Liverpool were looking to put one foot into the League Cup finals alongside bitter rivals Manchester United but were outsmarted and outdone by a resilient Southampton team.
The Reds visited St.Mary’s days after coming off a disappointing result against Plymouth looking for a win, but the Saints were strong in their backyard and refused to give the visitors anything. The fast-paced but slightly frustrating game ended 1-0 in Southampton’s favour thanks to a Nathan Redmond goal early in the first half as Liverpool were handed in only their third defeat of this entire season.
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Here are the 5 main talking points about this game.
#1 Missing the ‘Man’e
Although it has been said before, it cannot be highlighted enough as the absence of Liverpool’s summer signing was evident in a frustrating display at St. Mary’s.
Sadio Mane left for international duty as he represents Senegal in the upcoming African Cup of Nations and the winger’s pace and skill set were majorly missed by a Liverpool attack that looked toothless without their talisman. The attack looked out of ideas and out of touch. The final ball and touch were lacking as the Reds barely threatened Forster in Southampton’s goal.
Even the much-awaited return of Phillipe Coutinho could not improve the state of affairs.
#2 Game of the season for Loris Karius
Another one of Liverpool’s summer acquisitions but one whose season has been the exact opposite of Mane’s - the under-fire Karius had his best game in a Liverpool shirt so far as he kept his team in the game, and in the tie.
Despite not having as much to do in the second 45 minutes as he did in the first, the German international made two goal denying saves. He kept away two of Nathan Redmond’s close range shots in the first half that would have changed the complexion of this tie entirely and thus kept the Scousers in the tie. Karius expertly came out and stopped a shot before parrying away the other one with a fine reflex save.
The 23-year-old has had his share of criticism since being dropped to the bench due to his unsteady performances in the league, but his game was top notch today and he will be hoping to build some confidence off of it. A silver lining in a dark day for Liverpool.
#3 A solid defensive and attacking display by Southampton
It was not very surprising to see the Saints leave many men in their own half despite playing at home, as it was effective the last time Liverpool visited their stadium. And it turned out to be effective this time as well.
Liverpool have looked off recently and Southampton’s resilience and numbers while defending got the better of the Reds’ attack as they failed to score at St.Mary’s for the second time this season.
Apart from that, it was a solid performance from Southampton as they gave nothing away and were devastating on the break. They exploited Liverpool’s defence and it was in fact only Karius and Liverpool’s post that denied them a much bigger lead.
Nathan Redmond gave a man of the match performance and could have easily gotten a hattrick, while the likes of Van Dijk did no harm to their growing reputation. The hosts will be highly fancying their chances of seeing this tie out at Anfield.
#4 Another poor game by the Reds and the road only gets tougher
With only three goals in the last four games (which is a highly unusual statistic for a team who has been scoring for fun for the most part of the season), everything has been going wrong for the Reds in the past three games and the games ahead only get tougher.
Klopp subbing off Wijnadlum instead of Lucas who was slowing down the game, the indecisive defending from Ragnar Klavan which led to the first goal and the partnership of Can and Wijnadlum which looks as shaky as a tent in a storm - all contributed to a goalless and frustrating game. The absence of captain Jordan Henderson did not go unnoticed as well and the defensive frailties were getting exposed time and again.
With a mega game at Old Trafford coming up and Chelsea visiting Anfield at the end of this month, things do not look to be getting any easier for Klopp and his men. And they should know that they need to buckle up to remain in the hunt for trophies this season.
This is the first time Liverpool have gone winless for 3 games in a row this season and it could not have come at a worse time.
#5 Southampton’s display gives hope for better things
Claude Puel and his men gave a highly spirited performance and one that they should be proud of as they now head to Turf Moor in their next game and aim to better their Premier League position.
It was an astute defensive display from the hosts and a win against Liverpool is always something to cherish given the Reds’ form for the most part of the season. While Redmond and his partners in crime – Tadic and Rodriguez had great games, Oriel Romeu gave an amazing midfield performance as he was everywhere on the pitch. Forster, in goal, meanwhile, had the best “seat” in the stadium thanks to his defence.
It was a brilliant game from a team that has been mocked as “Liverpool B” but who tonight showed that they are no pushovers.
Southampton had an unsuccessful Europa League campaign last season and with their current momentum, they shall be hoping to get things back on track and aim for a top 8 or top 7 finish. Their replay against Norwich in the 3rd round of FA Cup also beckons; so the club needs to keep their heads up and win all the games they can, and hope for a game as good at Anfield on the 25th of this month. Wembley does not look very far away right now.
