The Citizens remain ahead of the Reds on goal difference (+68 once morest +65) and will play Wednesday at Wolverhampton, also for a match shifted from the 33rd day.
Led by two ex-Reds, Steven Gerrard on the bench and Philip Coutinho as playmaker, the Villans did nothing for Jürgen Klopp’s men.
From the 3rd minute, on an aerial ball, Douglas Luiz had followed his recovery with a header, pushed back by Alisson, to score from close range (1-0, 3rd).
The Brazilian goalkeeper did not show much to his advantage in the first period, scrambling a ball with his foot outside his area (22nd), before being overtaken by Danny Ings (24th), the ball spinning at the over it much to the Reds’ relief.
He made up for it well in the second half by preserving the three precious points, with a good outing at the feet of the same Ings (69th), before repelling a shot from a tight angle from the attacker, also a former side of the the Mersey.
Because in the meantime, Liverpool had come back in front.
The advantage of the Birmingham club had also hardly lasted, since only three minutes following the opener, Joel Matip, following a messed up ball in the area, had put his people up (1-1, 6th ).
The tile for Fabinho
The Reds had even come close to returning to the locker room with the advantage, a header from Sadio Mané passing just wide, while Naby Keita had missed his recovery a few meters from goal (36th).
The deliverance finally came from a lightning combination of the attacking trio, for once without Mohamed Salah, who remained on the bench for 70 minutes.
On an opposing touch in the middle of the field, the ball reached Diogo Jota who launched Luis Diaz on the left. The center without momentum from the Colombian was deflected with finesse from the head by Mané (2-1, 65th).
It is the 12th goal of the Senegalese since the beginning of February and the arrival of Luis Diaz, a recruitment which, far from threatening his place in the starting lineup, has on the contrary given a new facet to Mané, used more often and successfully in “faux-nine”.
The very bad news of the evening for Klopp and his men was the exit in the 30th minute of Fabinho who touched the back of the thigh.
Everything suggests that the hamstrings are affected, which makes his presence on Saturday for the FA Cup final once morest Chelsea very unlikely.
It is not even certain that we will see the Brazilian once more by the end of the season, despite the crucial deadlines for his club which still wants to believe in the title and will play the Champions League final once morest Real Madrid in the end of the month.
