Tag: southampton

Diogo Jota scored twice as Liverpool thrashed Southampton to move up to second in the Premier League, one point behind leaders Chelsea.

Southampton arrived at Anfield clearly determined to attack the hosts but their bold intent was punished after less than two minutes when Andrew Robertson was allowed to get away down the flank and cross for Jota to poke in.

Sensing the opportunity to secure a big win against wide-open opponents, Liverpool kept up the attack, Sadio Mane heading wide before having a goal ruled out for a marginal offside.

But a second goal duly arrived just after the half-hour mark when the unmarked Jota tapped in from Mohamed Salah’s square ball after good link-up play between the Egypt international and Jordan Henderson.

Those two strikes took Liverpool to 700 goals scored since Jurgen Klopp arrived at Anfield – they have also become the first top-flight team in English football to score at least twice in 17 straight matches in all competitions since Sunderland in 1927.

The Reds were not done there, however, and a third goal arrived just a few minutes later when the visitors failed to clear their lines properly and Thiago Alcantara punished them with a deflected strike for his second goal in as many games.

The half-time interval provided only a brief respite and Liverpool made it 4-0 soon after the restart as Virgil van Dijk fired in from a corner.

Jota almost completed his hat-trick midway through the second half but stabbed just wide as Southampton kept the damage to four goals when in truth it could have been much worse.

Liverpool did keep their faint top-four hopes alive on Saturday, but the unconvincing manner of their victory does not bode well for their 2021/2022 UEFA Champions League aspirations.

Jurgen Klopp’s side stumbled over the line for only a second league win at Anfield in 2021 in beating Southampton 2-0.

It was all thanks to Sadio Mane’s first-half header and Thiago Alcantara’s first goal for the club in the 90th minute.

At this stage of the campaign results rather than performances are the preference.

Considering Liverpool’s woeful home record this year, this was a welcome boost after conceding late equaliser in their previous two matches.

Chelsea’s added-time winner at Manchester City had put Thomas Tuchel’s side into third just before kick-off.

It had then set Leicester City as Liverpool’s new primary target —- who were nine points ahead.

More injuries —- to Ozan Kabak, Ben Davies, James Milner and Naby Keita —- meant academy graduate Rhys Williams was drafted in for his first start in two months alongside Nat Phillips.

He was returning at centre-back after a two-match absence.

It also meant Klopp was without his three first-choice central defenders plus the two he signed in January as cover.

His lack of resources showed with Ben Woodburn, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Blackpool, in the squad for the first time in two years.

He was alongside 18-year-old centre-back Billy Koumetio, who was making his debut on a Premier League bench.

The game quickly settled into a familiar pattern at Anfield of chances created but not converted.

Fraser Forster, returning in goal, twice saved from Salah and once from Diogo Jota while Jannik Vestergaard blocked Thiago’s follow-up.

Georginio Wijnaldum’s header hit the crossbar while Phillips, the hosts’ only real aerial threat, headed wide from a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner-kick.

But from a similar far-post position, Mane made no mistake from Salah’s 31st-minute cross —- the first time this season the pair had combined for a Premier League goal.

It was the conclusion of a pivotal passage of play.

This is because 46 seconds earlier, Alisson Becker had blocked Che Adams’ shot and caught Nathan Redmond’s rebound as Saints began to build some threat.

Klopp was less happy after the goal than before it.

Southampton pushed back with Kyle Walker-Peters sending a cross-shot wide and Nathan Tella directing a six-yard header straight at Alisson.

Normal service was restored after the break.

Jota forced Forster into a near-post save and Phillips got his header all wrong on the edge of the six-yard box but it faded much quicker than the first-half start.

Liverpool resorted to keep-ball, without really threatening, in order to nullify the visitors.

But it still required Alisson to dive at the feet of Michael Obafemi and push over fellow substitute Ibrahima Diallo’s drive.

But even the goalkeeper was not infallible and was lucky to escape when a mishit clearance straight to Adams was returned back to him when the Saints forward should really have scored.

Jota’s weak shot wide was his last action before being replaced by Roberto Firmino, while Mane’s volley past Forster was ruled out for offside as the match entered a nervy final 10 minutes.

Thiago slotting into the Kop goal from outside the edge of the penalty area just as the clocked ticked past 90 minutes ended the hosts’ anxiety.

But on this evidence there will be more to come.

And the worrying is far from over for Saints, who are not mathematically safe and a 13th defeat in 17 matches leaves them still looking over their shoulders.