Premier League: Sadio Mane and Thiago Alcantara sealed a 2-0 win for Liverpool over Southampton to keep final season’s champions’ hopes of making the highest 4 alive.
Liverpool kept alive their hopes of a top-four end in the Premier League as Sadio Mane and Thiago Alcantara sealed a 2-0 win against Southampton on Sunday. Jurgen Klopp’s facet moved above Tottenham into sixth place due to Mane’s first-half header and Thiago’s first aim for the club within the remaining moments at Anfield. Liverpool’s first victory in 4 games in all competitions leaves them six points behind fourth-placed Leicester with a sport in hand within the race to qualify for subsequent season’s Champions League.
It was solely their second league win at Anfield of their final 11 matches.
“We scored a really nice first aim however it’s acquainted for us now to not finish the game early,” Klopp stated.
“We needed to keep within the sport and scoring a wonderful second aim clearly was a big reduction.
“The one way I do know to win is to work actually onerous and that is what we did. We needed to combat, we received the three factors, actually good.”
Liverpool travels to second-placed Manchester United on Thursday for a crucial conflict of their try to catch Leicester.
After the failed defence of the title they won last season, Liverpool would be delighted to salvage a troubled campaign with a top-four place.
To do this, they are going to in all probability must win their final 4 games and hope Leicester and fifth-placed West Ham stumble within the remaining stretch.
“We’re sort of (within the race). It’s not impossible but it’s difficult. We will give it a try and see the place we get to,” Klopp said.
Southampton, 10 factors above the relegation zone with 4 matches left, have now misplaced 13 of their 17 league video games since beating Liverpool in January.
The Saints have earned the fewest factors and conceded probably the most targets within the Premier League in 2021.
Nerves settled
Liverpool was fast to scent blood towards opponents in such poor type and Mohamed Salah was denied by Fraser Forster after Mane poked the ball by to the Egyptian within the six-yard field.
Diogo Jota’s stinging strike compelled one other good save from Forster earlier than Salah examined the over-worked keeper from the ensuing nook.
Georginio Wijnaldum guided a diving header towards the bar as Liverpool saved up the strain.
Southampton almost snatched the lead towards the run of play when Che Adams met Nathan Tella’s low cross with a close-range effort that was well saved by Alisson Becker.
But 46 seconds later, Liverpool’s dominant spell paid dividends as they broke away to take the lead within the 31st minute.
Salah clipped a cross to the far submit and former Southampton ahead Mane got behind the guests’ defence to move residence from shut vary.
Remarkably, it was the primary time the duo had mixed for a Premier League aim this season.
Tella ought to have cancelled out Mane’s 14th aim of the season, but the unmarked winger headed straight at Alisson from Nathan Redmond’s cross.
Jota’s blast was pushed away by Forster early within the second half, but Liverpool wasn’t fairly so cohesive after the break.
Alisson snuffed out Michael Obafemi’s raid after which turned over Ibrahima Diallo’s rocket from the sting of the world.
Adams had a golden opportunity to equalise within the closing levels after Alisson gifted him possession, but the striker’s effort lacked the accuracy to beat the Brazilian.
Thiago settled Liverpool’s nerves in stoppage time when the previous Bayern Munich midfielder rifled residence from 18 yards.
