SOUTHAMPTON: Premier League leaders Liverpool beat bottom side Southampton 3-2 on Sunday to build a sizeable eight-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City after Mohamed Salah led a second-half comeback for the visitors.
Liverpool were trailing 2-1 when Salah scored twice in the second half to take his season’s tally to 10 goals in the league.
After City lost their third straight league game on Saturday, Liverpool took full advantage and Arne Slot’s side now have 31 points from 12 games to City’s 23.
“They are a good team, good with the ball. They scored two quick goals but the most important thing was the reaction. We showed it very well and happy with the three points,” Liverpool goalscorer Dominik Szoboszlai told Sky Sports.
Southampton shot themselves in the foot when they tried playing out from the back and under Liverpool pressure, Flynn Downes’s pass fell to Szoboszlai at the edge of the box and the unmarked midfielder fired home to make it 1-0.
However, Southampton received a lifeline soon when Andy Robertson tripped Tyler Dibling on the edge of the box and the referee pointed to the spot, with VAR upholding the decision.
Although Adam Armstrong had his spot kick saved by Caoimhin Kelleher, the forward pounced on the rebound to equalise with his third goal in four games for Southampton.
Saints turned things around 11 minutes into the second half from a sublime counter-attack when Mateus Fernandes made a smart run and gave his team the lead.
After that Salah took matters into his own hands. The equaliser came when Salah ran through on goal on to a lob from Ryan Gravenberch and as he saw Alex McCarthy come off his line, Salah took one touch to let the ball roll past the goalkeeper.
Southampton then conceded a penalty in the 83rd minute from a Yukinari Sugawara handball and Salah made no mistake.
GUARDIOLA SEEKS RESPONSE TO CITY’S SLUMP
On Saturday, things kept turning worse for the champions City as they lost 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium which is a shocking result even for manager Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola said he expected a slip in City’s standards sooner or later but their implosion in a five-game losing streak is a new low for the team.
James Maddison struck twice in seven first-half minutes before Pedro Porro rubbed salt in the wounds of his former club and Brennan Johnson completed the rout.
After losing four consecutive matches for the first time in his decorated managerial career, Guardiola backed himself to turn the situation around by signing a two-year extension.
Just 48 hours later, the positivity that deal created was punctured as City were humbled by Tottenham to lose at home for the first time in 52 matches.
Guardiola conceded his star-studded squad are “fragile” and low on confidence after a run that also included defeats to Bournemouth and Brighton and Hove Albion, either side of a 4-1 Champions League thrashing by Sporting Lisbon.
“Being here for eight years, I knew that sooner or later we would drop,” saidGuardiola. “Of course we never expect to lose three Premier League games in a row. In that time we always expected a drop, but we were incredibly consistent.
“However, we cannot deny the reality that sometimes in football and sometimes in life it’s here.”
Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2024
