As it happened: Liverpool 3-0 Southampton

Premier League
Saturday 18 November 2017 - 3:00 pm
Anfield
Liverpool3
0Southampton
Show Match Events
⚽️ Salah31'
⚽️ Salah41'
Lovren43'
55'↔️ Tadić off, Austin on
61' Romeu
⚽️ Coutinho68'
Coutinho off, Can on ↔️69'
69'↔️ Boufal off, Ward-Prowse on
Mane off, Oxlade-Chamberlain on ↔️74'
Salah off, Milner on ↔️80'
Possession %
6139
Total Shots
215
Shots on Target
8
Shots Blocked
72
Offside
22
Hide Match Events

Philippe Coutinho returns to the Liverpool starting eleven hoping to experience his 3rd win of the season for the reds.

Dejan Lovren also comes in after Joel Matip sustained a knock during training yesterday.

Liverpool haven't beaten Southampton in 5 attempts and haven't even scored in the last 4 against the men who are in possession of LFC's most wanted - Virgil van Dijk.  The Dutch centre-back starts for the opposition today, managed by former LFC player and coach Mauricio Pellegrino.

A win today will move the reds to within a point of Tottenham Hotspur - the side that have been heralded by much of the media as the main challengers to Man City's ruthless dominance of this seasons campaign so far.

Follow the game live with us below (mobile users may need to click here for the live updates)

As it happened...

14:37 UK
4 changes since last time

Henderson, Lovren, Coutinho and Trent Alexander Arnold all make their way back into the side.

But Lallana isn't risked for today's game against his old club.

Starters for the reds: Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold, Klavan, Lovren, Moreno, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Coutinho, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Karius, Milner, Gomez, Sturridge, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Can, Solanke.

14:45 UK
And today's Southampton team

Here's what we're facing today

15:01 UK
KICK OFF

Southampton players enjoy a huddle and then the Saints kick off towards the Kop.

We're underway at Anfield.  Can the reds come out of the international break the way they went into it?

15:03 UK

There's an early incident here at Anfield.

Dusan Tadic is down, seemingly inocuously, after turning to try and collect the ball.  He walks off gingerly before returning to the field.

15:06 UK

Liverpool's early focus has been to try and find Mo Salah's pace down that right wing.  Unsurprising as van Dijk is operating on the other side of the Saints central defence.  

But Salah is sniffed out on that opportunity by the Saints defender.

Southampton haven't come here for a draw though - they're looking to build play and get forward.

15:11 UK
Chance for the reds

9' Wijnaldum shot richochets into the path of Trent Alexander Arnold but Forster is first out.  Ball falls to Salah but he too can't do better than win the reds a corner.  First bit of excitement there for the reds.

And then shortly after a cross from Mane - finds Salah at the penalty spot but his shot is tame and goes wide.

15:16 UK

Van Dijk showing wonderful co-ordination with the colours of the LFC logo...

15:20 UK

Mane becoming the 'main' outlet now for the reds. 

Coutinho finds him with one attempt out of three but the Brazilian is looking a little bit rusty.  A good spell of possession for Liverpool ends when Coutinho overhits a pass out for a goal kick.

20 minutes gone. 0-0 at Anfield.

15:25 UK
Saints keeper being tested

24' That's the second shot from the edge of the box from Gini Wijnaldum.  This time it tests Forster who pushes it away.  

From a long hoof - the reds make rapid progress back up the pitch and Coutinho drives a low shot that Forster then tips just past the post.  

15:31 UK

29' Alexander Arnold plays a powerful cross into the box and a Saints defender swings out the back of his heel to stop it.  It deflect just wide of the goal - for a moment I thought that was going in. 

Southampton defence is holding up extremely well so far and the reds are being restricted to chances from outside the box.

15:34 UK
GOAL!!!

Mo Salah makes it 1-0.  

Southampton initially clear a corner but the reds win it back.  Klavan finds Gini - who lays it to the corner of the box.  Salah picks up with his left foot and curls a great finish into the back of the net.

He's having some start to his LFC career that boy!

15:44 UK
GOAL!!

And it's 2-0 to the reds.  Mo Salah there collecting a wonderful through ball from Coutinho - and nutmegs the goalkeeper.

Liverpool in total control now.

15:45 UK
Yellow card

43' Lovren gets the first yellow card for a foul on Virgil van Dijk.  Oooh.

15:50 UK
HALF TIME

Liverpool 2 Southampton 0

It's a deserved lead for Liverpool - Mo Salah adding his 8th and 9th Premier League goals of the season and we're only 11 and a half games in to it.

That must be a record start for any Liverpool player surely?

15:51 UK

16:03 UK
KICK OFF

 

Second half underway - Liverpool kicking towards the Kop in this half.  More goals? Lets hope so.

Salah, remarkably, is now hunting for his 15th goal in his first 18 Liverpool appearances.

16:10 UK

Boufal is loitering in the Liverpool area with the ball at his feet - but Lovren stands his ground and clears the ball when the shot comes in.

That was great defending from the much-maligned Croatian.

16:18 UK

Southampton having a better second half but it's the reds who have had some chance to go 3 up but for wasting a couple of quick breakaways.  

Lovren 'getting stuck in' into this game.  Almost as if he has a point to prove.

Coming up to the hour mark now and the reds remain in control with a 2-0 lead.

 

16:21 UK
Chance

62' Salah turns provider now and lays the ball off to Coutinho who cuts to his right before drilling a shot just wide of the post.

16:27 UK
GOAL!!

Coutinho makes it 3-0.  

Firmino's shot is pushed away by Forster and Coutinho is there in the middle of the area to put away the rebound.

This is going to be a fine win for the reds.

16:27 UK
Liverpool substitution

And straight after that goal - Jurgen Klopp decides to rest his Brazilian playmaker.

On comes Emre Can to take his place.

16:31 UK
Another sub for the reds

Sadio Mane's day is done.  With 15 minutes to go he heads off for a rest ahead of the Sevilla game and on comes Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

16:38 UK
Final sub for the reds

And it's Mo Salah, the double goalscorer in the first half, who goes off to a standing ovation.  On comes James Milner for the final 10 minutes at Anfield.

16:43 UK
Chance for Bobby

He drops his shoulder and powers past his man - gets the left footed shot away but it creeps past the post in front of the Kop.

Five minutes left. 3-0.

16:49 UK

3 minutes of stoppage time.

Van Dijk crucially involved in preventing it becoming 4 when he intercepted Oxlade Chamberlain's dangerous cross in the area.

16:54 UK
FULL TIME

It's a fine result for the reds and the recent results are 3-0, 3-0, 4-1 and now 3-0 again.

Moving forward.

Our man of the match has to be Mo Salah.

Thanks for joining us - Champions League up next in what could be a decider to see who can win the group.



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