Liverpool made three changes to their starting lineup after their tough win in Paris, with Kostas Tsimikas, Curtis Jones, and Darwin Nunez coming in.
Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo, and others were left on the bench or ruled out due to injuries. Gakpo (ankle), Conor Bradley (hamstring), Joe Gomez (hamstring), and Tyler Morton (shoulder) were all unavailable.
Liverpool started strong, controlling the game with quick passing and creating early chances. Curtis Jones came close with a shot that went just wide. Southampton suffered a setback when Jan Bednarek had to be substituted after a clash of heads with a teammate.
Despite having 78% possession and creating three big chances, Liverpool couldn’t find the net. Their frustration grew just before halftime when a mix-up between Alisson and Virgil van Dijk allowed Will Smallbone to score against the run of play, giving Southampton a 1-0 lead at the break.
Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, who was suspended for the match, likely had strong words for his team at halftime. He made three changes, bringing on Andy Robertson, Alexis Mac Allister, and Harvey Elliott for Tsimikas, Jones, and Dominik Szoboszlai.
The changes worked wonders. Darwin Nunez turned the game around in just three minutes. First, he scored from a Luis Diaz cutback to equalize, then won a penalty Mohamed Salah calmly converted to make it 2-1. Mac Allister was particularly impressive, bringing control and composure to the midfield.
Liverpool sealed the win late in the game when Southampton’s Yukinari Sugawara elbowed the ball into the box under pressure from Diaz. After a VAR review, Salah stepped up again and scored his second penalty of the match, making it 3-1.
The win extended Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to 16 points, with Salah moving further up the club’s all-time scoring charts. It was a hard-fought victory that showed Liverpool’s resilience after a frustrating first half.
