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Only Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal have won more points at home this season than Liverpool. Before the international break, the Reds thrashed Huddersfield 3-0 at Anfield and entered this game looking to see off Southampton, a team Jurgen Klopp had only beaten once in his past seven encounters.
For the visitors, new boss Mauricio Pellegrino hasn’t had the best of starts. The Saints have only won four games out of 13, scoring an abysmal 9 goals in the process.
Prior to kick off, all the signs pointed to a Liverpool win and that was how things transpired. Klopp’s men ran out comfortable 3-0 winners. A brace in the first half from Mohamed Salah, followed by a tidy finish from Philippe Coutinho in the second half was enough to give Liverpool all 3 points.
The commanding win sends the Reds into 5th place. For Southampton, the defeat is their fifth of the season, leaving them only 4 points above the relegation zone.
Here are the main talking points of the game.
#5 Sadio Mane returns
After tweaking his hamstring on international duty with Senegal, Sadio Mane made a triumphant return to the starting XI against Southampton. The winger returned to full training on Thursday, giving Jurgen Klopp a selection conundrum. Many felt Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has been in decent form, should have been given a starting berth, however, he was dropped by the German.
The 25-year-old Mane lined up on the left and terrorised Cedric Soares throughout the game. His lightning-quick runs off the ball gave Coutinho options whilst also pushing the Southampton defensive line 10 yards deeper into their own half as they were visibly afraid of him getting in behind them.
The former Southampton man tortured his former club, effortlessly contributing to Liverpool’s free-flowing attack. Mane completed 3 successful take-ons, created 3 chances and took 2 shots on goal.
#4 Dejan Lovren given another chance
After his horror show at Wembley against Tottenham, Dejan Lovren hasn’t started a single game for the Reds. Lest we forget, Lovren was substituted after half an hour against Spurs, after making two costly mistakes. Jurgen Klopp, before the game, had cryptically said that he believes in giving players second chances, indicating that Dejan Lovren would be returning to the starting XI.
In the opening 30 minutes, Lovren looked solid and didn’t put a foot wrong. He did pick up a needless yellow card in the first half, but besides that, the Croatian looked the part. Up against a rapid Shane Long, Lovren ensured his positioning was astute at all times, so as to not be caught on the wrong side of the Irishman. Lovren won 3 aerial duels and maintained an astonishing 89% pass accuracy.
#3 Virgil van Dijk quells transfer rumours
The Dutchman spent much of the summer in exile trying to force a move to a top 4 club. Those efforts were in vain though as no club was willing to shop up the £50 million asking fee.
Although Liverpool actively pursued van Dijk, their means of negotiating were not according to the rulebook. The Saints threatened to report them to the FA following which the Reds apologised and withdrew their offer for the 26-year-old.
Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino assured fans before the game that van Dijk was completely focused on playing for the Saints, and his performance was a testament to just that.
Pellegrino looked to set his team up in a resolute low-block, but van Dijk’s teammates did not adhere to that plan. It was the only Dutchman who showed the discipline and commitment needed to execute such a game plan. In his 90 minutes, van Dijk won 5 aerial duels, didn’t miss a single tackle and completed 86% of his passes.
#2 Phillippe Coutinho sparkles
It’s almost as if last summer didn’t happen at all. For all the rumours of the Brazilian being unhappy at Liverpool, Coutinho’s performances have indicated otherwise. Of course, the opportunity to play for Barcelona is a dream for most, but the Brazilian has put that debacle behind him to become Liverpool’s main man again.
Coutinho dominated the game through the middle, constantly finding himself in acres of space behind Oriol Romelu. Feeding the runs of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, he was the driving force behind Liverpool's exploits. The Brazilian created 1 chance, made 37 passes, scored 1 goal and assisted another.
#1 Is Mohamed Salah the bargain of the season?
The £36.9 million spent on Mohamed Salah in the summer now looks like an absolute bargain. The Egyptian has been in scintillating form this season, scoring 13 goals in 16 appearances. He’s now become the fastest player to reach 9 Premier League goals in a Liverpool shirt, managing that feat in just 12 appearances, fewer than the previous record holder, Robbie Fowler.
In the space of 9 minutes in the first half, Salah scored a brace to all but settle the game. His first goal came in the form of a wonder strike from the right-hand side, as he cut in like an Arjen Robben in his prime, curling it past the outstretched hands of Fraser Forster.
His movement proved to be too much for the Saints, as he drifted in from the right into the centre to score his 2nd of the game. Over the course of 79 minutes, Salah scored 2 goals, completed 1 dribble, took 5 corners and created 2 chances.
