Southampton 2-3 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened | Premier League

Mohamed Salah, the match-winner, also spoke to Sky: “Each game is different. They had a game plan and played very well. We managed to come back and win the game. I think we have a good game plan, we played our game and I was confident we would create chances.

On facing Manchester City next week: “It’s great. Hopefully, we keep going in that direction. We have a game against them so hopefully, we win it and go 11 points clear. Man City is Man City. They have a bad time now but they have great players.”

Liverpool have won 10 from 12Southampton have lost 10 from 12. There wasn’t that much between them for much of the game, but Saints’ errors were more serious. And there is the sense Russell Martin is asking too much of his players in risky situations.

Here’s Ben Fisher’s report from St Mary’s.

Dominik Szoboszlai held a flash interview with Sky Sports: “ They scored two quick goals but the most important thing was the reaction. We showed it very well and happy with the three points.

“Everyone knows Mo. He just has to keep going and I hope I play with him for as long as I can. It is a great feeling but it is the beginning of the season. We just need to continue and not think where the other teams are.”

In other, slightly bonkers news

Liverpool go eight points clear at the top of the Premier League after a topsy-turvy game at St Mary’s. They led 1-0, trailed 2-1 and won 3-2 after two goals from the inevitable Mo Salah. Southampton contributed plenty to an enjoyable if error-strewn game, with the outstanding teenager Tyler Dibling playing a big part in both goals. They remain four points adrift and lost two more players to injury, but the performance will give Russell Martin hope.

90+8 min Stephens is booked for booting Salah.

90+5 min Endo fouls Aribo 35 yards from goal, which allows Southampton to load the penalty area. Fernandes’s free-kick is headed over from about 12 yards by Stephens. Tough to score from there.

90+3 min Southampton have struggled to generate any momentum since going behind. Dibling looks the likeliest source of a chance, as he has all afternoon.

90 min Eight minutes of added time.

89 min: Liverpool substitution Wataru Endo replaces Darwin Nunez.

88 min: Salah hits the post! So close to his hat-trick. Liverpool broke at pace, with Diaz eventually trying to find Salah at the far post. His pass was headed up in the air by a defender and dropped invitingly for Salah, who cracked a close-range volley off the inside of the near post.

86 min Sugawara crosses low towards Archer, who goes over after a challenge from Konate. Not enough pressure for a penalty.

84 min Salah was booked for that big reveal. He’s also just missed a pretty good chance to complete his hat-trick, spanking over the bar from 15 yards after a very quick break.

83 min Salah whips his top off in celebration, revealing a six-pack that would put us all to shame.

Mo Salah has had a very quiet game. He’s also just scored his second goal, curling an emphatic penalty high into the net. McCarthy went the right way, to his right, but he couldn’t reach it.

PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL! Salah’s deep cross skids off the pitch and hits the outstretched hand of Sugawara. Actually he chested it onto his arm, but the decision stands.

80 min Diaz, who has looked really sharp since coming on, has a shot blocked on the edge of the area.

79 min Walker-Peters puts hands on Nunez in the area – not enough for a penalty but a risky challenge nonetheless. Southampton have been penned in for the last 10-15 minutes.

77 min: Double substitution for Southampton Cameron Archer and Yukinari Sugawara replace Adam Armstrong and Ryan Fraser.

75 min Diaz scurries past Fraser and crosses dangerously towards the far post. Walker-Peters, unsure what’s behind him, chests behind for a corner.

73 min Armstrong is booked for a foul on Van Dijk.

71 min Harwood-Bellis makes a terrific sliding block from Diaz’s shot, then Stephens charges out to smother Bradley’s follow-up. Liverpool have finally woken up.

69 min That goal has changed the mood completely. It’s all Liverpool now, and Mac Allister has just whistled a drive over the bar from 25 yards.

68 min McCarthy comes for the next corner, misses it completely and is extremely relieved to see Gravenberch lob the ball over the bar from eight yards. That was a great chance.

67 min: Good save by McCarthy! Robertson’s corner is met at the near post by Diaz, whose header is tipped over acrobatically by McCarthy. Good stop.

Gravenberch, on the halfway line, clipped a straight pass over the Southampton defence towards Salah. McCarthy thought Salah, wasn’t going to reach the ball and ran diagonally to his left, leaving the goal wide open. Salah did get to the ball, stretching to cushion a volley into the net from about 18 yards. It’s a fine, improvised finish, but a horrible moment from McCarthy.

Mo Salah equalises after another defensive calamity!

62 min: Chance for Liverpool! Diaz almost scores with his first touch. Salah played a ball over the top for Nunez, who scorched away from the defence in the inside-right channel. He could have had a shot but instead tried to slide the ball across to give Diaz an open goal. The pass was slightly behind Diaz, who couldn’t slow down quickly enough to screw the ball into the net.

62 min: Double substitution for Liverpool Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister replace Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo.

61 min Fernandes scoops a clever little through pass to Armstrong, who is penalised for a challenge on Kelleher. Kelleher actually slid past the ball, at which point he and Armstrong collided. I’d like to see that again.

60 min Liverpool have been unusually sloppy today. You’d still fancy them to get at least a draw but they’ll need to up their game quicksmart.

It was a terrific counter-attacking goal. Tyler Dibling – what a player he looks – turned Szoboszlai neatly and pinged a brilliant crossfield pass to release Adam Armstrong in the inside-left channel. Armstrong left the ball behind on the edge of the area but then composed himself to pick out Mateus Fernandes near the penalty spot. The weight on the pass was perfect, allowing Fernandes to open his body and slide a precise left-foot shot back across Kelleher. Lovely goal.

Southampton take the lead against the leaders!

55 min Gravenberch steals possession high up the field, keeps going and tees up Nunez, whose snapshot is deflected behind for a corner.

53 min The Southampton keeper Alex McCarthy gets a big cheer when he kicks the ball long for possibly the first time today.

53 min Lovely play from the teenager Tyler Dibling. He scurries past three Liverpool players, using little Sensible Soccer touches the whole way, then swerves to the left and shoots not far over from 25 yards.

52 min: Southampton substitution Lesley Ugochukwu replaces the limping Paul Onuachu, who gets a fine hand from the home supporters.

51 min Another injury for Southampton. Onuachu must have fallen awkwardly after that challenge from Gakpo because he needs to go off.

49 min Gakpo is booked for tripping Onuachu, who has held the ball up really well for Southampton.

49 min A corner is headed as far away from Jones, whose shot from 25 yards is blocked by the outrushing Fraser.

48 min Salah’s outside-of-the-boot cross is volleyed back across goal by Robertson and cleared crucially by Stephens. Lots of early pressure from Liverpool.

46 min Peep peep! Southampton begin the second half.

The consensus of the Sky Sports panel is that Lallana was lucky not to be sent off for that tackle on Gravenberch. “I’d have been sent off for that,” says Roy Keane. “I would! The more I look at it, the worse it is.”

Half-time reading

Yes, it really, really, really did happen.

A lively, error-strewn half ends with the scores level. Southampton gave a goal to Dominik Szoboszlai with a clumsy attempt to play out from the back; Virgil van Dijk’s indulgent backheel led to a borderline penalty when Andy Robertson fouled Tyler Dibling. Adam Armstrong scored at the second attempt after Caoimhin Kelleher saved his penalty.

45+3 min Onuachu almost brings the house down with a winding run past three or four players. That was a bit like Clodoaldo in the 1970 World Cup final, albeit not quite as elegant and without the same end result.

45+2 min Stephens mocks Nunez by putting his hands over his face as if he’s been it. Nunez was suckered into a red card on his home debut so he could probably do with the half-time break to cool off.

45+1 min Nunez goes down in the area after being pushed just below the neck by Stephens. The referee has a word with both players, who were pushing each other repeatedly off the ball as they jockeyed for position.

45 min Six minutes of added time.

44 min Southampton almost give the lead straight back to Liverpool. McCarthy’s jittery pass goes straight to Gakpo on the left side of the area; thankfully for Southampton, there are enough defenders around to block Gakpo’s shot.

Armstrong’s penalty is saved by Kelleher, diving to his right, but the ball rebounds perfectly for him to score at the second attempt.

41 min This is a nightmare for Michael Oliver in the VAR bunker. But the penalty stands! There was no clear evidence to overturn it.

PENALTY TO SOUTHAMPTON! Dibling is tripped right on the edge of the area by Robertson. Was he inside? The referee thought so. It’s really tight and because the penalty was given on the field I think the decision will stand.

It stemmed from an absurd, indulgent backheel by Van Dijk that went astray. Dibling ran straight at the heart of the defence, poked the ball past Robertson and was tripped.

39 min Walker-Peters finds Aribo, who slips Gravenberch in the area and fires a low cross that is cleared by the well-positioned Van Dijk.

Walker-Peters switched to left wing-back about five minutes ago and has had a bit of joy going forward.