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Liverpool 0-0 Southampton: James Milner misses penalty as Reds lose ground in top-four race
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James Milner missed a penalty for the first time in his Liverpool career as the Reds surrendered ground in the race for Champions League qualification with a goalless draw against Southampton.
Jurgen Kloppâs laboured side had looked set for a nerve-settling breakthrough when Jack Stephens handled in the box in the second half but Milner - who had scored all previous 12 attempts from the spot for his club - was this time denied by Fraser Forster (66).
Philippe Coutinho and substitute Daniel Sturridge had late chances against a Saints side that sat deep for long spells but though stalemate was a missed opportunity to consolidate a top-four spot, Arsenalâs win over Manchester United at least puts Liverpoolâs fate back in their own hands.
The Merseysiders climb a point above Manchester City into third but they have played a game more than both Manchester sides and the Gunners - seven further back with two fixtures in hand - remain in a race that continues to intrigue.
Klopp, whose team have now failed to beat Southampton on four occasions this season and taken just two points from a possible nine at Anfield, had called for a special atmosphere, but though his side bossed possession in the Merseyside sunshine, a packed Saints midfield kept early openings to a premium.
Oriol Romeuâs dithering was almost punished by Roberto Firmino 15 minutes in, Maya Yoshida blocking smartly, and Forster comfortably claimed the handful of high balls that came his way.
The visitors continued to soak up pressure as keep-ball came to nothing and Coutinho - in the starting XI after shrugging off a dead leg - dropped deeper in search of action.
Klopp caught the eye on the sidelines, hurling a water bottle to the turf in anger after Lucas Leiva was penalised for a tussle with Dusan Tadic, but the action on the pitch drew groans as Firmino lashed wide from range and Joel Matip punted forward to epitomise the dearth of ideas.
Southampton had not had a first-half shot on target but despite the Kopâs roar as competition was renewed, the gameâs pattern failed to change and it was Claude Puel who made the first substitution, Nathan Redmond on for Sofiane Boufal.
Milner at left-back had looked the best outlet and he finally had a chance in familiar territory when Stephens raised an arm in the box after grappling with Lucas.
After a stale hour, the stage was set but the man who has kept his nerve from 12 yards seven times out of seven this season watched Forster drop to his right and push the ball away.
Klopp threw on Sturridge and Adam Lallana in a bid to maintain momentum, the former showing quick feet to craft a yard but prodding straight at the goalkeeper.
Simon Mignolet was lucky to escape punishment after appearing to handle just outside his area under pressure from Tadic, but though Forster came to Southamptonâs rescue when he tipped over a close-range header from Marko Grujic, time ticked away and the travelling Saints fans sang gleefully about another shut-out.
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp blames âdryâ Anfield pitch
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Jurgen Klopp blamed a dry pitch for Liverpoolâs push for the Champions League floundering against Southampton.
Liverpool have been in the top four since they beat Hull at home on September 24, but their chances of ending the campaign in one of those golden slots were compromised, once again, by their failure to break down Southamptonâs stubborn resistance.
James Milner apologised for missing a second-half penalty â the first time in 11 attempts for Liverpool â but Klopp was more inclined to look at why his sideâs play was slowed rather than apportion blame to his captain, whose shot was saved by Fraser Forster.
âI know nobody wants to hear it but Iâm brave enough to say it,â Klopp said. âThe pitch was really dry. We gave all the water we had and after 15 minutes it was really dry because of the wind. You could see it was difficult and a lot of passes you thought âwhy are they playing this?â
âIn a possession game you need to have the best, if possible, and in a home game especially you need the best circumstances. Today we couldnât have this. That is nobodyâs fault. Everybody tried everything and it didnât work out.â
Part of the reason Liverpool find themselves in such an awkward position is because their form at Anfield has tailed off. In nine games up to December 31, they won seven and took 23 points. In the subsequent nine games, they have accrued 15.
âIt is not nice to drop points at home but now we play away and then we have another home game,â said Klopp.
âWe really still enjoy playing at home. It is only a mental issue if you think it is one. We donât see this. The boys like it here, they like playing in front of their crowd. That is all.â
Milner was distraught at the final whistle, gesturing an apology to the Kop as he traipsed off. His miss came after a delay in which Forster, the Southampton goalkeeper, scuffed the penalty spot and tried to hoodwink his old England team-mate.
âYou saw what they did,â said Klopp. âI understand how you should handle a situation like this but on one side you people will say it is very smart because he missed and other people will say it is not sporting.â
Milner said: âIâve been around long enough to make sure that doesnât worry me. I canât do any more than hold my hands up. Southampton are a tough team to break down. We didnât play as well as we would have liked.â
Southampton boss Claude Puel, who is now unbeaten in six games against Liverpool, said: âThe penalty was harsh. Jack Stephens turns and the ball falls in his arms, but it was too harsh to concede a goal against this penalty. It was an important save.â
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Sourced from Daily Echo article
Forster proved doubters wrong after âunfair criticismâ
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STEVEN Davis believes Fraser Forster has come in for âunfair criticismâ this season and reckons the penalty save in the goalless draw at Liverpool âwill do him the world of goodâ.
The England goalkeeper saved a James Milner spot kick on 66 minutes, before denying substitute Marko Grujic late on at Anfield as Saints battled for a point.
After a stellar display, captain Davis came out in support of Forster, whose performances have come under scrutiny this term.
âHeâs come in for some unfair criticism,â he said. âHeâs a massive player for us; a big presence at the back and a big presence in the dressing room as well.
âEverybody respects the importance he has to the team and itâs about getting behind him.
âThat [the penalty save] will be a big moment for him.â
The towering 29-year-old shot stopperâs save, as he lobbed his huge 6ft7in frame at the ball to claw it away, meant Milner missed his first penalty since November 2009.
âI was delighted for him,â added Davis. âHeâs always there and always puts his body on the line.
âIt was nice for him to make a big save for us and ultimately get us the points for us today.
âIâm sure it will do him the world of good in terms of his confidence as well.
âIt was a massive moment in the game.â
This term, the former Celtic custodian has not often been able to replicate the high levels of performance he produced in his first two seasons at St Maryâs.
A gaffe during the 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace was a blotch on the copybook and, on occasions, heâs looked shaky between the sticks.
But Davis states that Saints are âlucky to have himâ.
He said: âFraserâs a massive player. Heâs a top quality goalkeeper and weâre lucky to have him. Everybody understands his importance.
âEveryone is delighted for him today that he made that save and hopefully he can go on and put in more performances like that before the end of the season.â
Forster has now kept back-to-back clean sheets, meaning he is up to 13 shut outs for the campaign â the fourth best record in the Premier League.
Following the Milner save in this one, Forster made a flying save to tip away substitute Grujicâs header.
âThatâs what heâs capable of and heâs done that consistently since heâs been at the club and hopefully he can continue that,â said Davis.
The Saints captain is hoping that the performance at Liverpool will galvanise Claude Puelâs men for the final four games of the season.
âWeâve got a tough run-in in terms of the games weâve got, but this is a starting point for us and weâve got another good game to look forward to on Wednesday against Arsenal,â he said.
âItâs difficult one but we know weâre going to have to put in a similar battling performance and show a bit more quality as well.â
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Sourced from ESPN FC article
What did Fraser Forster say to James Milner before his penalty miss?
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Sundayâs 0-0 draw between Liverpool and Southampton wasnât a game for the history books. The visiting Saints didnât register a shot on goal, nor did they seem particularly interested. Meanwhile Liverpool huffed and puffed but couldnât blow Fraser Forsterâs house down.
The gameâs biggest talking point was James Milnerâs missed penalty, notable in that it was his first failure from the spot since 2009. Which had us wondering: For someone so normally dialed in from 12 yards out, did Forsterâs pre-kick words in Milnerâs ear have anything to do with it?
Watch the above clip (U.S. only) and try to imagine what Forster may have said.
Our best guesses as to a photo caption:
âBet you 10 pounds you miss this one.â
âNo pressure, James. None at all. Just a penalty to give your team three precious points. Would be a shame if you belt it to my right âŚâ
What do you think?
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Sourced from Daily Mail article
James Milner praises Fraser Forster spot-kick save
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For the third successive match Liverpool failed to win against a lower-ranked side as Jurgen Kloppâs men slipped up at Anfield, drawing 0-0 with Southampton on Sunday afternoon.
In the 66th minute James Milner missed a penalty - his first error from 12 yards in the Premier League since November 2009, when he missed for Aston Villa against Bolton Wanderers - with Saints stopper Fraser Forster making a great save down low to his right-hand side.
And after the match Milner claimed insider information from former England and Newcastle United team-mate Forster would have helped the 29-year-old goalkeeper.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Milner said: âWe knew we wanted maximum points and didnât do that today; we probably did enough to win the game. Obviously the penalty, my fault probably⌠definitely my fault, that was disappointing but I have to live with that.â
Milner, who announced his international retirement in August last year after winning 61 caps, has been in many England squads with Forster and the pair played together at Newcastle United for two years between 2006 and 2008.
And the 31-year-old said of his ex-colleague: 'Heâs a top keeper, heâs seen me take a lot of penalties, unfortunately, at the Euros, when weâve been with England and even back to Newcastle when we were together and he made a good save.
âI hit it alright, I probably have to see it again, it probably wasnât right in the corner; he is a good keeper but you have to take those chances when the boys work so hard to get that chance for me to take, and I didnât do it, so I have to take responsibility for that.â
Forster spoke to Milner before the spot-kick and appeared to rake his foot over the spot but the Liverpool man insisted that that did not affect him: 'Iâve been around long enough not to let that worry me so I did what I wanted to do and obviously (it was) not good enough on this occasion.
âTheyâre a tough team to break down, the pitch was a bit sticky at times, it was hard to move it as fast as weâd like, ultimately we didnât play as well as weâd have liked.â
Liverpool face West Ham United next at the London Stadium on Sunday, May 14.
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Xhaka a doubt for Southampton after recurrence of ankle injury
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Granit Xhaka suffered a recurrence of the ankle injury that threatened to rule him out of Sundayâs 2-0 win over Manchester United and is now a doubt for Wednesdayâs trip to Southampton, Arsene Wenger confirmed.
The Swiss midfielder, scorer of Arsenalâs opening goal via a healthy deflection off Ander Herrera, was withdrawn in the 76th minute for Francis Coquelin and was evidently in some discomfort.
Wenger had predicted before the match that Xhaka would be unavailable due to an ankle injury suffered in the closing minutes of the 2-0 loss at Tottenham but ultimately gambled with the midfielderâs fitness for a must-win clash against Jose Mourinhoâs side.
âHe got injured last time and he got a recurrence of that,â the Arsenal manager said of Xhakaâs early withdrawal.
As to whether Xhaka would now miss the game at St Maryâs in three daysâ time Wenger added: âWeâll see. I donât know.â
Xhakaâs long-range strike, his fourth of the season, capped off a much-improved display from the ÂŁ34million summer signing.
After a lengthy adaptation process, blighted by two high-profile straight red cards, Xhaka has begun to look more assured in the Arsenal engine room and his partnership with the dynamic Aaron Ramsey was one of the highlightâs of the Gunnersâ win, their first league triumph over Jose Mourinho.
âHe has improved from the start to now,â Wenger told BBC Sport. âHe is slowly getting stature in the middle of the park.â
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Harry Redknapp open to working with ambitious Birmingham
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Harry Redknapp kept Birmingham City in the Championship and then admitted he could stay if the club matches his ambition.
Birmingham survived a tense final day in the Championship as Che Adamsâ 16th-minute strike gave them a 1-0 win at Bristol City as Blackburn, despite beating Brentford, dropped into League One.
The second win of Redknappâs three-game caretaker reign ensured that Birmingham did not have to worry about wins for Rovers and Nottingham Forest.
Asked about his future, Redknapp replied: 'Iâve got a good situation in my life.
'I donât need to be chasing work. I work with a few different companies.
'Iâll have a chat and see what their (Birmingham owners) ambitions are.
'If theyâre ambitious and want to have a go next year, then Iâd be interested.
âBut I donât know what their plans are, they might have someone else lined up. I havenât met or spoken to anyone who owns the club.â
Redknappâs mobile phone rang during the post-match press conference and his response brought laughter from journalists.
âSomeoneâs ringing me now,â Redknapp said.
âWhatâs that? Beijing in China? My God! Maybe thereâs a job going in China? Iâm off to China!â
Redknapp turned 70 in March but he celebrated like an excited teenager as the final whistle signalled Birminghamâs safety.
The former Tottenham and West Ham manager ran down the touchline and punched the air with delight as the 2,500 Birmingham fans sang his name.
âI donât feel anywhere near like a 70-year-old,â Redknapp said.
'But it was a fantastic feeling when the referee put the whistle in his mouth.
'It was tense, we were hanging in there at the end. They hit us with balls into the box and we had to keep winning the first or the second ball.
'We kept getting bodies in the way and dealing with it and the lads were fantastic.
'We knew what was going on around us, they were signing âyouâre going downâ when Blackburn scored and I knew Forest would win.
âBut weâve managed to get the results and the buzz is fantastic when you get a result like that.â
Bristol City secured their Championship safety on the penultimate weekend and the Robins created few clear-cut chances.
âIt was a difficult game for us but Iâm proud of the players in the way they kept going to the end,â said Robins boss Lee Johnson.
'But the big picture for me is the fantastic run weâve been on, those last five or six games have turned around the season.
âIt stands the club in great stead moving forward, and if we can add one or two players in the summer that will give us a boost.â
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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article
Puel pleased with Saintsâ reaction
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After a disappointing goalless draw at home to Hull in their previous outing, this was a far more satisfying stalemate for Saints, who needed a Fraser Forster penalty save from James Milner to secure what was a well-deserved point.
âIâm satisfied,â said Puel. "After Hull City, it was not enough for us, and it was a good opportunity today to correct this and to show our mentality and spirit.
"They did some fantastic work today, with good organisation, discipline, structure and effort. It was fantastic on the defensive side.
"We tried after recovering the ball to start some good play, but it was difficult to play against this team, because they did some fantastic pressing against us and it was difficult to start with the ball.
"But we maintained this wall with the save of Fraser from the penalty, and that was important for all the squad, because I think we deserved a point.
The result meant Saints made it four games unbeaten against Liverpool this season, with four clean sheets, and Puel was delighted with that return.
âFour games against Liverpool and four clean sheets, when we know their quality and the offensive players they have, is very good,â he said
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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article
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Forster played a pivotal part in the result, saving James Milnerâs second-half penalty, while the side as a whole did a good job in limiting the Redsâ opportunities.
On Forster, Puel said: "He made a fantastic save from this penalty. It was important for him and us, because it was harsh to concede this penalty. It was a good reward for all.
"I think all the defence in front of Fraser was very good. All the team defended very well and it was difficult for Liverpool to find the good position to shoot.
âSometimes they were able to, but Fraser made some good saves. The penalty was a fantastic save.â
Attention for Saints now turns to Wednesday nightâs home game against Arsenal, and Puel says they must recover quickly.
âIt will be another game,â he said. âWe will see if we can recover, because it was a difficult game with effort. We ran after the ball and all the game was difficult. Itâs important to recover now and think about the game against Arsenal.â
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Sourced from Sky Sports article
Claude Puel praises Saintsâ âfantastic jobâ after Liverpool stalemate
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Southampton boss Claude Puel was full of praise after his side recorded a fourth successive clean sheet against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
Fraser Forsterâs penalty save from James Milner minutes after the hour mark ensured Saints remained unbeaten in four meetings with the Reds this campaign and means Liverpoolâs Champions League qualification dreams now lie out of their hands.
Meanwhile, Saints registered a Premier League clean sheet for the second week running and Puel paid tribute to the application of his players in grinding out the stalemate against Jurgen Kloppâs men.
âI think it was a fantastic job from the squad,â he told Sky Sports. "We defended very well this afternoon, with good quality and organisation. Perhaps sometimes with better recovery, we can do better in counter-attacks but it was very interesting to see my players with all this energy, good organisation, good spirit, good communication.
âIt was important against Liverpool because they can do fantastic pressing - itâs difficult to start with the ball and itâs difficult to play. But we made it difficult for them to come into our box, so itâs fantastic work from all the players.â
The missed penalty followed a handball from Jack Stephens and Milnerâs effort may have been affected by words uttered by England colleague Forster, but despite the miss, Puel was disappointed with the decision.
He said: "It was, for me, a harsh penalty but it was a good thing - it would have been good to play 10 versus 11. He [Forster] played with a good defensive unit in front of him, but he kept us in the game with two saves - one of them was the penalty - so itâs a good job from Fraser.
âWe now have four clean sheets, two draws and two wins [against Liverpool]. Now itâs important for us to finish the season well and to try and move up and finish in the top half of the table.â
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 07/05/2017 22:12:03
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...impalpably carved by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!| Observations as Liverpool Come Unstuck Against Saints againANFIELDINDEX |
| | Time-wasting and a dry pitch - Klopp reluctantly offers excuses for Liverpool drawFOURFOURTWO |
|| Klopp critical of Southamptonâs slow playSPORTSKEEDA |
|| Liverpool fans blast Divock Origi for his performance against SouthamptonHEREISTHECITY |
|| Southampton and West Brom pick perfect time to scout Cologneâs Anthony ModesteHEREISTHECITY |
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Vokins a sub in Englandâs latest win
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Jake Vokins was a substitute for England Under-17s, as they continued their perfect start to this summerâs European Championship, with a 4-0 win over Ukraine.
The Saints left-back watched on as the Young Lions followed up their opening 3-1 win over Norway with an emphatic triumph in Croatia.
George McEachran, Rhian Brewster, Jadon Sancho and Aidan Barlow got the goals for Steve Cooperâs side, who face the Netherlands in their final Group D game, on Wednesday, as they look to top the standings heading into the quarter-finals.
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Jurgen Klopp makes UNBELIEVABLE excuse for Liverpoolâs Southampton failure
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Jurgen Klopp turned to a new page in the excuses-for-managers textbook to explain another two dropped points in the the race for the Champions League.
After Liverpool struggled to create a meaningful chance against Southampton â who have now shut them out four times this season â Klopp claimed his players struggled to click into gear because the ÂAnfield pitch was too dry.
âI know people donât want to hear this but the pitch was really dry,â he said. âWe gave it all the water we had but, because of the wind, it was really dry.
âIt was nobodyâs fault, but it made it difficult to play.â
As excuses go, it was a lulu â and will surely leave the ÂGerman, an animated figure on the touchline, open to criticism. The Reds, gritty in a 1-0 win at Watford six days earlier, looked curiously lifeless.
This was a game they had to win to keep Champions League qualification in their own hands yet their performance almost had an end-of-season feel to it.
Their fortunes were perhaps summed up by the fact it took Fraser Forsterâs first-ever  Premier League penalty save to deny them â from James Milnerâs first penalty miss since November 2009.
Maybe the fates had Âdecided it simply wasnât a good enough display from the Reds to deserve victory.
Not that Kloppâs team were helped by the antics of Forster and his team-mates after the spot kick was awarded on 65 minutes when Lucas, perhaps in desperation, chipped a ball Âforward, just as he did at ÂWatford on Monday night for Emre Canâs spectacular winner.
Jack Stephens instinctively thrust out an arm as the ball dropped beyond him and a Âpenalty was rightly given.
Forster tried to swing the balance in his favour when he roughed up the spot as he Âtowered above Milner, whispering in his ear.
The pressure was on Milner but, even though he struck the ball firmly enough, Forster produced a fine save which Klopp felt was unfairly gained.
âI really donât like to make a story of it but you saw what they did,â he said.
âOn the one hand they will say it was very smart because he missed, but on the other hand you say itâs not sportsmanship.â
Cedric Soares and James Ward-Prowse were both booked and Klopp added: âThe two Âyellow cards for them added to the delay,
âAnd I donât know how long Forster needed for his goal-kicks, but whatever I say we will look like bad losers.â
Southamptonâs time-wasting was an issue the referee should have dealt with better, but most wasteful of all was Liverpoolâs approach, which simply wasnât engaged enough.
They were playing against a Saints side desperately low on form and Âconfidence and yet it took them 13 minutes to even have a touch in the opposition penalty area, never mind fashion a chance.
In fact, it took them 34 minutes to create anything of note, Roberto Firmino finally escaping Saints shackles to spin and hit a shot from a promising position.
Alas, just like every other ÂLiverpool shot on a depressing afternoon, it was straight at ÂForster.
Only when Klopp â far too late â threw on subs Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge did the game come alive, and twice Sturridge went agonisingly close.
Had he been on a little longer he could even have won it for Liverpool.
The fact is, though, Liverpool have taken two points from their last three home games against Bournemouth, Palace and Saints.
No matter how dry the pitch is, that is not Champions League standard, and they can have no complaint if they finish outside the top four.
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