Liverpool reached the Carabao Cup fourth round thanks to a late winner from Hugo Ekitike, despite finishing the match with ten men, after Alexander Isak opened the scoring for the Reds.
Before kick-off, Liverpool paid tribute to former women’s manager Matt Beard, who passed away at the age of 47. A minute’s silence was impeccably observed, with players and fans honouring his contribution to the club.
Isak scored his first goal for Liverpool in the 44th minute after Federico Chiesa intercepted a sloppy pass from Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy and fed the ball to the Sweden striker, who calmly slotted it home.
Southampton fought back and equalised in the 76th minute when Wataru Endo’s back-header fell to Shea Charles, who made no mistake in finding the net.
Liverpool regained the lead soon after when Chiesa raced onto a loose ball and squared it to Ekitike, who finished from close range. However, the French striker had already been booked earlier in the second half and was shown a second yellow card for removing his shirt in celebration, forcing Liverpool to see out the final minutes with ten men. Ekitike will miss Saturday’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace.
Manager Arne Slot made 11 changes from the side that beat Everton, giving many young and fringe players an opportunity. Chiesa impressed with his energy, creating both goals and nearly scoring himself before being ruled offside for a clever finish inside the box.
Liverpool now turn their attention to the Premier League, traveling to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace on Saturday, 27 September (15:00 BST).
Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili; Kerkez, Gomez, Frimpong, Robertson; Endo, Bradley (Jones 56’); Ngumoha, Chiesa, Isak (Ekitike 46’); Danns.
Subs: Leoni, Jones, Isak, Bradley.
