IRREPRESSIBLE REDS
Liverpool enjoying their lap ofhonour
ROBERTO FIRMINO stood, chest puffed out, smirking at the sheer gall of it all.
The Kop embraced the pose, roaring their approval. The goal-scorer, Jordan Henderson, rushed to be with him. They bumped chests, with the Englishman attempted to keep a straight face, to look cool and moody.
Yet Firmino just kept grinning so eventually Henderson cracked, smiled and succumbed to the joy.
Firmino may not score at Anfield these days — bizarrely he is without a home goal all season — but his praises are now sung almost more frequently than any other at this stadium. In a phenomenal season for almost all Liverpool players, he is among the best.
An hour had passed. A game, in which Southampton had acquitted themselves admirably, was effectively over. Two-nil isn’t usually a lead this Liverpool side are in the habit of relinquishing.
Naturally Shrewsbury Town may beg to differ. But that was the reserves. The first team, this season, at Anfield have become so predictably good that there is a danger the end of a 30-year yearning will be anti-climactic.
And the Kop would celebrate with gusto. Until the win over Manchester United last month, it was almost as though no one would mention, even in the hyperbole of a football chant, the prospect of winning the league.
Twenty-two points clear, an unprecedented lead, this isn’t even a formality now. It’s an extended lap of honour. ‘We’re going to win the Football League again’ they repeatedly intoned here.
The chant tells its own story, a throwback to another century. The last time they did, it was the Football League.
We’ve never seen the like. Jurgen Klopp, who deflects most compliments for fear of invoking a premature celebration, couldn’t disagree.
‘I have never seen it, to be honest,’ he said. ‘I can only say it doesn’t feel special. It’s not that I feel stronger and stronger after every win. It’s not like this. It just celebration, relief settle go again.
‘We don’t look on that numbers. I promise you I don’t lie. We just don’t feel it. The day before a game, my main feeling is: “I’m concerned!” I am a very optimistic person but not before a football game. Because I know everything can happen.
‘Today, Southampton had absolutely too many shots and finishes. We are not perfect, not even close. We don’t care about not being perfect.
‘We just try and use our skills in the best possible way. The boys do that and that is why we have these kind of numbers. It doesn’t feel for a second like it’s really special. It just feels like hard work.’
In truth, it was hard work, even if it could have been 6-0 by the end. ‘Wow!’ was Klopp’s summary of Southampton’s performance and first half, at least, that was apt.
They repeatedly got in behind Liverpool, with Danny Ings superb on his return. Only Alisson at his best saved his team from Ings and Long.
And they were unfortunate that within two minutes of the re-start, the narrative had changed.
On 47 minutes, Danny Ings was felled in the box by Fabinho: no penalty ruled referee Kevin Friend. Liverpool played swiftly upfield — on this occasion a deft series of short passes — for Andy Robertson, who cut back and found Firmino, who, with a lovely touch, played in Oxlade-Chamberlain.
He struck from just inside the box to score, 20 seconds after that penalty claim.
We awaited the decision of VAR Stephen Hooper. Fabinho had two goes at felling Ings and the second effort surely made him stumble? Apparently not.
‘It will not happen that Liverpool scores and the referee goes back and gives us a penalty,’ said Ralph Hasenhuttl resignedly afterwards.
This we cannot expect. I wanted to see this game when we go one up and the penalty decision is a crucial moment. When we score it, maybe it is a completely different second half. But they get a lift and they are strong.’
Thereafter, the sheer clinical power of Liverpool made it hard to argue that the result might have been altered.
For Liverpool do what they do so well. In fact, in the modern era of football you begin to wonder just how many teams have ever perfected the counter-attack quite as ruthlessly as Liverpool?
Take that second goal, on the hour, from Henderson.
It started with a long goal-kick from Alex McCarthy!
That was picked up by Trent Alexander-Arnold deep in his own half. He drilled a cross-field pass to open up play on the opposite flank, which Firmino knew was coming.
Suddenly Southampton had a
problem: Firmino approaching goal at full speed while they desperately back-tracked.
Could they block his shot? Then came the touch you suspect had given Firmino so much pleasure; the shot never came.
Instead he cut the ball back to the on-running Henderson, switching the angle of attack to render the Southampton defence helpless.
Liverpool’s captain took a touch and picked his spot. He wouldn’t disappoint.
The third on 71 minute, was an Alisson goal-kick direct to Henderson. What next?
An ultra-quick ball beyond the outstretched leg of Jan Bednarek for Salah to chase.
And, once the Egyptian was clear of defenders, it was obvious how the move would end, with him lifting the ball over McCarthy.
Again, it was mere seconds from box to box.
The fourth involved another sensational Firmino contribution. Again, it came as Southampton attacked, Liverpool broke and Salah sprinted away.
He played in the Brazilian, who with a delightful touch, returned the pass for Salah to net his second.
Firmino himself might have scored; sub Takumi Minamino missed a glorious opportunity.
And yet Southampton had played well.
It is just that they had confronted something extraordinary.
Being good doesn’t cut it against this Liverpool team.
It is going to take something supernatural to stop them.