With The Alpine Klopp Ralph Hasenhüttl sacked by Southampton, former Luton manager Nathan Jones was now in charge as Southampton travelled to Liverpool.
Jones made three changes to the team that lost to Newcastle last week, with Duje Caleta-Car, Roméo Lavia and Adam Armstrong replacing Juan Larios, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Theo Walcott. Southampton lined up in a 3-5-2 shape.
They wouldn’t be facing the real Klopp, as Jürgen Klopp was handed a one game touchline ban. Having fielded a considerably weakened team in the League Cup against Derby County, Klopp made just one change to the side that beat Tottenham Hotspur last week, with Joe Gomez replacing Ibrahima Konaté. Liverpool set up in their 4-3-3 formation.
Liverpool took a very early lead from a free-kick. Andy Robertson floated a ball short into the box, where Roberto Firmino moved backwards to flick it on. Gavin Bazuno had dropped back to his goalline, but was stood next to the near post, meaning he couldn’t scramble across in time to reach the header before it crossed the line.
Southampton equalised just a few minutes later from a free-kick though. Ché Adams timed his run perfectly to run in behind and get his head to the ball first, while Firmino and Gomez failed to drop off in line with their teammates.
Southampton would generally try to engage Liverpool’s full-backs when they received the ball. When Trent Alexander-Arnold received the ball, it was outside central midfielder Stuart Armstrong who would push up to meet him. This would leave only James Ward-Prowse and Lavia to cover the midfield, meaning Liverpool could stretch them, switching the ball out to the left as Southampton’s midfield was pulled across to the opposite flank. Southampton’s strikers generally staying closer to the Liverpool centre-backs also meant Southampton were left stretched vertically too, with Fabinho left free in the centre for Liverpool as Southampton’s midfielders were occupied elsewhere.
When Robertson received the ball, it was wing-back Mohamed Elyounoussi that would step out to press him, although the Norwegian was often too far away to effectively apply pressure. This would leave space behind him, where Darwin Nuñez would look to run in behind, with Armel Bella-Kotchap struggling to deal with him.
Liverpool managed to retake the lead when Nuñez got in behind them again. Southampton managed to repel an attack, but the ball fell to Harvey Elliott in space on the edge of the box and he picked out a lovely pass over the top for Nuñez to volley into the net. Despite clearly expecting the ball in behind, Bella-Kotchap stood square, meaning he couldn’t drop off to cut out the ball or follow Nuñez’s run, so the Uruguayan easily got to the ball to finish.
Nuñez then got a second shortly before half-time. Firmino dropped deep into midfield to pick up the ball, then slid it in behind for Robertson, played onside by Mohammed Salisu on the far side, to run onto. The Scot squared the ball first time for Nuñez to finish.
A quarter of an hour into the second half, Jones made a triple substitution, replacing Caleta-Car and Armstrongs Stuart and Adam with Samuel Edozie, Maitland-Niles and Walcott. This saw Southampton switch to a 4-2-3-1 shape, allowing them to effectively pressure Liverpool higher up the pitch. They often succeeded in encouraging Liverpool to go long, but this only meant they won the ball back in defence, and building up against a Liverpool team happy to drop off and protect their lead was easier said than done.
It was an easy way for Liverpool to finish up in the Premier League before the break for the World Cup, against a team that may well not be in it next season.
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