Jurgen Klopp classed Liverpool’s chances of winning the Premier League title as “not likely but possible” after a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Tuesday night moved them within a point of leaders Manchester City.
It means the fate of the title race remains in City’s own hands; if they beat Aston Villa on Sunday, they will be crowned champions for the fourth time in five years, with Liverpool’s victory in 2020 the only interruption.
The Reds looked as though they might have conceded the league early when a second-string line-up went down 1-0 to Southampton early on, but goals from Takumi Minamino and Joel Matip turned that result around and ensured they would have one eye on Aston Villa’s visit to the Etihad on Sunday.
“It is possible, not likely but possible. That is enough,” Klopp said of Liverpool’s hopes.
Premier League title race
Table
- 1. Manchester City – 90 points, GD +72
- 2. Liverpool – 89 points, GD +66
Fixtures
- Manchester City vs Aston Villa, Sunday 22 May, 4pm
- Liverpool vs Wolves, Sunday 22 May, 4pm
Permutations
- If Man City win, the Premier League title is theirs
- If Man City draw or lose and Liverpool win, the Reds take the title
- If Man City draw and Liverpool draw, City take the title
- If Man City lose by more six goals, Liverpool would only need a point to secure the title on goal difference
“Of course it is unlikely because City play at home against Aston Villa, who play only on Thursday. It will be tough against Burnley, they fight for survival.
“But it is football. I think the time when City became champion [in 2019] it was because of 11 millimetres.”
That particular margin refers to John Stones’ clearance off the line for City against Liverpool. The Goal Decision System showed the defender a shot just in time to keep the score at 0-0. City went on to win 2-1 and claim the title four months later by just a point.
“If someone wants us to be champion then we have to win first and Aston Villa need to get a point at City,” Klopp added.
“We all know. We never gave up. We’ll give it a try.
“It’s our home game, last home game of season. The atmosphere will be outstanding. We’ll try to use it.
“We have to do our job. Football is a tricky game sometimes. Aston Villa play on Thursday and then Sunday. We’ll see but you have to focus on yourselves.”
Pep’s finest achievement will be beating this Liverpool side
By Kevin Garside, i‘s chief sports correspondent
We have a Premier League finale worthy of the rivalry. Liverpool, even in this reduced circumstance, deserve nothing less. Manchester City require three points to be certain of retaining their crown. They may yet lose at home to Aston Villa and still prevail. However it plays out on coronation Sunday there is jeopardy in the day.
And should he triumph, this will surely be regarded as Pep Guardiola’s finest achievement yet in England, for he will have bettered a team he regards with justification as the most beautiful he has seen.
Just the nine changes for Liverpool here but no diminution of authority or scale. They fell behind to a worldie yet never broke stride.
Jürgen Klopp had absolute belief in a selection that still looked stronger than Southampton’s and would prove it on a night that, had it ended in defeat, would have gifted City a celebratory last afternoon.
There was surprisingly no place in the home line-up for the likes of Oriol Romeu, Che Adams, Stuart Armstrong or Jan Bednarek. Perhaps they have a big end of season shindig in Paris coming too?
The weather came out in sympathy with the team-sheets. At the end of the warmest day of the year on the south coast it was all over the place, not knowing whether to rain or shine. The showers at least brought the temperatures down and made an already optimised playing surface more perfect than Plato’s forms.
It was a great pity, if inevitable in a season of more than 60 games, that one of the finest club sides ever assembled in the English game should have to contest such a critical fixture sans la crème de la crème.
However, had Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk not been injured they would probably not have made the starting line-up. Still a team including Alisson Becker, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota, Ibrahima Konaté, Joël Matip and Harvey Elliott would cheer up a few managers in the Premier League and was way too good for the hosts.
Seven minutes past the hour the Southampton dam broke. From Liverpool’s eighth corner of the night, Matip put the nut on Kostas Tsimikas’s delivery to send then ball looping into the top corner. Liverpool were now within a point of the leaders. They will not be holding back against Wolves on Sunday. There is life in the quadruple yet.
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