The 2021/2022 Premier League season will see one last crazy day on Sunday, as Liverpool move one point closer to Manchester City with Tuesday’s win over Southampton (2-1).
The Citizens will retain the Prediction Preference with 90 vs. 89 for the Reds and their significantly higher goal difference (+72 vs. +66).
The two opponents will play at home for 90 minutes, if not a little more, it will be decisive.
Liverpool, who will host Wolverhampton, will count on a major boost from their famous former captain Steven Gerrard, now Aston Villa manager, who will travel to the Etihad.
Jurgen Klopp’s men fell to twelve points at the end of 2021, never giving up and this strength of character was once again demonstrated at St Mary’s to take advantage of the draw (2-2) ceded to West Ham by City, Sunday.
After a grueling FA Cup final against Chelsea (0-0, tab 6-5 before noon), on Saturday, in which Mohamed Salah and then Virgil van Dijk had to leave as a precaution, due to muscle spasms, Klopp attempted to gamble by changing nine owners .
Only Alisson, in the cages, and Ibrahima Konate, in defense, started at Wembley and a midfield made up of Harvey Elliott, James Milner and Curtis Jones looked very experimental.
But 11 days before the Champions League final, and against Southampton, who have been on one win in their last 11 games, that should suffice.
Minamino without celebration
With plenty to forgive, in their last game of the season at home, the Saints took the match straight and opened the scoring from the 13th minute with a superb individual action from Nathan Redmond, the left side, before planting in the axle and concluding with a shot deflected slightly by Milner into the opposite side net (1 -0).
A goal left Klopp out of his mind due to a huge mistake on Diogo Jota when he recovered the ball that had not been whistled, which finally put City out of the Reds’ reach.
But that hypothetical crowning only lasted 14 minutes, the time for Liverpool to kick-start the machine and let their collective quality speak.
In a good sequence, Jones found Jota at the entrance to the box with his back to the goal, but the Portuguese pushed him away to Takumi Minamino in height, who took the ball to put it in the porthole, practically from an angle of 5.50 m.
A goal that the Japanese, loaned in the second half of last season to Saints, did not celebrate, despite its importance in the title race.
In the second half, it was Joel Matip, with a header reversal after an opposite deflection at the near post from a corner kick, who gave the Reds the advantage (1-2, 67) and pushed their dream of achieving the quadruple.
In addition to the title race, the last place in the Champions League will be played between Tottenham and Arsenal on the 38th day, as well as the last relegation place which currently belongs to Everton, Leeds and Burnley.
