Liverpool secured an important away 2-3 victory against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium in the first post-November international break game. The victory allowed them to extend the gap after Manchester City suffered a 0-4 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot made several changes compared to the team he put against Aston Villa before the break. Conor Bradley started ahead of injured Trent Alexander-Arnold with Dominik Szoboszlai replacing Alexis Mac Allister in midfield for the game.
Cody Gakpo replaced Luis Diaz in the left wing while Harvey Elliott returned to the contention as one of the substitutes. The long journey back from South America acted as the big reason for Slot to bench Diaz and Mac Allister.
However, Darwin Nunez started the game for the Reds as Diogo Jota’s injury limited the available options for Slot. Kostas Tsimikas picked up a knock in training and missed out on the matchday squad against the Saints.
First-half
Liverpool started the game on the front foot and controlled the possession with few counter-attacking threats from the hosts. Adam Amstrong used every opportunity to make a run on the right channels between Bradley and Ibrahima Konate.
Referee Samuel Barrott showed two early yellow cards to Bradley and Konate, succumbing to the pressure from the home crowd. However, Liverpool maintained control of the possession and pressed Southampton with intent and conviction as the hosts dropped deep.
The Saints continued to play the ball from the back despite the high-pressing from Liverpool players which eventually created an opening. Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy started a move with a poor pass which eventually led to a mistake from Flynn Downes.
Szoboszlai intercepted a poor clearance from Downes and scored a clinically precise goal in the 30th minute of the game. However, the Reds displayed another phase of complacency that has haunted their last season and cost them the Nottingham Forest game earlier this season.
A series of misplaced passes allowed Southampton to break, leading to a foul from Andy Robertson. Referee Barrott issued a straight penalty but the replay showed that the tackle happened outside the box.
The Reds expected that VAR official Michael Oliver would change the decision to free-kick but the controversial official opted for the penalty to stand. Despite the clear visual that every audience could see, VAR reported the following via Premier League Match Centre’s X account–
“#SOULIV – 40’ The referee’s call of penalty for the challenge by Robertson on Dibling is checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed there was no conclusive evidence that the contact occurred outside the penalty area.”
The David Coote saga raised concern about repercussions from the Liverpool fanbase as the officials have always defended each other. This blatantly wrong decision with poor reasoning just raises that concern further for the Reds as they face numerous obstacles.
Second-half
Liverpool tried to put the controversy behind them in the second half but complacency once again proved another recurring enemy. The Saints applied a fantastic counter-attack to take a 2-1 lead in the 56th minute with a Mateus Fernandes finish.
As Liverpool faced a race against time, Slot brought Mac Allister and Diaz on as a replacement for Curtis Jones and Gakpo. Liverpool immediately bounced back after the substitution when Ryan Gravenberch’s fantastic long pass allowed legendary attacker Mohamed Salah to implement a sneaky finish.
As Southampton goalkeeper McCarthy made a critical error to reach the ball before Salah, the Egyptian made a slight touch for a fantastic finish. Salah scored another goal in the 83rd minute after the Saints substitute Yukinari Sugawara handled the ball for a penalty.
Three crucial points but complacency remains as the focus shifts to big games ahead
The Reds have now won 16 out of 18 games in all competitions to maintain their strong start this campaign. Liverpool are at the top of the Premier League and the Champions League table but now face their biggest opponents.
They will play Real Madrid in the Champions League clash at Anfield during the midweek with old scores to settle. The Reds have failed to beat Madrid every time under the successful Jurgen Klopp era with many games involving controversies.
While Liverpool secured three important points in another controversial game, they need to focus on the things they can control. The complacent phases are their biggest problem that needs immediate solution as the team gels under Slot’s tactics.
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Liverpool are still far from a finished product under Slot with plenty of room for improvement but the focus shifts to the next two games. After Madrid, the Reds will face Manchester City in the Premier League clash with big momentum-changing consequences for the league title race.
