SUPER MO’S PURPLE REIGN
Stunning solo strike the highlight in Liverpool fightback
It was coming. Sooner or later, the run had to end. It was February 9 when Mohamed Salah last scored for Liverpool, the redundant third against Bournemouth. this was goal was its opposite: this goal meant everything.
Every misstep, even the smallest one, is the title potentially lost, so the fact that Liverpool appeared unable to take their chance to return to the top of the table was huge. time was, a point at Southampton would have seemed a decent result, but that time isn’t now.
A draw would have left them second on goal difference behind a Manchester City team with a game in hand. So this might have seemed like a minor slip but it was one with potentially major consequence. And then, from nowhere, came Salah.
He had played a good game, but not a great one, and had been handled well by Southampton’s defence, but this was why Jurgen Klopp kept faith when others may have taken him from the firing line. He is a player that makes stuff happen, makes goals happen — maybe makes titles happen, too.
Here, he picked up a headed clearance by Jordan Henderson inside his own half, south of the centre circle, turned and sped on goal. For once, Southampton could not get a man near him. He had time to think of the enormity of the moment, time to mentally stumble, time to consider the consequences of failure. He finished as if not a negative thought had entered his mind, ripped his shirt off in celebration in front of the away fans, took his booking without a flicker of remorse.
And Liverpool were not finished. the deadlock broken, their swagger returned. With four minutes remaining, Alisson played the ball out to Virgil van Dijk who picked out Roberto Firmino on the right flank. He hit a low cross and there was Henderson, channelling the spirit of vintage age Frank Lampard, a furious run into the six-yard box to confirm the victory. It was his first goal since September 23, 2017. He celebrated like it, too.
Fittingly, for a fixture that was seen as something of a googly, a party from Liverpool spent some of yesterday at the Rose Bowl for the opening fixture of the County Championship season between Hampshire and Essex. Well, you know what these Germans, Egyptians and Brazilians are like for their cricket. Maybe the plan was to relieve a little tension. If so, it was only a partial success. there really can be no way of forgetting the circumstances now. Liverpool began nervously, grew into the game, before winning it. But no distraction is going to erase the enormity of this run in; not even 94 not out from Sam Northeast.
Shane Long for Liverpool? Well, there is a behavioural pattern at work here. Going into this game, of the last eight Southampton players to score against Liverpool, five ended up at Anfield. Peter Crouch, Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne and, most recently, Sadio Mane. He was the last scorer for Southampton in the fixture, as far back as 2016.
It has been hard for Southampton, losing their best to this opposition, scorers and non- scorers alike. Virgil van Dijk is the latest, and what a transforming presence he has been.
His every touch here was booed by the locals — still seething at his behaviour in forcing the move — although largely it only went to show how often he is involved in Liverpool’s build-up play. Van Dijk is so much more than just a stopper.
Long is unlikely to follow in his footsteps, mind, goal or no goal. Liverpool may have a thing for Southampton’s forwards but Long’s strike doubled his total for the season, and Jurgen Klopp has plenty of players who can score without drafting in those who frequently do not. Long took his goal well, but was helped by some calamitous marking. Soon after, he had a very good chance with less time to size up the target and it is fair to say normal service was resumed. Liverpool would expect any of their front three to score it.
Southampton had already signalled their intent with a good break after five minutes. PierreEmile Hojbjerg broke up play in midfield before feeding the ball to Nathan Redmond. He brought in Ryan Bertrand on the left-side overlap but his dangerous cross was cut out by van Dijk at the near post.
the same route to goal brought the opener, but this time van Dijk was inexplicably absent — like most of Liverpool’s defence. It was Bertrand again, causing trent Alexander-Arnold heaps of trouble down his flank, who crossed for Hojbjerg to get a neat flick which took a band of violet shirts out of the game. It left Long, ball at his feet, goal at his mercy, Alisson powerless as he smashed the ball into the left corner of the net.
Long should have put Southampton two clear after 19 minutes when, once again, AlexanderArnold got into bother with Bertrand around, conceding possession and then unable to recover as the ball was whipped across goal. It found Long but he missed his kick and van Dijk was relieved to put the ball over the bar for a corner.
this was another huge half for Liverpool, after the second against tottenham at Anfield on Sunday, and had Southampton taken the game away from them, who knows the psychological impact on this campaign? But, slowly, they found a way back. With 16 minutes gone, a Mohamed Salah chip found Mane, whose header was pushed out by Angus Gunn. Naby Keita was first to react but couldn’t turn the ball towards the target.
Roberto Firmino volleyed over after 30 minutes but finally Liverpool’s pressure told. A succession of crosses were repelled before Alexander-Arnold finally recycled one with purpose. It was met by Keita at the far post and Gunn’s best efforts could not claw it back from over the line.
Replays showed Salah offside in the build-up, but there must have been three phases of play between that call and the goal. How far are
we going to wind back with VAR next season? We could be sitting around all night if events in the previous minute or more have to be taken into consideration. Southampton had plenty of opportunity to clear between the infringement and the equaliser.
Teams, not just officials, must also take responsibility.
SOUTHAMPTON (5-3-2): Gunn 6; Valery 6, Vestergaard 6.5 (Austin 83min), Yoshida 6.5, Bednarek 6, Bertrand 6; Ward-Prowse 6, Hojbjerg 6, Romeu 6 (Armstrong 83); Long 7 (Sims 62, 6), Redmond 7. Subs not used: McCarthy, Stephens, Gallagher, Targett. Scorer: Long 9. Booked: Bednarek, Bertrand. Manager: Ralph Hasenhuttl 6. LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 6 (Milner 59, 6), Matip 6, Van Dijk 6, Robertson 6; Wijnaldum 5.5 (Henderson 59, 6), Fabinho 5.5, Keita 6 (Lovren 88); Salah 7, Firmino 7, MANE 7.5. Subs not used: Mignolet, Moreno, Shaqiri, Origi. Scorers: Keita 36, Salah 80, Henderson 86. Booked: Salah. Manager: Jurgen Klopp 7. Referee: Paul Tierney 6. Attendance: 31,797.