Liverpool rose from a loss to a 2-1 away win in Southampton.
Soton striker Alex McCarthy rushes in vain as he tries to counter Joël Matip’s injury finish. AOP
Liverpool got a small spark of hope on Sunday when Manchester City were tied for West Ham as a guest. The loss of points meant that Pool would have the opportunity to narrow the points gap to just one again by winning Southampton’s only league match on Tuesday night.
On the South Coast, however, no attention was paid to the league championship battle. Nathan Redmond bombed the hosts into the lead with a stunning top corner draw just under a quarter after the game and at the same time pushed the Reds to the brink of the abyss.
The defeat at St Mary’s Stadium would have known the immediate start of the City Championship. Even a draw would have meant that Pool would have needed a mathematical miracle and a crushing victory combined with City’s loss on Sunday to rise to another championship.
However, the safest way was to turn the away match on Tuesday into victory. Takumi Minamino responded to a scuffle after 27 minutes and had to be carried off on a stretcher in agony.
In the second episode, a topper registered to be the savior Joël Matip. Admittedly, the Cameroonian himself did not seem to realize he was finishing the winning goal when he pushed his head into the path of the ball. However, it bounced on it in a handsome arc on the net.
The story continues after the video.
Watch Liverpool’s winning goal in the video. The final round of the Premier League can be viewed on VSport’s channels and on Elisa Viihde Viaplay’s service.
Liverpool’s victory in battle now means its hope rests on Sunday’s final round. The pool is forced to beat the Wolves then and hope City won’t be able to grab the full points pot from the match against Aston Villa.