Liverpool go into the World Cup break on a run of four consecutive wins, with a Darwin Nunez brace helping clinch a 3-1 victory over Southampton.
Liverpool 3-1 Southampton
Premier League (14), Anfield
November 12, 2022
Firmino 6′ (assist – Robertson)
Adams 9′
Nunez 22′ (assist – Elliott)
Nunez 42′ (assist – Robertson)
In a game that saw Jurgen Klopp watching from the stands, the manager will have had a perfect view of the set-piece prowess of both sides in a back-and-forth start.
Liverpool struck first, with Roberto Firmino flicking Andy Robertson‘s free-kick beyond Gavin Bazunu, before a near carbon-copy situation that saw Che Adams head home from James Ward-Prowse’s lofted delivery.
The Reds were nearly back in front soon after as Nunez drove down the left flank and whipped in an inviting cross, but Bazunu was there to produce a strong stop to deny Mohamed Salah a tap-in.
They got their goal before the half-hour, though, and it was Nunez who beat Bazunu, touching in from a brilliant ball over the defence from Harvey Elliott.
Nunez grabbed another ahead of half-time, the Uruguyan sliding in Robertson’s low ball into the six-yard area to give Liverpool a deserved two-goal cushion.
HT: Liverpool 3-1 Southampton
There were no changes at the break, and unsurprisingly so, with Klopp likely to have headed down to the dressing room to simply ask his players for more of the same.
Southampton did see more of the ball in the opening stages of the second half, though, and that encouraged Nathan Jones into a triple substitution and a change of formation.
Alisson was called upon to make two sharp, one-on-one saves either side of a penalty call for Salah, in a brief period which at another stage this season could have paved the way for a downfall.
There was a chance headed wide by Virgil van Dijk from another brilliant Robertson cross, before another stunning, vital stop from Alisson to deny Adams a brace.
The heroics of the goalkeeper helped Liverpool see out a convincing win, breaking for the World Cup on their first four-game victorious run of the season.
TIA Man of the Match: Alisson
Referee: Simon Hooper
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Phillips 87′), Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson (Tsimikas 86′); Fabinho, Elliott (Milner 68′), Thiago; Salah, Nunez (Carvalho 87′), Firmino (Oxlade-Chamberlain 75′)
Subs not used: Kelleher, Adrian, Bajcetic, Doak
Southampton: Bazanu; Caleta-Car (Maitland-Niles 58′), Bella-Kotchap (Lyanco 72′), Salisu; Perraud, Ward-Prowse, S.Armstrong (Walcott 58′), Lavia (Aribo 82′); Elyounoussi, Adams, A.Armstrong (Edozie 58′)
Subs not used: McCarthy, Diallo, Djenepo, Mara
Next match: Man City (A) – Carabao Cup 4th Round – Thursday, December 22, 8pm (GMT)
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