5 talking points as much changed Liverpool keep title race alive at Southampton

Jurgen Klopp's much changed "mentality monsters" had to dig deep once more but Liverpool have kept their Premier League title hopes alive.

The Reds travelled south without Mo Salah, who is nursing an injury, and knew they needed to pick up three points if they were to stand any chance of overhauling Manchester City on the final day. Joel Matip headed home their crucial second goal, which put them 2-1 up after Nathan Redmond had opened the scoring for Southampton.

Klopp made nine changes at St Mary's but his irrepressible team overcame an early setback to keep the quadruple dream alive. Takumi Minamino scored their equaliser shortly after they'd fallen behind and they dominated proceedings despite the likes of Sadio Mane, Thiago and Luis Diaz all sitting out.

Liverpool are still reliant on a favour from Aston Villa, but they've done all they can. Here are five talking points from Tuesday's clash.

1 The gamble pays off

The changes made by Klopp certainly caused a stir once the teams were announced. The German opted for nine personnel tweaks following the FA Cup final on Saturday. Only Alisson and Ibrahima Konate were retained as the Reds boss attempted to juggle his resources.

When Southampton went 1-0 up it looked as if Liverpool's gamble may back fire with the Premier League final day still to come. The visitors quickly levelled however and would go on to pick up the three points, ensuring that the title race will go to the final day all while keeping some of his stellar names fresh.

Klopp had been vocal about the lack of rest afforded to his team given they played 120 minutes at Wembley on Saturday. The German has long had issues with the fixture congestion in England, but his much changed side highlighted the depth of quality available at Anfield.

2 A clear case of priorities

Most will tell you that Liverpool are more likely to win the Champions League than the Premier League and their team selection at St Mary's proved that. Klopp has not stated his preference either way but his side will head to Paris next Saturday to take on Real Madrid as favourites.

Domestically however they are reliant on their rivals dropping points on the final day if they are to have any chance of being crowned champions. Klopp opted to rest some of his leading lights as he attempted to manage their workloads in what will be a defining fortnight.

3 Minamino returns to haunt Saints

For the second half of last season they adored him, but the Japanese international was back on the south coast to remind the hosts of his quality. Minamino made a loan switch to St Mary's in January 2021 and was able to produce some of the best form we've seen since he moved to England.

A goal against Chelsea was a highlight for the forward, who played 10 times for Southampton and scored on two occasions. His opportunities at Anfield have been very much at a premium. So much so that, before Tuesday night, he'd start for the Saints more recently than Liverpool.

But it was for the Merseyside outfit that he hammered home his third goal in the league this term. Teaming up effectively with Diogo Jota to smash home and level the contest.

4 Milner is timeless

The finest of fine wines. Before you even consider what he offers the club off the pitch, which you can't quite put into words, the midfielder showed that age doesn't seem to be hindering him on the pitch. Milner is now 36 and into his seventh year at Liverpool.

He may not be the most glamorous name in Klopp's side but boy is he effective. So often relied upon when things get tough, Milner was his side's chief creative influence at Southampton. He created five chances in the first-half alone as Liverpool began to impose themselves on the contest after the Saints had taken the lead.

An injury to Joe Gomez saw Milner drop back into a right-back role, which he has done on numerous occasions. His value to the Anfield outfit is seemingly unquantifiable.

5 Southampton's summer decision

Twice in Ralph Hasenhuttl's tenure have the Saints lost 9-0, but they were few calls for the Saints to axe their manager. The south coast side have been in and out of form under the Austrian, but his position has never really been under threat.

The recent defeat at Brentford saw the fans chant for Hasenhuttl to go, which was the first time those thoughts had been vocalised to such a degree. Southampton are now an established top flight team and, despite the odd run of poor form, have never really had to worry about the drop.

That said Hasenhuttl has now had three full seasons at the helm and with new owners at St Mary's there could be some difficult decisions ahead with a fresh face and some new ideas not out of the question.