Liverpool turn on style to put four past Southampton

 

 

A straightforward 4-0 victory for the Reds today against mid-table Southampton moved Liverpool up to second in the table before title rivals Manchester City and Chelsea play tomorrow, against West Ham and Manchester United respectively.

A convincing display could have seen Liverpool score nine or 10 but, at the same time, goalkeeper Alisson Becker had to make several excellent saves to stop Southampton from scoring and getting a way back into the game.

Still, once Diogo Jota scored after two minutes – a tap in, following good linkup play between Sadio Mané and Andy Robertson (restored to the side after missing the games against Arsenal and Porto, in which Kostas Tsimikas ably deputised for him) – Liverpoo always looked like they would take three points and they would do so comfortably.

Mané had yet another goal chalked off for a marginal offside. His powerful header from Andy Robertson’s free kick swung in from the left fell victim to the linesman’s flag and VAR confirmed an infringement not clear to the naked eye.

But Liverpool were never going to be denied a second goal, even if it took them another 30 minutes to score it. This time it was good play down the right that ended with another tap in for Jota.

Trent Alexander Arnold won the ball just inside the Southampton half, laid it off to Mo Salah and he exchanged passes with Jordan Henderson before the Egyptian's pass found the Portuguese striker on the back post to score his second of the game.

A first half hat-trick for Jota looked inevitable as Liverpool continued to create chances and the former Wolves man continued to find himself in the right place at the right time, but he couldn’t make the most of the opportunities presented to him.

When the third goal came it came from an unexpected source, though maybe after his sensational strike against Porto in midweek Thiago Alcantara finding himself on the scoresheet again was not such a surprise. He fancies it now.

Thus, on 36 minutes, the Spanish midfielder picked up the ball 30 yards out from a defensive clearance, with a shimmy and a stepover, drove into the opposition penalty box, found the space for a shot, which he unleashed with his left foot into the right corner of the goal only for a deflection from a Southampton defender to take it the other way and away from the diving Saints keeper, who had no chance.

The game was over. Nightmarish memories of nine-goal thrashings Southampton have suffered in the last couple of years, against Man United and Leicester, must have returned, not that the Saints were playing that badly.

However, in the second half, Liverpool only managed to add one more, when on 52 minutes ex-Saint Virgil van Dijk met an Alexander Arnold corner from the right with an unstoppable volley from the penalty spot to make it four and complete the day’s scoring.

Jurgen Klopp took the opportunity to rest players ahead of the midweek derby against Everton. 

 

Thus, he brought on Alex Oxlade Chamberlain for Thiago, James Milner for Henderson and Taki Minamino for Jota. Nevertheless, with the exception, perhaps, of Joel Matip starting ahead of Ibrahim Kontate, you have to think that today’s 11 for the Reds is Klopp’s preferred starting lineup. Thiago, Fabinho and Henderson in midfield with Jota, alongside Mané and Salah, up front ahead of Roberto Firmino, even with the Brazilian coming to the end of a layoff with a hamstring injury.

Liverpool edge past Southampton to keep Champions League qualification hopes alive

An uninspiring and unconvincing win for Liverpool, which could easily have ended up like Liverpool’s last two games against Leeds and Newcastle, where early leads were not capitalised on, chances were missed, and the opponents scored late equalisers to deny important victories.

Thus, after having Diogo Jota – starting ahead of Roberto Firmino – and Mo Salah – who had one of those frustrating games in which he seemed more concerned with personal rather than team glory, shooting where a pass was the better option – squander good openings, and one minute after Alisson Becker made a point-blank save against Che Adams, Sadio Mané got on the end of a chip from Salah to nod past the Southampton keeper from a yard out and give Liverpool the lead on 31 minutes.

In the second half, Liverpool created one or two more chances, but were never dominant and the second goal never looked like coming. Indeed, with a quarter of the game to go, Southampton began to look threatening and Alisson had to make another one-on-one save with Adams, though the keeper nearly spoiled a man-of-the-match performance when he gave the ball away, again to Adams, on the edge of the area but recovered smartly to save a weak finish that saw the Southhampton striker get the hook.

It wasn’t until the 90th minute that Liverpool nerves were settled, when Thiago Alcantara, fed by substitute Firmino, passed the ball with curl from outside the box into the corner of the Southampton net, beyond the despairing hand of Frazer Foster. This was Thiago’s first goal for the Reds since his move from Bayern Munich.

The three points puts Liverpool up to sixth place, six points behind fourth placed Leicester but the Reds have one game in hand. 

Leicester suffered a shock 4-2 defeat to Newcastle on Friday, which makes them the likelier target for Liverpool to overtake. Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad to go third and their form looks too good for them to fall out of the Champions League places. 

If Liverpool win their next game – the rescheduled tie against Manchester United on Thursday – then they’ll be three points behind Leicester, whose tricky run-in involves games against Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs.

Manchester United have found a rich seam of form and with their potent strike force will go into the biggest game in English football as favourites.

Reds title hopes dented by Southampton

A truly appalling display from the Champions saw them fall to a solid Southampton team that left Liverpool without a win in three games. After dropping points in draws against lowly West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle, there was hope – and a pressing need – for Jurgen Klopp’s men to get back on track against a team missing key players and who had posed no threat to Liverpool in the last six meetings. Instead, the Reds went behind to a Danny Ings lob after two minutes, following a soft free kick, given by the atrocious Andre Mariner, and defended meekly by Trent Alexander Arnold, who had his worst performance in a Liverpool shirt and was given the hook after after 77 minutes in deference to James Milner. Not that Alexander Arnold should be singled out for his poor display. Every Liverpool player – from Salah to Alisson – had terrible games. The loss of an early goal seemed to panic Liverpool and their usual calm and patient build up play was absent as they rushed and struggled to trouble Southampton, whose nervous keeper, Fraser Forster, didn’t have to make a save until the 74th minute, when he comfortably clasped a weak effort from Mané.

Read more here.

Klopp not celebrating title yet, despite emphatic Southampton win

Jürgen Klopp said Liverpool are not perfect and in no mood to celebrate the impending arrival of the Premier League title at Anfield despite extending their lead to 22 points with victory over Southampton.

Liverpool equalled Manchester City’s record of 20 consecutive Premier League home wins with the 4-0 victory and their emphatic lead at the summit represents the biggest advantage any team has enjoyed at this stage of a season.

Klopp’s team are also unbeaten in 42 top-flight games but the manager insists there is no feeling of invincibility within his squad and only continued hard work will land the club’s first league title for 30 years.

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Reds survive late scare after Adrian howler

Liverpool beat Southampton to secure an 11th successive top-flight victory and equal their best-ever Premier League winning run - despite a late blunder by goalkeeper Adrian.

With the European champions leading 2-0, Liverpool's number two keeper - starting in place of the injured Alisson - cleared the ball against the shin of substitute Danny Ings to gift the Saints striker a goal against his former club.

Sadio Mane had given Liverpool the lead at the end of the first-half with a delicious arrowed finish from the edge of the penalty area after Saints had gone close on three occasions.

Adrian, who was passed fit despite an ankle injury in a collision with a pitch invader following the Uefa Super Cup win over Chelsea, had kept out Maya Yoshida's header while Che Adams spurned two chances to equalise.

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Reds recover against Southampton to reclaim top spot

For a painful half hour it looked like Liverpool’s title dream would perish because they were out-Klopped. But by the end it seemed their German manager’s grand plan could be coming together at exactly the right time. The way this match unfolded could barely have been more restorative in terms of belief in Liverpool’s ability to be champions. Maligned players provided a powerful tonic. And there could certainly be no jibes about Liverpool’s bottle.

Yet they started like a team stunned to be confronted by opponents who treated them as they like to treat others. Which was a surprise, given that Jürgen Klopp is very familiar with Ralph Hassenhüttl, both having been on the same coaching course many years ago and having preached similar tactics ever since. But for 30 minutes the visitors were rendered ragged by hosts who pressed and thrust far better than them. Outfought as well as outthought, Liverpool were terribly uncomfortable or, to be fair, plain terrible.

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Matip: Anfield now a fortress

Liverpool defender Joel Matip believes visiting teams should fear Anfield as it has now become a fortress for Jurgen Klopp's side.

A comfortable 3-0 win over Southampton meant the Reds have scored in their last 21 home league matches - their longest run since the 23 they registered between March and August 1986.

Defensively Liverpool's record is equally impressive as they have not conceded a home league goal in 12-and-a-half hours, extended over eight matches - their longest sequence since a run of nine in 2006/07.

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Salah scores in Southampton rout

Mohamed Salah ended his mini goal drought against Southampton and, despite suggestions he is short of form, the stats underline his continued threat for Liverpool...

Jurgen Klopp had laughed off questions about Mohamed Salah's goal 'drought' before Liverpool's clash with Southampton and the Egyptian's relaxed celebration when he tucked in his first in three games from close range underlined the point: there's no worry at Liverpool about Salah's early-season form.

Expectation levels are currently through the roof for the Reds forward, after he bagged 32 Premier League goals in 2017/18.

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Klopp impressed by Reds' flexibility

Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool are demonstrating they can cope with different challenges after extending their 100% start to the season.

The Reds have won their opening seven games of a campaign for the first time in their history after beating Southampton 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday.

A Wesley Hoedt own goal, Joel Matip's header and a Mohamed Salah tap-in put Liverpool in total control before the break.

It was the third of seven games in 23 days, with the Reds having won at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend before overcoming Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday.

And Klopp has been impressed with the manner in which his players are overcoming contrasting styles of play.

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