Liverpool will go into the final day of the Premier League season still having a chance of winning the league title.
The Reds claimed a 2-1 win over Southampton on Tuesday night to move just one point behind Manchester City with one match left to play. Goals from Takumi Minamino and Joel Matip helped secure the valuable three points for Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp made nine changes to his starting line-up from the team that took to the pitch at Wembley for last weekend’s FA Cup final. Liverpool will now play Wolves at Anfield on the final day, while Man City host Aston Villa.
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Plenty of national media outlets were in attendance to watch Liverpool claim victory over Southampton. Here is a round-up of what they had to say.
Sam Wallace, via The Telegraph
“To the final day of the season, and although Liverpool’s chances of winning a 20th league title remain somewhere between a wing and a prayer, there is something about the way in which they keep coming back for more that makes you wonder.
“Over to Pep Guardiola and Steven Gerrard now, for the final decisive act of this Premier League season at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday where a win for the home team will deliver the Catalan’s fourth title in five years. But if it should transpire that arguably the greatest player in the history of Liverpool, and famously never a league champion there, can cause a monumental upset, then it would seem that Jurgen Klopp and his players are ready to pounce.
“On this occasion it was the understudies who prevailed for the Liverpool manager, with nine changes from the XI that started the FA Cup final on Saturday. Klopp described all this underused talent at his disposal for moments such as these as like having “Ferraris in the garage”.
“They play Wolverhampton Wanderers in the penultimate game of their epic season of maximum games and while it is hard to bet against City at home, it is even harder to do so against Liverpool. They are the only side still unbeaten in 2022, across 18 games and on this occasion, as with the previous Tuesday against Gerrard’s Aston Villa, they fell behind. Only to come back again with a long, determined onslaught on the opposition.
“There were 14 points between the two sides in January and now at the end of May just the one. Klopp suggested that from now it was a case of what might be won rather than what might be lost.”
David Hytner, via The Guardian
“Liverpool are going the distance. And so is their pursuit of the Premier League title. It is a remarkable detail of their season that they will play in every game of the four main competitions, with the Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday week set to be the last one. Before that – and with the domestic cups already secure – they will attempt to complete the third leg of an unprecedented quadruple.
“They will still need the league leaders, Manchester City, to slip up at home against Aston Villa on the final day on Sunday and what a storyline that could be. City have injury problems in defence and one particular Liverpudlian will be keen to capitalise – the Villa manager, Steven Gerrard.
“Liverpool will have to beat Wolves at home and hope that City draw or lose but it will go to the wire after Jürgen Klopp’s team proved too strong for Southampton. Klopp rotated heavily, retaining only Alisson and Ibrahima Konaté from the lineup that had started the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday and, for the opening 20 minutes, they struggled. Southampton were bright and they led through Nathan Redmond.
“But thereafter, it was an exercise in Liverpool reeling them in. Takumi Minamino, who was on loan at Southampton last season, got the equaliser and, although Joël Matip’s winner was undercut by an element of fortune, it had been coming. Liverpool came to dominate the ball and there was only one team asking the questions in the final third.”
Ed Elliot, via The Independent
“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.”
Paul Gorst, via the Liverpool Echo
“The more things change at Liverpool, the more they stay the same for Jurgen Klopp.
“That statement is just as applicable to the raft of alterations in Klopp's starting XI here at St Mary's just as much as it is for the fate of his Premier League title quest.
“Nine changes were made in total for this 2-1 win over Southampton as the manager rested and rotated some key names after Saturday's exacting, draining FA Cup final victory.
“But the outcome was exactly the same: Another Liverpool triumph. One that takes it to the final throes of a remarkable season.
“For the second time in just four seasons, the Reds will head into the 38th game locked in a tussle with Manchester City for the biggest prize in English football.
“It's just the ninth time the destination Premier League crown has been decided on the final day since its inception 30 years ago and while no team who have ever headed into it on top have faltered, there is certainly a first for everything.
“Just like three years ago, Klopp's side will host Wolves at Anfield as they keep their fingers crossed for a shock stumble from City elsewhere. This time around, Pep Guardiola's men entertain an Aston Villa team that will head to Manchester with Steven Gerrard at the helm and former Reds Danny Ings and Philippe Coutinho in the lineup.
“If there is to be a dramatic, 11th-hour twist in the tale then it will be a story penned by the Hollywood script writers themselves, clearly. Gerrard's Villa couldn't, could they?”
