fans who booed the national anthem before his side’s FA Cup final victory on Saturday.
Supporters of the club at Wembley voiced their displeasure on several occasions prior to kick-off, most prominently during the rendition of “God Save the Queen”.
The image of Prince William, president of the Football Association (FA), was also jeered when shown on the big screen.
Jurgen Klopp defends Liverpool fans who booed national anthem at Wembley
Klopp believes that fans would not boo ‘without reason’
Early team news for Southampton vs Liverpool
Southampton could see Fraser Forster and Stuart Armstrong return after both players returned to training at the weekend. They have been struggling with back and knee problems respectively but tonight’s game may be too soon for them and it is more likely that they’ll feature against Leicester on Sunday.
Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have been ruled out for tonight’s clash after the pair went off during Saturday’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea at Wembley. Fabinho is also missing with a muscle injury while Andy Robertson is a doubt after feeling cramp on Saturday.
Southampton vs Liverpool
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Southampton’s Premier League clash with Liverpool.
The Saints have already secured a spot in the competition next season and will be looking to end the year on a high. They’ll draw on memories of this fixture from January 2021 when Danny Ings scored inside the opening two minutes and the home side held on to give Ralph Hasentuttl’s men their first win in nine Premier League meetings against the Reds.
However, the Liverpool of this campaign are a different prospect altogether. They are still fighting to achieve an unprecedented quadruple having already secured the Carabao and FA Cups. Jurgen Klopp’s men are also into the final of the Champions League and trail Manchester City by four points in the Prem. That means they must beat Southampton tonight to keep the pressure on City and take the title race into the final day of the season. If they lose this evening the title will once again be heading to Manchester.
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