By Robert O'Connor, PA
Liverpool moved eight points clear at the top of the Premier League as Mohamed Salah scored twice to help them come from behind to beat bottom-club Southampton 3-2 at St. Mary’s.
Arne Slot’s side were looking to take advantage of Manchester City’s third consecutive league defeat on Saturday but were rocked by a determined and at times ferocious display from Saints, who briefly led after goals from Adam Armstrong and Mateus Fernandes cancelled out Dominik Szoboszlai’s first-half strike.
Liverpool’s opener had come from a costly Southampton error in defence, and there were two more after the break to turn three points into none.
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First, goalkeeper Alex McCarthy was caught in no-man’s land from a long ball allowing Salah to edge the ball past him and over the line, then 10 minutes from the end, Yukinari Sugawara’s needless handball in the box gave Salah the chance to win it, which he duly took.
The worst of Saints’ three defensive calamities was the first, for Szoboszlai’s goal. Fernandes was robbed by Curtis Jones who intercepted possession, though Flynn Downes was given more than enough time and space to mop up.
Instead he passed straight to the feet of Szoboszlai who punished Southampton’s carelessness with a slick, curling effort that pinged against the far post and in.
Before kick-off, boss Russell Martin had pointed to the number of recent upsets caused by the league’s smaller teams as reason for hope for his struggling side, and Liverpool’s goal did not cow them.
Downes might have made amends instantly when he turned Szoboszlai and fired low towards the corner, only an excellent diving stop from Caoimhin Kelleher to turn it around the post preventing Saints from levelling.
It was a warning not heeded by Liverpool. After 39 minutes, Tyler Dibling set off on a run through the heart of Slot’s defence that was ended by a poorly-timed challenge from Andy Robertson just inside the box. The referee said penalty, VAR belatedly agreed and though Kelleher saved Armstrong’s kick he was helpless to keep out the rebound.
Saints were having success in central areas with Liverpool’s midfield unusually absent at times in the first half and the defence prone to backing off.
The second period began in the same vein, Dibling charging through the middle once again and aiming a shot a yard over Kelleher’s crossbar.
Dibling was increasingly a thorn in Liverpool’s side and it was his sublime flighted pass for Armstrong that made Southampton’s second.
The 18-year-old collected the ball out near the touchline, made a deft touch to lose Szoboszlai and then lofted a precisely calibrated pass that pitched perfectly for Armstrong. He knocked it inside to Fernandes who coolly swept in his first Premier League goal.
Yet the defensive frailties that have dogged Southampton’s season returned to haunt them. Another error robbed them of their lead, this time McCarthy misjudged the flight of Ryan Gravenberch’s pass, racing out to meet Salah but arriving too late, allowing the striker to toe it past him. With the goalkeeper stranded, the ball rolled over the line for 2-2.
Then, with 80 minutes on the clock, Sugawara leapt and handled a cross before it could reach Robertson and from the resulting penalty Salah drove the ball high into the corner to win it.
