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Jurgen Klopp has assured Takumi Minamino that he remains part of the long-term thinking at Liverpool, with the Japan international considered to be an "important player" for the Reds.

Somehow.
The race for Champions League qualification goes on. Jurgen Klopp’s side simply had to win here and they did, Sadio Mane’s header and Thiago Alcantara’s first goal in English football giving them a battling 2-0 victory over Southampton at Anfield on Saturday evening.
With Leicester surprisingly beaten at home by Newcastle 24 hours previously, it means Liverpool have closed to within six points of the fourth-placed Foxes with a game in hand.
And Leicester’s final three fixtures, in case you had forgotten, are away to Manchester United, away to Chelsea and at home to Tottenham. Ouch.

Date published: Saturday 8th May 2021 10:56 - Samuel Bannister
Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool would keep fighting for a top-four place after their hard-fought win over Southampton.
Liverpool earned their first win in nearly a month
by beating Southampton 2-0. Sadio Mane scored a header against his former club before Thiago Alcantara put the icing on the cake with his first goal in a Liverpool shirt late on. It keeps them in contention for a European finish.
It was far from a vintage performance but they struck at important times and got the job done. They are six points off the Champions League places and have a game in hand over fourth-placed Leicester.

Knowing that anything short of victory could dent their ambition of playing in Europe next season, manager Klopp started the duo in attack alongside Portuguese forward Diogo Jota.
Despite dominating ball possession, they had to wait until a minute after the half-hour mark for the first goal to come - Salah weighted a cross for Mane perfectly and all the Senegal international had to do was guide it low into Fraser Forster’s net.
Sadio Mane has scored two goals in his last three Premier League games for Liverpool, having netted in just one of his previous 14 in the competition #LIVSOUpic.twitter.com/xbs6otz3Zc— Shina Oludare 🇳🇬 (@sportingshina) May 8, 2021

Labour protect their majority on Liverpool Council as opposition struggle to make inroads
The election only saw three losses for the ruling group despite a slew of damning revelations about the way parts of Liverpool Council has been run
22:03, 7 MAY 2021
Labour stemmed losses within Liverpool Council and retained the mayoralty. Here, mayor-elect Joanne Anderson celebrates. (Image: Jason Roberts photography)
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Tories gain control of Northumberland, Harlow, Redditch and Nuneaton & Bedworth councils in big wins
Labour suffered a series of defeats across the country in the local elections, including in its heartlands  
Conservatives gain councillors won in usually left-wing stalwart wards including in Sunderland and Tyneside 
The Tories, Lib Dems and Greens all made significant gains in several seats as Labour went backwards
Liverpool has elected its first black female mayor as Labour held on to the role despite corruption allegations 
Results painted a brutal picture for Sir Keir Starmer's party on Super Thursday, as he also loses Hartlepoo

Watch 'Jumpy' the Welsh sheep who thinks she’s a racehorse
Powys farmers Dylan and Anwen Jones produce record-breaking Lleyn sheep - but their latest high-flier is a consummate escape artist
05:00, 8 MAY 2021
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Merseyside's most notorious killers who had the grins wiped from their faces
These killers thought they were clever but justice soon caught up to them
16:04, 8 MAY 2021
Serial killer Peter Moore is just one of Merseyside's most notorious killers
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These are the faces of some of Merseyside's most notorious and calculating killers.

Six of EncroChat's most wanted who police want to close the net on
So far in Merseyside 115 arrests and 84 charges have been brought but there are more to be had
Updated
Callum Hogg, 29 and from Roby, is wanted on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Image: Merseyside Police
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Date published: Saturday 8th May 2021 6:12 - Samuel Bannister
Jadon Sancho has cast doubt on his chances of a Premier League move by admitting he is “very happy” at Borussia Dortmund.
Sancho left his homeland to begin his professional career with Dortmund in 2017. The move has worked out, as he has cemented his reputation as one of England’s biggest prospects in the years since. Hence, rumours of a return to the Premier League have never been far away.
Last summer, Sancho was a top target for Manchester United. However, Dortmund held firm with their demands for a €120m transfer fee, which United could not reach.

What has been said?
Quizzed on Minamino ahead of Liverpool's clash with Southampton on Saturday, Klopp has told the Reds' official matchday programme: "He’s done really well there and this is no surprise.
"When we allowed him to go in January it was a tough call to make because he is an important player for us and will be again in the future, no doubt.
"But opportunities at that time had been short with us and therefore going to play somewhere else made sense for him and us.
"Southampton was perfect because of how Ralph plays and what he demands from his players."

13 new Liverpool bars you might not have been to but really should
Liverpool is well known for its bars and exciting night life
Updated
Boujee Restaurant & Bar in Chavasse Park in Liverpool ONE (Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Liverpool is well known for its vibrant night life - under normal circumstances - and now lockdown restrictions are finally easing, there are plenty of new bars worth visiting.
The coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on the hospitality industry, and has in some instances led to the permanent closure of independent shops, businesses, restaurants and more - but normality is finally on the horizon.

Thiago Alcantara scored his first Liverpool goal as they claimed a 2-0 win over Southampton at Anfield.

Goals from Sadio Mane and Thiago Alcantara kept Liverpool's top-four hopes alive as they put the pressure on Leicester City by beating Southampton 2-0 at Anfield on Saturday

BBC News
By Anna Holligan
image captionThe last time Eurovision took place was two years ago in Tel Aviv
Europe's most popular cultural event would not be the same without its audience, and after last year's cancellation this year's Eurovision will go ahead in Rotterdam even though the Netherlands is battling a third wave of Covid-19.
Organisers are adamant a "scaled down but ambitious" Eurovision 2021 can be conducted safely. They say it would bring hope and signal the start of Europe's long anticipated revival of live events.
In Liverpool, an experimental rave took place only last weekend. But the pandemic here is currently much more serious and young people represent the greatest hike in hospital admissions.

Thu May 06, 2021 at 8:49pm ET
Nelson Thomas appeared via Zoom for The Challenge: Double Agents reunion. Pic credit: MTV
The Challenge: Double Agents reunion took place over two episodes on MTV, bringing some of the cast into a studio where host Vernon Davis interrogated them about various topics from the season.
While many cast members were there in person, they also had a few cast members appearing by videoconference. That included some UK cast members such as Kyle Christie, Gabby Allen, and Tula “Big T” Fazakerley.
Nelson Thomas lives in the United States and was also one of the cast members who appeared by videoconferencing. While some viewers may have thought production didn’t want a physical altercation between him and Fessy Shafaat, that wasn’t the reason he wasn’t in the studio.

Suspected drug smugglers named as police make EncroChat swoop
The three men are also charged with allegedly supplying drugs after doors went in as part of mobile encryption service crackdown
08:26, 7 MAY 2021
Three men suspected of smuggling and dealing drugs have been named after swoops by detectives targeting criminals who use mobile encryption service EncroChat. (Image: Andrew Teebay/Liverpool Echo)
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Balaclava gang armed with shotgun assault young woman
Gang stormed house and attacked victim aged 27
Updated
A general view of Alderwood Avenue in Speke. Image: Google Street View
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Armed men wielding a shotgun burst into a Liverpool home and attacked a woman in a terrifying home raid.

Scenes from 'Wild West' as gang chase 'goths' with pitbull in park
Some ECHO readers have shared their experiences of hate crimes for simply dressing differently
Updated
Stanley Park, where a woman claimed she witnessed an incident that made her 'sick' (Image: Liverpool ECHO)
A woman's account of seeing a boy and a girl chased by 'bullies' for being 'dressed different' has left ECHO readers disgusted.
The nan claims she saw a gang of youngsters with a 'pitbull type dog' chasing the two people and said it left her 'sick to her stomach.'
While following the ' absolute scum' to check they didn't hurt anyone, she said she overheard them saying 'let’s get the goths' and 'bring the dog.'

Idiot criminal claims he missed probation appointments after wife 'ate his SIM card'
The judge 'thought he had heard it all' until the bizarre claim was made in court today
15:58, 7 MAY 2021
Updated
Anthony Gray admitted breaching a suspended sentence imposed for burglary (Image: Trinity Mirror)
A dopey burglar claims he failed to keep up with his probation appointments because his wife ate his SIM card.
Qualified electrician Anthony Gray was caught bridging an electricity meter for a cannabis farm - at the wrong house.
He was handed 10 months in jail, suspended for two years, after admitting burglary at Liverpool Crown Court last September.

Lib Dem boss Richard Kemp will have wanted to do better in today's votes (Image: Jason Roberts photography)
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If this was a normal election, Liverpool's opposition parties might be quite content with how today played out.
But it wasn't.
After all, it is not very often that the serving Mayor of a city - a man who is synonymous with the ruling party - is arrested and forced to withdraw from an election.