Southampton 3-1 Liverpool
Liverpool were handed a footballing lesson from bottom half Southampton as they were comprehensively beaten 3-1, and it could have been much worse.
Martin Skrtel and Joe Allen were both selected by Brendan Rodgers and it proved to be two mistakes from the winning team of recent weeks.
Within 5 minutes Saints were ahead after Liverpool allowed the cross into the box before Schneiderlin outmuscled Skrtel to poke the ball home.
Earlier this week news came out that Joe Allen required surgery on his shoulder, and after his first half performance he will no doubt be going under the knife in the next fortnight. In fact, it was almost as if Rodgers selected Allen for one last game on the basis of loyalty rather than the decision to pick the best XI. Let's not ignore facts. Lucas Leiva and even Jordan Henderson have had far better seasons than Allen has.
Nonetheless Allen's inclusion made Liverpool look soft-centred and it was here that Saints controlled the game. With Liverpool struggling to produce sufficient attacks, Southampton sensed more goals and they were right.
Brad Jones was beaten from a Rickie Lambert free kick - the shot taking a cruel deflection that wrong footed the reds stand-in keeper.
There was some hope for the reds when Coutinho fired one back on the stroke of half-time. His goal coming after a Sturridge shot had been deflected.
Liverpool didn't improve enough in the second half - despite Lucas replacing Allen, and Rodriguez grabbed a more than well-deserved third for the Saints to help them on the way to Premier League survival and all but end Liverpool's hopes of any European football next season.
Liverpool slip to 7th, 3 points behind Everton who have a game in hand over Liverpool as well.