Liverpool travel to Southampton on Tuesday with anything other than a win seemingly not good enough to have any hopes of winning the Premier League. But Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has previously warned Jurgen Klopp of having a plan when Liverpool have been in this position.
Southampton boss Hasenhuttl has already warned Klopp’s side when competing with Manchester City for the title, as Liverpool simply have to win on Tuesday to keep their quadruple hopes alive.
City may have dropped points against West Ham on Sunday, but a spectacular comeback saw them avoid defeat, and if Liverpool fail to beat Southampton then the title will surely be returning to Manchester. If Liverpool lose against Southampton on Tuesday then then City will have retained their crown, but a win or a draw will take matters to the final day.
But Liverpool faced Southampton at a similar stage during the 2018/19 season when the Reds were ultimately pipped to the title by Pep Guardiola’s side. And Hasenhuttl wasn’t afraid of Liverpool then, and he may look to ‘surprise’ them again on Tuesday.
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Southampton’s efforts didn’t work back in 2019, as Liverpool left it late to come from a goal down and win 3-1. And Klopp was extremely proud of his side for their efforts in a tough game.
Liverpool were far from their best, something which they haven’t been recently despite winning the FA Cup final on Saturday. They struggled against Tottenham, and were exposed temporarily against Villarreal, but perhaps Klopp’s earlier admission proves exactly why they continue to defy the odds.
Klopp has previously said that at this stage of the season it isn’t purely about performances, but about “fighting” as they must grind out results. “I told the boys we have a good mentality among us,” Klopp said after beating Southampton back in 2019.
City may be overwhelming favourites to defend their title this season, but their lack of fight that Klopp prioritises continues to see them dumped out of Europe. It should have been City in the final against Liverpool, but despite leading by two goals on aggregate with five minutes remaining, they still managed to lose to Madrid.
Liverpool already have two trophies under their belts, and it could be a fantastic treble if they can overcome Madrid in Paris. The league is out of their hands though, and not only do they have to beat both Southampton and Wolves, they have to hope that Aston Villa beat City on the final day.
Of course the script is written, but this is City, and they perhaps took part in one of the most crazy twists in Premier League history as Sergio Aguero won their first title. However, with Steven Gerrard in charge of Villa he could help Liverpool defy the odds. And maybe this time, City could be on the receiving end of history.
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