Liverpool Has A New Deadly Combination Up Front, Talking Points Of The Win Over Southampton

Liverpool have thrashed Southampton at their own ground with an emphatic margin of 2-0. While Southampton will now focus on their FA Cup clash with West Brom on Saturday, Liverpool’s attention will switch to the Champions League tie with Porto coming up in midweek. It will also mean that Southampton stay rooted in the relegation zone, while Liverpool are up into third place, two points behind Manchester United.

 

Now just take a glance how two teams are shaped up before the big occasion :

 

Southampton (4-2-3-1):

McCarthy; Cedric, Stephens, Hoedt, Bertrand; Romeu, Lemina; Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Tadic; Carrillo.

 

Liverpool (4-3-3):

Karius; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Can, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane.

 

Here are the talking points of the match :

 

1. Liverpool Took The Lead Within Six Minutes Of The Match :

 

The Reds, donning a luminous orange strip today were allowed to break at pace down the right. Hoedt got across to intercept Oxlade-Chamberlain’s pass, but made a mess of it, allowing Salah to nip in and tee up Firmino, who made no mistake with a composed first-time finish. It was torrid defending from Hoedt, who completely swiped at his clearance. Salah was in the right place, however, and had the wits to pick out Firmino with a clever pass.

2. Mohamed Salah Doubled The Lead In The First Half :

 

It was simply brilliant from Liverpool, as Firmino and Sarah combined once more to carve open Southampton’s defence. The Egypt forward slipped a neat pass into Liverpool’s number nine, who returned the favour with a sublime flick, and Salah duly rounded the move off in style. Southampton’s defence gave Salah too much time on the edge of the area, and his ball into Firmino enabled the Brazilian to back-heel it into Salah’s path. It was Firmino’s 11th assist of the campaign.

3. The Combination Of Salah And Firmino Working Well For Liverpool :

 

Salah had now been directly involved in 29 Premier League goals this season – 22 goals, 7 assists. It was the most by a Liverpool player in their debut season for the club in the competition. In between the goals early on and late in that first half, it had to be said that Southampton were on top, with Karius having to be alert to maintain the Reds’ lead.
A clinical display from Liverpool so far, who despite not being at their sharpest, had cut through Southampton with ease when they had stepped it up – Firmino and Salah doing the damage.

4. Southampton Lacked Quality Upfront In The Field :

 

The manager of Southampton thought that Long would add pace and tenacity to Southampton’s attack. So there was another change now for Southampton, as Shane Long replaced James Ward-Prowse. The hosts needed to create something soon if they were to haul themselves back into this. But so far today, the Saints midfield had lacked the incision or guile to open up Liverpool’s defence. The best chances for the hosts in the first half came from crosses into the box, and Pellegrino should have instructed his side to get down the flanks whenever possible.

Related Posts

Al-Nassr are reportedly interested in signing Liverpool attacker Luis Diaz, eyeing a big-money move for the Colombian star.

Liverpool attacker wanted by Al-Nassr in the summer

Saudi Pro League giant Al-Nassr aims to secure Liverpool’s dynamic winger Luis Diaz with a blockbuster financial package, according to recent reports. The Colombian star, who commands the left flank…

Read more

Real Madrid want to sign €80 million center-back from Arsenal

Arsenal news: Real Madrid actively pursues a robust central defender to bolster its backline, addressing persistent injury woes that have plagued the squad this season. Consequently, the club’s management, under…

Read more
Arsenal are ready to pay €75 million to sign Chelsea target Jules Kounde as they look to strengthen their defense this summer.

Arsenal ready to pay €75 million for Chelsea target

Arsenal and Chelsea actively pursue Barcelona’s talented defender Jules Kounde, aiming to secure his signature in the upcoming summer transfer window. Both Premier League giants eagerly monitor the 26-year-old French…

Read more

Arsenal scouts were in attendance to watch Lyon star

Arsenal news: Arsenal’s recruitment team actively scouted Lyon’s electrifying playmaker Rayan Cherki during his standout performance against Manchester United in the Europa League. Consequently, the Gunners have joined a competitive…

Read more
Borussia Dortmund are interested in signing Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko ahead of the summer transfer window.

Arsenal defender wanted by Borussia Dortmund in the summer

Arsenal news: Borussia Dortmund eagerly plan to pursue Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer, aiming to secure the versatile Ukrainian’s signature. The Bundesliga powerhouse, known for its dynamic style, sees Zinchenko…

Read more
Arsenal are reportedly leading the race to sign Spanish midfielder Javi Guerra amid interest from top Premier League clubs.

Arsenal are reportedly leading the race for for 21-year-old midfield technician

Arsenal have surged ahead in the chase for Valencia’s dynamic midfielder Javi Guerra, as Mikel Arteta eagerly crafts a bold midfield transformation for the upcoming transfer window. Reports suggest the…

Read more