Southampton 1-2 Liverpool: Reds Player Ratings as they edge Saints out to head to semis | Carabao Cup 2024-25

Two first-half goals helped Liverpool secure a narrow 2-1 win over Southampton in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, December 18, at St. Mary's Stadium.

Heading into the game, Arne Slot rotated the squad as expected. Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk were rested while rare starts were handed to Trey Nyoni, Tyler Morton, and Wataru Endo.

Liverpool controlled the flow of the game completely in the first half. They opened the scoring in the 24th minute, with a deflected through ball falling to Darwin Nunez, who made no mistake one-on-one with the keeper.

Eight minutes later, the Reds doubled their advantage. A flowing attacking move finished with Cody Gakpo laying it off to Harvey Elliott, who finished accurately from the edge of the box.

Southampton seemed to get into the affair a lot more after the break and managed to cause some trouble for Liverpool. Cameron Archer pulled one back in the 59th minute, curling home a splendid affair to reduce the deficit.

However, the Premier League leaders managed to hold on, ensuring their progress to the final four of the tournament they won last year. Here are the player ratings:

Liverpool Player Ratings

Caoimhin Kelleher - 6.5/10

While he has been displaced from the Premier League starting lineup since the return of Alisson, he looked solid on his return, completing three saves on the night.

Trent Alexander-Arnold - 6.5/10

Alexander-Arnold continues to build his fitness and put in a solid half of football down Liverpool's right.

Jarell Quansah - 6/10

The central defender put in a decent shift but had some nervy moments. He could have probably done better to close Archer off before his goal.

Wataru Endo - 7/10

An impressive outing from the Japanese midfielder. Earning a rare start but playing out of position, he stepped up with the ball into midfield to set off attacking moves and was composed off the ball.

Joe Gomez - 6.5/10

Gomez continues to prove his versatility with a solid shift at left-back for the first half.

Alexis Mac Allister - 6/10

He was the most senior of Liverpool's midfielders and was involved a lot going forward, but did not have the desired impact in his hour-long stint.

Tyler Morton - 6.5/10

A solid performance from the young midfielder, comfortable and accurate on the ball. He played 11 passes into the final third and finished with a passing accuracy of 88% (59/67).

Trey Nyoni - 6.5/10

The youngest of Liverpool's starters, Nyoni looked lively and advanced ahead with conviction. He was involved a lot in the side's attacking routines and linked up well with his teammates.

Harvey Elliott - 7/10

A composed, accurate finish highlighted a great outing from Elliott, who will be looking to impress and earn more minutes for the side.

Darwin Nunez - 7/10

Nunez got on the scoresheet with a simple finish to open the scoring and was a committed runner throughout the game.

Cody Gakpo - 7/10

A great outing from the Dutch winger, who moved all over the field from his left wing position. He was a constant threat, collecting an assist and creating four chances in his 60 minutes of action.

Substitutes

Federico Chiesa - 6/10

A welcome return for the Reds, but looked rusty in the second half.

Kostas Tsimikas - 6/10

A decent performance and he could become a more regular presence for the side at left-back amidst Robertson's struggles.

Diogo Jota - 6/10

Another player returning from injury, but similar to Chiesa, he was off the pace a little.

James McConnell - 6/10

Replaced Mac Allister at the hour mark but could not make much of an impact either.

Jayden Danns - N/A

Danns came on too late and did not play enough minutes to merit a rating.