Sports
Mohamed Salah Brace Powers Liverpool’s Late Surge Past Southampton
Julian Finney/Getty ImagesLiverpool extended their lead atop the Premier League table to 22 points on Saturday as they beat Southampton 4-0 at Anfield.Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain broke the deadlock two minutes into the second half before Jordan Henderson made it 2-0 on the hour-mark.Mohamed Salah found the net himself in the 72nd and 90th minutes to hand the Reds…
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Liverpool extended their lead atop the Premier League table to 22 points on Saturday as they beat Southampton 4-0 at Anfield.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain broke the deadlock two minutes into the second half before Jordan Henderson made it 2-0 on the hour-mark.
Mohamed Salah found the net himself in the 72nd and 90th minutes to hand the Reds their 24th win from 25 league games this season.
The win, their sixth victory in a row against Southampton, puts pressure on second-placed side Manchester City ahead of their trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. It also brought an end to Southampton's four-match winning streak on the road.
The visitors enjoyed the brighter start in blustery conditions at Anfield, pressing the hosts high up the pitch.
It took the Reds 20 minutes to make an opening, but Salah saw his shot deflect wide off James Ward-Prowse.
Shortly after, both Alisson and Alex McCarthy were called into action. The former kept out Moussa Djenepo while the latter denied Georginio Wijnaldum and made a fine double-save to deny Virgil van Dijk's backheel and Roberto Firmino's follow-up on the rebound.
Liverpool will have been pleased to hear the half-time whistle, though, as they gifted the Saints several chances late in the half.
Former Reds striker Danny Ings came close to scoring after Firmino gave the ball away inside his own half—Ings' shot hit the heel of team-mate Shane Long—before Long forced a save from Alisson after pressuring Joe Gomez into a mistake.
Football statistician Dave O'Brien gave some insight into the first half:
Statman Dave @StatmanDave
Shots in the first half of #LIVSOU:
10 – Southampton
8 – LiverpoolA big effort from Saints. 👏👏👏 https://t.co/owoG3ehvnh
Liverpool didn't have to wait long to go ahead in the second half, though. Oxlade-Chamberlain beat McCarthy from the edge of the area after a rapid counter-attack.
The Daily Mail‘s Dominic King hailed Firmino's role in the build-up:
Dominic King @DominicKing_DM
The back heel from Firmino!! 😱 Andy Robertson’s back heel to win it for Firmino was good enough but Firmino’s for Oxlade-Chamberlain is out of this world!
The counter-attack came immediately after Ings had gone down at the other end while contesting the ball with Fabinho, but the goal was given following VAR review.
Salah wasn't so lucky when he had the ball in the net soon after to finish a fine team move, but his goal was correctly disallowed for offside.
Liverpool doubled their tally when Henderson converted Firmino's cutback from the left.
James Pearce @JamesPearceLFC
Another assist for Firmino. Henderson took a touch to steady himself and coolly dispatched it past McCarthy. What a season the #LFC captain is having. PFA Player of the Year?
Henderson turned provider for Salah when he fed the ball through to the Egyptian from the right and Salah raced onto the pass to finish with a deft chip over McCarthy.
Salah had his brace—and Firmino got a hat-trick of assists—when he fired in from close range as the Reds hit Southampton with another devastating counter.
What's Next
Liverpool host Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday in the replay of their fourth-round FA Cup tie, before travelling to Norwich City on February 15 following the Premier League's winter break.
Southampton play Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup on Wednesday before hosting Burnley on February 15.
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