Liverpool could yet salvage their horrible season
SOMEHOW they remain in the race. Liverpool are not playing like a Champions League team but, with two weeks to go, the possibility of pilfering a top-four spot is still there.
Having seen Leicester and Tottenham lose, Liverpool had no other option but to beat Southampton if they wanted to remain in the race and that is what they did, as Sadio Mane’s first- half strike against his old club then a super injury- time finish from Thiago Alcantara proved enough.
How long they remain in the contest is open to debate but they are still fighting and it would be foolish to discount Jurgen Klopp and Co just yet. This is a manager who has a habit of taking seasons to the very last game and that could again be the case.
When these sides first met on the first Monday of the year at St Mary’s, nobody could have guessed that Liverpool would end up being also-rans in the title race; they were top on the morning of January 4 with 33 points from 16 games.
That impoverished and wasteful performance on the south coast was a precursor for what was to come and the disjointed, erratic nature of the last four months has meant there are many in Anfield who feel the end of the campaign cannot come quickly enough.
If Liverpool have been a shadow of themselves in 2021, the same is true of Southampton. It should not be forgotten they were being spoken of dark horses for Europe but in the 124 days since beating the reigning champions 1-0 they had collected just eight more points.
Teams arriving at Anfield in such a state of flux used to be sent packing with the minimum of fuss but Liverpool’s loss of form has led to a loss of trust in them and it was no foregone conclusion that they would get the win to apply some pressure to the teams above them. In fairness to Klopp’s team, they started briskly and professionally. Southampton were organised and stubborn, particularly keeper Fraser Forster, but it soon became apparent that they would have their work cut out.
Diogo Jota should have given Liverpool a 23rd-minute lead but, after picking up a back heel from Mane and dropping his shoulder to dash into area, he could only fire a shot straight at Forster.
The wince and exasperated head tilt told you the Portuguese was frustrated with himself.
You could see Liverpool beginning to hit full stride, cranking up their momentum, and they came closer still in the 25th minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s fizzing corner was met flush by Gini Wijnaldum but the midfielder’s header thudded against the bar.
Southampton had offered little to this point but, in a move that came against the run of play on the halfhour mark, they had an opportunity to inflict the kind of punishment on Liverpool that so many other teams have managed at this stadium in recent months.
Rhys Williams, deputising for the injured Ozan Kabak, got caught out and allowed Nathan Tella to dash away down Liverpool’s left. The winger held his nerve and squared for Che Adams but, crucially, he lacked conviction and was psyched out by keeper Alisson, who smothered the striker’s chip. Ralph
Hasenhuttl spun on his heels in frustration — it really was an outstanding chance — and his exasperation was exacerbated within 60 seconds as Liverpool inflicted maximum punishment, with Mane scoring his first goal at Anfield since December 27.
It was created by Mohamed Salah, whose dipping cross to the back post found Mane outmuscling Kyle Walker-Peters; the Senegal international needed to be brave and he was, throwing himself at the ball to head in from six yards.
The celebrations were muted — it was relief more than anything else — but the goal was not a catalyst for Liverpool to go through the gears. Southampton had the best chance before the break but, again, Adams fluffed his lines following a cross from Nathan Redmond.
Southampton were blown away in a second-half storm when they came to Anfield last season at a time, before the pandemic, when Klopp’s side were head and shoulders above anyone else — and they came out for the restart exuding menace.
Jota, once again starting ahead of Roberto Firmino, scuttled into the area in the 48th minute but Forster stood tall at his near post and beat the Portuguese’s left-foot drive away, triggering another grimace from Liverpool’s No20.
Another promising moment arrived shortly later but after Alexander-Arnold fired in a terrific cross, defender Nat Phillips got his angles wrong and could not divert his header towards goal.
You should not be surprised to read that Liverpool were wasteful. The only time they have scored more than once at Anfield in nine Premier League matches in 2021 came against Aston Villa — 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 2, 1 was the sequence going into this contest — and another chance to kill the game was missed in the 68th minute when Jack Stephens blocked a Salah shot.
In the 76th minute Alisson, who had hitherto been exemplary, proceeded to pass a ball straight to Adams. Once again, he failed to capitalise and shot straight at the Brazilian.
The miss was crucial. Liverpool remained resolute and in the final minute Thiago swatted in his first goal for the club. Klopp hoisted his arms with a mixture of relief and delight. The fight continues.