Sadio Mane and Thiago give Liverpool a vital three points in an open affair at Anfield; Liverpool are six points off fourth-place Leicester, with a game in hand and four to play, with Chelsea a point further ahead in third.
Sunday 9 May 2021 11:07, UK
Jurgen Klopp believes four wins out of four will secure his Liverpool side a Champions League qualifying position.
The Reds showed glimpses of returning to form on Saturday evening as they overcame Southampton 2-0 at Anfield and that victory - coupled with Leicester's shock Friday night defeat to Newcastle - moved Liverpool to within six points of the fourth-placed Foxes, with a game in hand.
Leicester have three tough games to come, with Manchester United away, Chelsea away, and Tottenham at home finishing their season, and Klopp believes a perfect run-in from his group - who have Man Utd, West Brom, Burnley, and Crystal Palace to play - will see them finish in the top four.
"If we do that [win the last four games] I think it'll be enough," he told Sky Sports. "But it's a big if.
"We play on Thursday at Man Utd, I know they play Tuesday, and Sunday, and they have a tough schedule, but if you look at their squad they can make changes, there is no doubt. Three games in a week is absolutely crazy, I really don't understand that, but it is how it is.
"We will see if West Brom is still fighting for [staying in] the league, Burnley then. All the teams have their targets, and if they don't have targets and have reached them already, they can play completely without pressure, and that's not nice as well.
"We will have pressure, as long as we win, because we can reach something."
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp agreed with Klopp that Liverpool's top-four chances are still on - but warned that unpredictable results can come in the final weeks of a season.
"I believe that [if LFC win remaining games they'll get top four]," he said. "Thiago called it a 'small miracle' if they do, but you never know.
"Everyone is looking at Leicester right now in fourth place like they're the wounded animals, they're the ones everyone is trying to catch, and that game second last of the season, at Chelsea, is going to be so big for the top four race. West Ham [in fifth] will still believe they've got a good chance.
"Every year you start predicting fixtures, 'that one they should win…' But it doesn't work like that because everyone is fighting for something. It's still very, very tough. Anything can happen. A couple of injuries and it can all switch.
"But right now Leicester do look the most vulnerable out of them but they will argue, we've got the points, you'd rather be in this position.
"They've got horrible games Leicester, whatever way you dress it up. That's as tough as it gets, really. Man Utd, with their fixture congestion, might do them a favour but they've got to find something from within, they've got to really dig in now.
"Everyone is saying they're going to be the team that's not going to make the top four. They've got to show some real character."
Fellow Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards believes Leicester's fall out of the top four during the final weeks of last season will be playing on their mind now and says Liverpool's second-half performance against Southampton will give the Reds belief they can go on a run of wins.
"After they fell off last season, maybe psychologically it will be difficult for them," said Richards. "Liverpool in the second half showed me something. The rest of the fixtures, if Liverpool played like they did in the last 25 minutes in the second half [against Southampton] they could win all those games."
Liverpool now go to Manchester United on Thursday night in their rearranged fixture at 8.15pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League, before going to West Brom on Super Sunday at 4.30pm, also on Sky Sports Premier League.
Southampton now host Crystal Palace on Tuesday night at 8.15pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League, before hosting Fulham at 3pm on Saturday, also live on Sky Sports Premier League.
