"He was a warrior tonight", "Carried the entire team" - Fans hail Liverpool star after 2-1 win over Southampton

Liverpool fans on X have waxed lyrical about Wataru Endo after his sensational performance during their 2-1 win over Southampton. The Reds secured a vital win in the EFL Cup quarter-finals at St. Mary's Stadium on Wednesday, December 18.

Despite resting numerous first-team players, Arne Slot's side looked dominant in the first half, storming to a 2-0 advantage via goals from Darwin Nunez (24') and Harvey Elliott (32'). Cameron Archer netted a brilliant goal in the 59th minute against the run of play to give the Saints hope, but Liverpool defended well to secure the victory.

Wataru Endo has struggled for game time this season, making just 11 appearances across competitions (three starts). The Japanese national team skipper was also tasked with playing as an inverted centre-back alongside Jarell Quansah, despite being a natural No. 6.

Fortunately for the Reds, the 31-year-old performed admirably, completing 79 passes from an attempted 85 with an accuracy of 93 percent. He also won all four of his tackles, made four recoveries, and won 11 duels.

Liverpool fans were impressed as one posted:

"Onto the semis! Endo was a warrior tonight"

Another fan tweeted:

"Endo carried the entire team"

Other fans reacted below:

"Gotta love Endo. Heir to the Jimmy Milner role," one fan commented

"Wataru Endo. What a player, deserves to play more," another added

"Wataru Endo. Captain leader legend," one fan tweeted

"Wataru Endo’s football IQ is incredible. Knows when to go forward, when to press, while playing CB out of possession for the first time as a false CB and a supporting CM in possession. What a player," another chimed in

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How did Liverpool fare during their 2-1 win over Southampton?

Liverpool's excellent form showed no signs of slowing down as they secured a 2-1 win over Southampton to qualify for the EFL Cup semi-finals. Let's take a look at how both sides performed at St. Mary's Stadium.

The Reds dominated possession with 69 percent of the ball, completing 571 passes with an accuracy of 89 percent. Meanwhile, Southampton had 31 percent possession and completed 228 passes with an accuracy of 79 percent.

Liverpool were also more threatening going forward, landing 14 shots in total with four being on target (xG of 1.66). In comparison, the hosts mustered six shots in total with four being on target (xG of 0.32).

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Disclaimer: The above stats were taken from FotMob on December 19 at 3:40 AM IST. They are subject to change as per the platform's prerogative.