Liverpool clinched first three points in their first away game of the 2019/20 Premier League season with a 2-1 win at Southampton on Saturday afternoon.
Merely three days after their Super Cup triumph in Istanbul, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds were back on the road for the second Premier League fixture of the season.
Despite the taxing affair in Turkey, the Reds made just three changes to the starting XI, as Trent Alexander-Arnold returned in place of Joe Gomez while Fabinho and Jordan Henderson made way for Gini Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino.
And it was a moment to savour for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as the occasion marked his first league start since April 2018.
The hosts had piled the pressure on the Reds early in the piece to ensure any sight on the Saints’ goal had been few and far between.
That was until Sadio Mane sprinkled some magic dust to notch his third goal of the week with a stunning curling effort into the top corner on the cusp of half-time.
Liverpool would return from the break with renewed vigour, doubling their lead through Roberto Firmino after some brilliant pressure off the ball from Man of the Match Sadio Mane.
And of course, the Brazilian had a planned celebration up his sleeve.
After navigating through Southampton‘s pressure to look on the brink of a comfortable finish to the game, Adrian threw a spanner in the works to hand Danny Ings a late goal.
Liverpool’s No.13, who had been in doubt prior to the game with an ankle injury, was quick to apologise, however – but it means the search for his first clean sheet is still ongoing.
After playing three times in eight days the trip to St Mary’s was viewed as a potential banana skin, but having emerged victorious the Liverpool players were quick to celebrate after the final whistle.
Liverpool will now be afforded a weeks’ break before returning to Anfield to host Arsenal, where they will look to maintain their unbeaten start to the season and notch their 12th successive Premier League win.
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