Digging Deeper Into Liverpool's Comeback Win Over Southampton
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With a comeback win in the books that see's Liverpool take a commanding lead at the top of the table, we take a look at what it means for Arne Slot's Reds.
It all started so well for the Reds, with an early goal and a ton of pressure that almost saw Liverpool break the game open. Instead, they allowed Southampton into the match with a couple of uncharacteristic defensive gaffs that gave the hosts a lead. Arne Slot's side stayed the course, however, and managed to strike back twice through Mohamed Salah to take the points and add to their lead at the top of the table.
Below, we take a look at some winners and losers on the night, and attempt to disentangle narrative from fact.
Winners
Dominik Szoboszlai
The Hungarian midfielder has been maligned in some corners of the interwebs this season, but he was stellar on the day. He scored the opener thanks to some terrible play from Southampton in their own box, but the finish from Szoboszlai was sublime. He was influential all match, getting away 5 shots and providing 3 key passes along with doing a ton of running to drag players out of position.
Mohamed Salah
It was a quiet first half for the Egyptian king, but as we have seen time and time again he shows up when needed. His second half brace brought the Reds back level and then go ahead late. He almost iced the game with a tight angle shot that came back off the post. The two goals also put him on 100 away goals for his Liverpool career, and he now has 16 goal involvements in 12 matches.
Fans of Mohamed Salah Shirtless
Mo's abs are the eight wonder of the world. It should be illegal to card him for sharing them with us.
Caoimhín Kelleher
The Irish goalkeeper is at or near the end of his string of starts with Alisson returning to fitness, but Kelleher put on a great display. He made the initial save on a dodgy penalty awarded, and made a couple of other top-shelf save to again prove just how lucky the Reds are to have such a quality back up.
Losers
Defensive Decision Making
Liverpool have had the best defensive record in the league so far, with a lot of the reason down to good decision making. Against Southampton, the Reds had a couple of uncharacteristic moments that led directly to goals. Whether or not Andy Robertson was inside or outside of the box when he made his challenge on Tyler Dibling, he absolutely did not need to make the challenge to begin with. He had plenty of help inside and trailing, and he was in a position to force Dibling to take the ball wide or to the end line. The challenge forced the referee to make the decision to award a penalty that was ultimately unnecessary.
Similarly in the second goal conceded, three Liverpool players chased down Adam Armstrong as the ball came to him, leaving no one to track the run through the middle. All three players over-pursued Armstrong as he cut it back before playing a simple ball to Fernandes in the middle of the box for an easy finish.
Dissecting the Narrative
This had all the markings of a trap game. Liverpool entered the match off of an international break taking on a team at the bottom of the table. The Reds had seen Manchester City drop points the day before, and have upcoming fixtures with Real Madrid and the aforementioned Manchester City. Despite an early goal and a lot of possession and opportunities, Liverpool almost fumbled the bag.
What we saw was a very calm and collected side that didn't try to force the issue, but rather stayed patient and stuck to their game. Mohamed Salah, as he typically does, came up in the big moments to see Liverpool take all three points and take an eight point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.
What Happens Next
As mentioned, a huge week ahead waits for the Reds. Liverpool will host nemesis Real Madrid in Champions League group play on Wednesday as Arne Slot looks to stay at the top of the standings. The Reds will then host reeling Manchester City next Sunday with a chance to open a massive gap at the top of the table.
