Sundaymail Editor
Liverpool have taken the Premier League title race down to the final day of the season after coming from behind to beat Southampton 2-1 at St Mary’s.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp raised plenty of eyebrows with his decision to make nine changes to his side from Saturday’s penalty shootout victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley, with only goalkeeper Alisson and centre-back Ibrahima Konate staying in the starting XI.
The likes of Mohamed Salah and former Saints players Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane were nowhere to be seen on the south coast, with Klopp opting to rest some of his star players ahead of next weekend’s Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris.
The Reds boss did come under fire in some quarters for the decisions, and it looked as though they may come back to bite him when Nathan Redmond fired Saints ahead early on with the aid of a deflection.
However it wasn’t long before Takumi Minamino, one of the Reds’ barely seen players whose last Premier League start came during a loan spell at Southampton last season, fired Liverpool level with a powerful finish.
The Reds then pushed for a second in the second half, and were rewarded when Joel Matip headed home a corner from FA Cup penalty shootout hero Kostas Tsimikas.
Liverpool were able to see out the victory to move to 89 points from their 37 Premier League matches this season, however that still places them one point behind Manchester City ahead of the final weekend of the season.
That means that Pep Guardiola’s City, who drew 2-2 at West Ham on Sunday, will win their fourth league title in the past five seasons if they beat Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium this coming Sunday.
Anything less than a win though, and Liverpool could pounce.
The Reds play host to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on Sunday, and a win would give them the title if City draw or lose at home to Villa.
Goal difference – which stands at +72 for City and +66 for Liverpool – now cannot come into the equation at all. – Mirror
Online Reporter