Liverpool

v

Southampton


ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

8th May 2021

Liverpool 2

  • Mané 31'
  • Thiago Alcántara 90'

Southampton 0

    Intro & Team News

    Intro and Team News

    IBO Reporter - Spot51


    |I’ve watched Saints for over 50 years but, despite being used to the Ups and Downs of all things SFC, nothing prepared me for the completely Jekyll and Hyde nature of this season. At times, last Autumn, we were exceptional. No one wanted to play us and I found it somewhat ironic that Drew didn’t live long enough to see us sat Top of the Prem on what would have been his 65th birthday.

    Since we last played Liverpool, we’ve been shite. Yes, we have not had much luck - with injuries, phantom Red Cards and a string of dodgy VAR calls. However, even with Vestergaard and Ings on the pitch we’ve often looked rudderless and failed to do the basics correctly. I’m fed up with reading the stats that demonstrate how awful we’ve been so I’m certainly not repeating them here.

    Liverpool have also (by their standards) had a dodgy season. I’m not really a fan (but like Klopp and Mané) yet I could not deny they deserved their title last season. This season has been very much “after the Lord Mayor’s show” at Anfield. I’m still amazed that Pickford’s assault on Virgil went unpunished and Liverpool’s inability to keep any of their centre-backs fit has hamstrung their current campaign. Playing Henderson and Fabinho there might have shored up the defence but it also weakened their midfield. Virgil is back in Training but not expected to be involved yet. Expect a 20m cameo in their last game against Palace.

    Minimino is still a Scouser so will not be available for us. Word is the Klopp wants him back for their summer training camp to reassess him but if the Japan Olympics go ahead, he’ll be needed there.  Big Jan’s ridiculous red card was rescinded so we can pretty much field the side that started against Leicester with Theo replacing Mini. We’ll be wearing the “Lucky” white kit.

    It IS football so anything can happen and I’d settle for a competitive match with both sides scoring. I’d like an away win. That would see us doubling the current champions for the 3rd time. Last time we had Kevin Friend (on VAR) at West Brom he kept their score down. Today he is the Ref. Fingers crossed.




    Embed from Getty Images

    Diallo and Obafemi (returning after a long injury) were second half subs, but didn't really change the impetus of the game in Saints favour


    Liverpool


    • 1 Alisson
    • 66 Alexander-Arnold
    • 47 Phillips
    • 46 R Williams
    • 26 Robertson
    • 6 Thiago Alcántara
    • 3 Fabinho
    • 5 Wijnaldum
    • 11 Salah (Oxlade-Chamberlain 87')
    • 20 Jota (Firmino 79')
    • 10 Mané (Jones 90'+3)

    Substitutes

    • 9 Firmino
    • 13 Adrián
    • 15 Oxlade-Chamberlain
    • 17 Jones
    • 21 Tsimikas
    • 23 Shaqiri
    • 58 Woodburn
    • 76 N Williams
    • 89 Koumetio

    Stacks Image 240

    Southampton


    • 44 Forster
    • 2 Walker-Peters
    • 35 Bednarek
    • 4 Vestergaard
    • 5 Stephens
    • 32 Walcott (Diallo 66')
    • 8 Ward-Prowse
    • 17 Armstrong
    • 11 Redmond - Booked 61'
    • 10 Adams (Djenepo 79')
    • 23 Tella (Obafemi 66')

    Substitutes

    • 1 McCarthy
    • 12 Djenepo
    • 14 Obafemi
    • 22 Salisu
    • 27 Diallo
    • 31 Ramsay
    • 40 N'Lundulu
    • 47 Ferry
    • 64 Jankewitz

    Stacks Image 238
    Match Report
    Embed from Getty Images

    After his rescinded red card in the Leicester game, Jannik Vestergaard was back in the heart of the action


    Match Report

    IBO Reporter : Spot51



    |Both Theo and Fraser returned for this one which was Stu’s 100th game for Saints. Liverpool had a pair of nippers at centre-back and Jota was preferred to Firmino up top. Sky’s pundits were Micah Richards, Carra for Liverpool and, presumably, Jamie Redknapp for Saints.

    Saints kicked off and won their first corner inside 2m. Vestergaard got on the end of JWP’s cross but TAA was able to clear. Saints were looking OK and Jack, reprising his left back role, did well against Salah in the early exchanges.

    It was 10m before Liverpool’s first serious attack when TAA found Mané whose shot went over the bar. The home team began to enjoy more possession but Saints kept their defensive shape and closed them down well. Then Saints broke away and Redmond glided past Thiago before winning another corner. JWP took 2 in quick succession but Liverpool then stormed up the other end where Fraser plucked Mané’s cross out of the air.

    On 19m Liverpool won 2 quick corners, the second saw Phillips head past the post. Next Fraser caught a cross from TAA before Saints moved up-field and Redmond shot wide. Liverpool were looking more dangerous now. Fraser made a good save from Jota on 25m. He then punched away the resulting corner but the ball was recycled to salah who forced another save from our keeper. The next corner saw Wijnaldum meet TAA’s cross but his header bounced off the bar and went over.

    Saints then created a few chances of their own. First Stu tried to find Theo in the box but Robertson cleared. Then Theo set up Redmond who shot from distance but too high to worry Allison. A minute later, the Brazilian made two decent stops: first he went down bravely at the feet of Adams but Liverpool failed to get rid of the loose ball and Allison was obliged to save Redmond’s follow up.

    Liverpool went straight up the other end and scored. The ball was played wide to Salah whose cross dropped beyond Bednarek where Mané got in front of KWP to head home. 1-0. The right back then went down his wing, cut in a fired a cross shot beyond Liverpool’s far post.

    In Liverpool’s next attack Big Jan made a couple of superb blocks. First, he got I the way of Salah’s shot, then recovered to stop Thiago’s follow up: good defending by the Great Dane.

    Salah nearly got another for the home side but was flagged offside. At the other end, Theo again found Redmond who put his shot wide. We were still in this one as half time approached. Mane’s foul on Theo gave JWP the chance to seek out our big men on 41m but Liverpool got the ball away. Then, on 44m we put a superb move together. Adams and Redmond combined before the latter crossed for Tella. Sadly, the youngster put his header right at Allison.

    Another free kick in added time saw our centre backs up again but when the ball was kicked Bednarek was penalised for pushing an opponent. That was half-time still 1-0.

    Neither side made changes and Armstrong launched our first attack, his cross being held by the keeper. Then Jota won a corner for Liverpool and again Williams got to the cross - but again missed the target. Saints enjoyed plenty of possession without doing damage. On 57m, a foul on Redmond gave us another chance but JWP’s free kick was easily held by Allison.

    Whilst we defended well, Redmond did see yellow for a foul on Thiago. Then Adams played in Tella but the keeper gets to the ball first. On 66m Ralph made two changes – Diallo and O’Bafemi replaced Tella and Theo. Diallo stayed wide leaving Stu in the middle.

    Another cute ball by Adams nearly got Obafemi in but, again, Allison got to the ball first. Then Diallo lost the ball to Mané who found Salah. The Egyptian shot but was thwarted by a great block by Jack. Another decent Saints move saw Adams cross from the right, Obafemi knocked it back for Diallo whose powerful drive was palmed over by Allison. JWP’s worst corner of the night went out for a throw on the opposite side.

    Allison won his next foot race with Obafemi too. Given his display so far, it came as a great surprise when the keeper hit a slack pass straight to Adams. The striker hit it hard and low but the Brazilian dived left to recover the ball.

    Liverpool’s next attack saw Jota win a corner off KWP. Bednarek got the cross away but Salah recycled the ball to Jota who shot wide. That was his last involvement as Jurgen replaced him with Firmino on 78m. At the same time, Ralph sent on Djenepo for Adams.

    On 81m Salah won a corner which TAA took. Saints got it away but the ball came back in for Mané to head home. This time the offside flag ruled it out. Our next attack saw Phillips head JWP’s cross away before play was halted when KWP was hurt in a tangle with Mané. While he was treated, Oxo came on for Salah.

    Saints survived another corner before Kyle was able to carry on and Liverpool were now clearly running the clock down. Then, in the final minute, Firmino played the ball in from the left. Thiago took one touch, then another to improve his angle before curling the ball round Big Jan and beyond Fraser’s glove into the far corner. 2-0 and Goodnight Nurse.

    During the 4 added minutes Curtis Jones came on for Mané and Carra chose Allison Becker as Man of the Match. That was the best thing that happened for Saints all night. At least we were competitive against the old Champions for 89 minutes.



    Man of the Match

    Fraser did OK, as did Adams but the player I was most impressed by was Nathan Redmond. We often see him blowing hot or cold and wonderful goals are followed by abject displays. On Saturday he put in a proper shift and worked up and down that left hand side all night. He could have made Allison’s night ever harder with more accurate shooting but if he carries on working that hard he’ll become a fixture in Ralph’s 1st XI.



    Embed from Getty Images

    Walker-Peters had another good game, but was caught out for Mané's goal

    Match Statistics

    Match Details


    • Referee : Kevin Friend
    • Assistants: Simon Beck, Adrian Holmes
    • Fourth Official: Andy Madley
    • VAR: Andre Marriner
    • Assistant VAR: Andy Halliday

    • Attendance: Nil


    Liverpool


    • 54% Possession
    • 14 Shots
    • 6 Shots on Target
    • 2 Goals
    • 8 Corners
    • 10 Fouls
    • 6th in Premier League


    Southampton


    • 46% Possession
    • 12 Shots
    • 6 Shots on Target
    • 0 Goals
    • 4 Corners
    • 6 Fouls
    • 16th in Premier League

    Embed from Getty Images

    Fraser Forster was back in goal and made some important stops

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