Liverpool beat Southampton last night to take the Premier League title race to the final day of the season. The Reds will play Wolves in their last match while league leader Manchester City host Aston Villa. Jurgen Klopp’s side need to win their match and hope that Pep Guardiola’s City either lose or draw for the trophy to head to Anfield. Gulf News staff discuss all the possibilities along with the race to finish in the Champions League and the dreaded relegation battle.
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NewsTranscript
00:00The title race is going to be going to the final day of the season
00:04after Liverpool beat Southampton last night by two goals to one at St Mary's.
00:17Hello, you're watching Golf News, kicking back the chat show all about football. I'm delighted
00:23to be joined by Shamsir for some more of his insightful observations on the beautiful game.
00:29What a story we have to tell today. The title race is going to be going to the final day of the season
00:36after Liverpool beat Southampton last night by two goals to one at St Mary's. It was a must-win
00:43game for Liverpool. They were trailing Man City by four points in the table after Man City had
00:48picked up a point against West Ham. Liverpool knew that they had to win the match in order
00:54to take the title race to the final weekend of the season. They did that, and they did that,
01:00Shamsir, with a very weak team yesterday. There were nine changes from the team that won the FA
01:05Cup against, sorry to say, against you boys last weekend. They only retained Alisson in goal and
01:12Kunata at the back, and everybody else was changed. Many people before the game thought,
01:17well, Klopp has made a massive mistake here, the title's going to be lost here and then because
01:22of that team selection, but Shamsir, it worked out in the end. Yeah, this is the major difference
01:28between Pep and Klopp, I believe. He made like nine changes in that game, and still the
01:35resilience and fighting spirit of that team didn't have any change at all. They kept on playing
01:40the Liverpool way from the very first minute. Nine changes, and James Milner was in the midfield,
01:47then he finished as a right-back. See, that guy is a magician in that way always, because he's a
01:53workhorse. He can play anywhere in the team, any position, left-back, right-back, midfield.
01:58So, this is the kind of confidence that he has given into the whole score. It's not like…
02:04Yeah, we have seen managers managing 15 players, or like 13 players, 14 players, but this one,
02:11this Liverpool side, Jurgen Klopp is managing the 25-man score. They all know the Liverpool way.
02:17They all know the system very well. They can play, you know, even during the midnight, you know,
02:22you ask them to play the same way, they'll do that. And Elliot, the guy who came out of the academy,
02:27who had a major injury scare and all those things, and he came out, and he played a brilliant game
02:32yesterday. Curtis Johns, another academy player. He's playing so brilliantly. You know, then
02:36Taki Minamino, he had like very few minutes the whole season in the Premier League, but still,
02:41when he was asked to do a job in a crunch game, he's delivering. And you have to look into the
02:48stats and you have to see that Minamino is the one guy who is the top scorer for Liverpool in
02:54the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. But he was not getting enough minutes in the Premier League,
02:59but still, during a crunch game, he's delivering. This is what Klopp was doing to this team,
03:04you know. I can't see Pep making like nine changes and winning a game like this. Because
03:09we have seen that in the FA Cup semi-final also. He made like few changes with so many
03:15multi-million pound players, but then he was struggling against a Liverpool side in that
03:19semi-final, FA Cup semi-final. We have seen that. But look at this one, man. It's an unbelievable job
03:24what this guy is doing. So, quadruple is still a dream, and it's still… That dream is alive.
03:31Definitely. It's still alive. It's absolutely still alive. But again, just going back to that
03:34team sheet selection yesterday, when people saw that, obviously, Van Dijk knew he was going to
03:38be injured. He was going to be missing. Mo Salah was 50-50 for the game, but they rested him. No
03:43Sadio Mane. Now, usually, if any of the Premier League team had just one of those players in the
03:48team, and that player was missing for a game, you know for sure that they're going to struggle.
03:52But like you said, Shamsher, yesterday, because of the Liverpool way, because of what Klopp has
03:56drummed into these guys during training, you know, none of those players haven't even played
04:01maybe more than 10, 15 games this season. But they came in there yesterday against, you know,
04:05against a tough Southampton team. They've not had the best of times. They've only won twice
04:09the last 11, I think. They've had a bit of a bit of a slide. But still, for such an important game,
04:15for those nine guys to come in and to play like they've been playing, you know, all season together,
04:20it's just respect to Klopp, isn't it? How does he get the best out of these guys? I mean,
04:24what is his secret, Shamsher? This is the thing, you know, like Klopp, the man-management of Klopp,
04:31people are not talking about that enough. You know, you have seen Origi coming out of the bench
04:37and scoring against Everton multiple times. You have seen that. Sorry to say that. But you know,
04:42why is it happening? Because he has given confidence in the whole squad. Even if you're
04:47playing like less minutes, you are valued. He's saying you're a superstar. You might be needed
04:53in this team, you know, later in the season. Some part you have to still play in the quadruple role
04:58or even when we win a cup, you're still relevant. You're still valued at this club. So, this is
05:04proper man-management that Klopp was doing. And they all have a belief in this manager, you know,
05:10what the manager is doing. Everyone in that squad, they know that this guy is doing to win trophies.
05:16This guy is doing to make me a better player. So, whatever I'm doing on the training pitch,
05:21you know, whatever Klopp is asking me to do on the training pitch, that is for me, for the team,
05:26for everyone, you know. And it's for a purpose. It's not just like, okay, I won't be playing at
05:31all in the season. I will get my minutes. But whenever needed, I'm ready to give to Klopp.
05:38Because he is such a father figure. He is such a mentor. And he is an unbelievable coach. He is so
05:45world-class, I believe, you know. And that's the reason, you know, the players believe in him. And
05:49Klopp believes in them. Even if you're a French player, Klopp is saying to you that you are a
05:54superstar. So, that's what it takes from all these players, I believe.
06:00He's obviously, he's been in demand for a long, long time since he'd come from
06:05Russia to Liverpool, what, five, six years ago now. He's proven himself in the Premier League.
06:11He's a very likable kind of a manager. Even the neutrals, I mean, I'm an Everton fan, but he's,
06:15you know, just his press conferences, his interviews, you can't not help but like the
06:18guy because he talks so much sense. Can Liverpool keep Jürgen Klopp? I mean,
06:22there's teams out there who would love a coach like him. I'm just thinking off the top of my
06:26head, Barcelona, Real Madrid, you know, a couple of teams in Spain who could definitely do
06:31with someone like Klopp. Can Liverpool keep Jürgen Klopp, Sancho?
06:35Yeah, he has signed a contract extension a few weeks ago, right? So, he's gonna definitely stay
06:42there for another couple of years more. But then after that, I think he might like to move on.
06:48But the thing is that the connection between not only the players, you know, the fans,
06:52Jürgen Klopp and the Kop is a brilliant match. You know, they love him. Klopp loves him. Klopp
06:59absolutely loves the atmosphere. You know, even after every match, the way that he pumps on the
07:05badge and he just makes everyone crazy in the stadium, it's a beautiful thing to watch. The
07:11telepathy between the fans and the manager, I don't think he'll leave anytime soon. And he
07:17loves the rivalry with Pep. And he wants to take him out of the perch. He wants to win the Premier
07:23League title again. And you have to give him credit. Because once in the season during the
07:29December and all, we were thinking that like Pep has made Premier League, Bundesliga kind of a
07:36league because the gap was too big between the first two teams. But now, he has made it a
07:42brilliant affair. Look at the title race now. The Liverpool team hasn't lost a single Premier
07:50League game in 2022. So, they have made proper signings in January because Luis Diaz was a
07:56great addition. But even then, the fighting spirit the whole team is showing is unbelievable. And you
08:02have to give Klopp and the people credit to take the title race to the last game of the season.
08:09Absolutely right. Absolutely right. I mean, this is incredible. 15,
08:1117 games since January, they've won 15 of those. And we can't forget Manchester City
08:17was 14 points ahead. I think in the middle of January, 14 points ahead is a huge, huge lead.
08:28Yeah, they drew against Crystal Palace 0-0. They were held 2-2 against West Ham. So,
08:33they've been dropping a few points here and there, whereas Liverpool have just been like a train.
08:39They've just won out of those 17 games, 15 to employ all the way back. Like we said now,
08:43they're just one point away from Man City. They've both played 37 games. Now, next up on Sunday,
08:49it's Aston Villa and Wolves. They're going to be having a big say on where the Premier League is
08:56destined to go. Is it going to go to the Etihad? Is it going to go to Anfield? Aston Villa playing
09:01Man City at the Etihad, while Liverpool have a home game against Wolves. Now, Wolves look like
09:06they've literally hit the beach. They've just literally switched off. They drew against Norwich
09:11on the weekend. They got smashed by Man City 5-1. Up until before then, I mean, they were chasing
09:16for that European position, but they've fallen away. They can't make Europe now. So, Liverpool
09:22are facing Wolves at the right time. But Aston Villa, Shamsir, I've got a funny feeling with
09:28the Steven Gerrard connection, the old Liverpool legend. Unfortunately for him, he never got to win
09:32the title for Liverpool while he was playing here. Obviously, that famous slip against Anfield,
09:38he let Ibrahim Bah coming in and scored a goal. And he's going to be going all out to just to
09:44even get a draw. If he can stop Man City from winning, and Liverpool looks like they should
09:50beat Wolves, then the title goes to Anfield. Now, how big a say is Steven Gerrard going to have on
09:55that last play? Yeah, it's a crazy day, man. You know, we can't wait for it. Like what you've
10:03said, Gerrard has never won a Premier League title. And this is an opportunity for him to
10:08win it for his beloved club. And looking at the stats, Man City under Pep Guardiola has played
10:15Aston Villa like six times, and they never have dropped a single point. Or is this the game?
10:21Are they going to drop a point? That'll be crazy. And look at that Aston Villa team,
10:27you have Coutinho as well. Coutinho has scored six goals against Manchester City.
10:32So, all the Liverpool's dream relies on Steven Gerrard and Philip Coutinho. So, it's going to
10:40be tense. But I think, you know, City relishes these kind of challenges. You know, whenever
10:44they have a setback, I have always seen them fighting back and playing brilliant football.
10:50I can even see them scoring like four or five goals in the last game of the season. But if they
10:55don't get any goal in the first half, it is going to be tense, you know. And the crowd will be very
11:00touchy. It's going to be a crazy thing. So, they need that early goal in the first 15-20 minutes.
11:06Otherwise, it is going to be a really, really tense affair for City. And for Liverpool,
11:12like you have said, Bruno Lacs' team is in the beach already. And Conor Coddy is a lifelong
11:18Liverpool fan. Lifelong Liverpool fan. So, he might score even like 10 goals for that team.
11:26Anything can happen. But it's going to be a fascinating match.
11:29It's going to be fascinating.
11:31Looking at Man City's performance against West Ham, you know, they're missing, we can't forget,
11:36they're missing some key players at the back. Rupert Diaz is out. Karl Walker is out. John
11:39Stones is out. And they were very sloppy against West Ham. You know, they were lucky to pull it
11:46back to 2-2. Even at 2-2, there was a moment when Antonio ran free. It was one-on-one with the
11:50keeper, but he tried to chip him and it went wide. Okay, then they missed the penalty. Mahrez should
11:54have scored that. It could have been 3-2. It could have been all over. But if you just look at the
11:58performance of the first half, if they play that sloppy against Aston Villa, you know, with the
12:02likes of Ings at the front, Watkins at the back, they're looking very strong with Mendes there,
12:07Coutinho, like you say, pulling the strings. I mean, it's still not over yet. It's definitely
12:13not over yet. And if Villa get a draw, let's say, just a draw, I don't think a win. If they get a
12:19draw and they'll beat Wolves, then I think Steven Gerrard and Coutinho should get a championship
12:25title with a bit of a medal as well.
12:29Yeah. Like what you've said, you know, against West Ham, they were very, very sloppy,
12:35especially in the first half. It was not a performance that you normally see from a Peps
12:39team. But in the second half, they picked up. But still, they were making mistakes. And West
12:44Ham could have killed the game off. Like, even when it was 2-1, I think Antonio got that chance.
12:49And that too came from a mistake. You know, Fernandinho playing as a centre-back and he
12:53is giving back passes and all without even looking. So, that's a problem. So, City will have to
12:58outscore Aston Villa, I believe. Because they can't rely on their defence in that final game.
13:03So, they have to play their A first-class attacking game. And they have to score as many
13:09goals as possible. Because there is a possibility of them conceding goals. And Ings, former Liverpool
13:16player, Coutinho, Steven Gerrard, all these guys will likely want City to stop winning the title.
13:26But there is one more thing that I think Micah Richards told yesterday about City getting £15
13:33million if Jack Grealish wins the title. And I don't know how reliable he is with those kinds
13:40of stats. But still, £15 million is nothing for Aston Villa, maybe, in this scenario. And
13:46Steven Gerrard will be looking to stop City from winning the title. We'll see.
13:51We'll see. Right, let's have a couple of predictions now for those two big games.
13:54Obviously, Man City are going to be with another makeshift defence. So, I've got a feeling there's
13:58goals in this game. I can see Villa scoring. I can see them getting a couple of goals. But it
14:03just depends how hungry, obviously, they will be. But can they break down Villa defence?
14:08Well, I'm going to go with a 2-2 draw at Man City and Villa. And for Liverpool and Wolves,
14:16I'm going to go a big Liverpool home win. 3-0 for Liverpool. And I think the title is heading
14:21to Anfield. And the quadruple is definitely on. What do you think?
14:29I think that's what's going to happen. It's been an incredible season. I think we're just
14:32destined for one more twist. And I think we're going to see it on the weekend.
14:36Yeah, I think the way that things are panning out for the whole season, right, this can happen.
14:41This could happen. But I believe Pep's City, not going to bottle this. Not going to bottle this.
14:48I think they will score like 3 or 4 goals. And they could concede 1 or 2. So, it could be like
14:544-2 or something for City. And Liverpool will win comfortably against Wolves, like 2-0 or something.
15:00And it's like the 2018-19 season. One point is going to separate these two teams and this
15:06incredible team. And there's one more brilliant stat. From 2018-19, the total points, when you
15:13look at it, it's Man City at the top of the perch with 355 points. And second is Liverpool with 354
15:21points. That's incredible. And one final game to decide the winners. It's an incredible title race.
15:31We have been watching these two teams playing some crazy football. And we all are relishing it. And
15:37one final game to decide it. Brilliant, man.
15:40You've just mentioned, that's a very good point. The amount of points that these two teams since
15:432018 have accumulated is huge. Next season, who can join the title race? We need at least 2 or 3
15:50more teams. Do you think your boys Chelsea can do it? Do you think Man United now with a new
15:54manager can do it? Do you think Arsenal can do it? Conte at Tottenham's looking quite strong.
15:59There's some good teams on the edge of it. But can they break into that title race and, you know,
16:03make it all the way to the last couple of weeks of the season, so we've got like 3 or 4 teams
16:07who can challenge next season? See, City have added Haaland to their squad. So they're going
16:15one step above everyone. And Liverpool could add more players into their squad as well.
16:20Chelsea, you look at that team and they have so many players departing and they have these issues
16:25off the pitch. And you don't know how the new owners are going to behave. Are they going to
16:29spend big? Because there is an overhaul that needs to be done with that squad. And Man United
16:34with a new manager, they're definitely going to take time to settle down. Arsenal, I don't think
16:39they are anywhere near close to even finishing the top 4. They need more additions. Spurs are the
16:44most likely one if Daniel Levy is going to give Antonio Conte the money. Antonio Conte is a
16:52specialist in winning league titles. And if you give him money, if you give him the right players,
16:57I think he can have a say in the title race next season. Only if Daniel Levy is going to give him
17:03the money. And for Chelsea, if the new owners are going to spend tons to kill, he can also have a
17:08say in the title race next season. But definitely, Antonio Conte with the money can do wonders.
17:14So let's talk about the Champions League final squads. Arsenal are playing Everton.
17:20And Tottenham are playing against? Who have Tottenham got in the last game?
17:23Norwich. At the beach.
17:25Oh, that's easy. Easy. So they've got an easy game. Arsenal game against Everton, depending if we
17:31need something. So the last day could be a tough game. I think you're right. I think Conte's
17:36smart enough. I think Arteta is going to be a very good manager in the future. But I think for
17:40this season, I think Champions League is going to be a bit too early. I think you have to settle
17:43for fifth, which will be very good for Arsenal, considering where they've come from. They've
17:46been finishing eighth and ninth for the last couple of seasons. But I think Conte's smart
17:50enough. He's got Son and Kane playing at the top of their game. I think they're going to put quite
17:54a few goals past Norwich on that last day. And I think they're going to finish in that last
17:58Champions League spot. What do you think?
18:00It's the same. We were talking about it last video. North London derby would decide the top
18:06four. And it decided. Because it was an emotional game. It gave a morning boost to Spurs. They
18:13thrashed Arsenal at their home ground. And the next game, Arsenal stumbled. And Spurs, who won
18:20against Burnley, they were very resilient. But still, they managed to get a 1-0 win. And now
18:25they're playing against Norwich, who are at the Jumeirah Beach. So, it's going to be like
18:29four or five goals. And even Son could finish as a golden boot winner in that game. Because
18:34they will score definitely goals in that game. And you have to give credit to Antonio Conte,
18:39the work that he has done. Because he came to a Spurs side, which was struggling really badly.
18:44And they were ninth in the table, it seems like. And European places were out of reach. Even the
18:48Europa League places were out of reach. And now, he has taken that team to the top four. And I'm
18:54pretty sure they're going to finish in that fourth spot for sure. And that's an incredible
18:58achievement. That's what Conte can do. That's just a teaser for everyone, what he can do. He's a
19:03specialist in winning leagues. And he's so underrated in that terms. He came to Chelsea
19:09and he won the league. He went back to Italy and he won the league with Inter. Now he's with the
19:14Spurs side, who doesn't have the ambition to win the league. But if he can take them to that next
19:19level, that is going to be a major achievement that he has done in his career, to be honest.
19:23So, it all depends on what I have said. It depends on Daniel Levy and how much he's going to spend.
19:29I think you're right. I think we could be seeing a very different Tottenham team next season. If
19:33Conte can stay there, if he can get a couple of signings like he wants. But you're right,
19:37he's transformed the team. I remember it was against Burnley earlier this season, when I
19:40think they drew 0-0. I think they lost that game. And he came out after the game saying that,
19:45I think I need to resign. I'm not good enough or something. It was just that result,
19:48where they've picked up completely and they've been flying. And they've been playing really,
19:52really well. So, yeah, I think you're right. Tottenham have got to finish fourth,
19:56got to be good next season as well. They're going to be not there, not challenging all the way,
20:00but they're going to be, they should be there or thereabouts. If they can keep this form going into
20:04next season, then they're going to be having a very good season. Let's have a quick word,
20:08Shamsher, about the relegation battle. There's two big games happening tomorrow. Everton,
20:12my boys are playing against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park. If we can win that game, we are
20:17safe. Because Leeds can only get 38 points on their last game and we'll have 39. And so the
20:23relegation battle, if we win, will be between Burnley and Leeds. And Burnley are playing
20:27Aston Villa tomorrow. So, hard game for Burnley tomorrow. I think we're going to win tomorrow.
20:32And I think Villa are going to beat Burnley. So I think tomorrow night, we're going to be safe.
20:39You guys should have been safe in the last game itself. There was an opportunity against
20:43Brentford and that red card, Browns' red card, that changed the game in fact. Otherwise,
20:49it was good fighting spirit shown by Everton against even a good Brentford side. But I think,
20:55yeah, Goodison Park against Crystal Palace, who have nothing to play in the season now,
21:01I think Everton should win. Richarlison Brace is coming. And for Leeds and Burnley,
21:07tricky. Very, very tricky. Burnley against Aston Villa, like you said, I can't… Aston Villa are
21:14not playing that well. That's another thing. But they want to prep up for that final game against
21:21Man City. So they need a good performance. So I think Burnley will be under massive pressure in
21:26that game. Villa could win. And Leeds. Leeds are playing whom in the final game? Is it…
21:33Okay. Tough game. Tough. It's Leeds. It's against Leeds and Burnley, man. It's against Leeds and
21:41Burnley. I could even see Everton not getting any points from now till the end of the season
21:48and still being safe. Because the fixtures for the other two teams are really tough.
21:53That's a good point. That's a very good point. Because, yeah, if we do slip up against Palace
21:57tomorrow and against Arsenal, and if Leeds lose against Brentford, which I think is possible,
22:02Brentford… I mean, they beat us really well. They played really well. They've been playing
22:05really well all season. Thomas Frank deserves a lot of credit for the team that he's assembled
22:09there, you know, for next to nothing Peanuts. He's put together a really good, strong, solid team.
22:13They play really good football, Brentford. I mean, they're not just a long-haul team
22:16launching forward. No, they're controlled in possession. They like to get forward.
22:19You know, they've been a breath of fresh air for the Premier League. So, yeah,
22:23Leeds have got a hard game. That's not going to be an easy one. I can see Brentford winning that
22:27one. But just a point from you. Look, I mean, Aston Villa are playing Burnley tomorrow,
22:31and then they've got two days' rest before they play the big one against Man City.
22:34So, that's going to also have a big say on how that game goes. Anyway, let's end it there. It's
22:41going to be interesting. There's lots of still exciting football to go. Tomorrow's relegation
22:44battles, and then obviously the last week of the season. We'll be back for another episode.
22:50One more important point before you, you know, finish up the video. You know, like,
22:54I think this is the first Premier League season where it is going to be the final day to decide
22:58the title, decide the top four, decide the relegation, decide the Europa League places.
23:04I think this is the first Premier League season to do that.
23:06It's going to be a hell of an exciting last game, you're right. There's so much still to play for.
23:10Usually by now, things are wrapped up and you know what's happening. We know the two
23:13relegation teams, Watford and Norwich. But yeah, there's still a lot to happen on that last day.
23:18So, everybody, buckle up. Strap yourselves in. It's going to be very exciting. And we'll be back
23:22to talk more about it. In the meantime, head to golfnews.com for the latest news, reviews,
23:26videos, and lots more. And we'll see you again soon. Take care. Thanks for having us here.
23:31Take care.