Liverpool’s attack was this week compared to ‘Three Fighters’ by Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique.
For 45 led minutes against the humble Southampton, they resembled another ordinary airplane with propellers, struggling to fly.
For the next 45, however, Arne Slot’s men looked like the red arrows, expanding the sky. Blink and you will miss them.
They were concerned about the turbulence and the rock background saints took on an unexpected leadership that saw Wednesday’s robbery star in Paris, Alisson, becomes hero to zero into a calamitous confusion with the equally imperative Virgil Van Dijk.
Slot, sitting just behind the press box in the final game of his touch line ban, seemed agitated and his hands on his head, his eyes closed. The Kop was so stunned.
But whatever the Dutchman said that at the break he worked clearly, as normal service was resumed not long in the second period. Liverpool scored two goals in two minutes to turn the headdress down and open a 16 -point advantage at the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool came from behind to win Southampton at the Premier League in Anfield on Saturday
Alisson Becker (left) and Virgil Van Dijk (second right) were blamed for the opening goal
It was marked by the 25-year-old midfielder Will Smallbone-O first of his career at the Premier League
Darwin Nunez continued his rescue arc after a stellar assistance in Paris with a goal and help here, with Mohamed Salah scoring two penalties in the second half.
The poor old Southampton and manager Ivan Juric looked like rabbits in the headlights. In the first half, they played with confidence, vigor and structure that denied their position in the league.
But, as most teams that come here discover, slot men can lead you to a false sense of security and you are soon dead and buried. It seems the same for Arsenal in the title race. They played two games less than Liverpool, but the points on the board are what matters.
The Liverpool coach asked players to treat this game as the first of this week’s three -week World Cup finals, with PSG in town on Tuesday and then a Carabao Cup final against Newcastle on Sunday.
But instead of a final, it looked more like a confrontation in the third round of FA Cup in the first half. A heavy weight faltering against, at least in relative terms, a goldfish. Complacency? Perhaps. Fatigue? Certainly. Anfield looked flat in both the stands and in the field.
Liverpool was watching a lot of ball without severely testing Aaron Ramsdale in Southampton’s goal. The former England is well done to stifle a loose ball when Trent Alexander-Arnold had a goal vision, but the other shots were all stopped for him.
Juric’s men were growing in confidence at this point and had a succession of dangerous songs. Then they took the surprise lead in the middle of the time, while Alisson and Van Dijk managed to leave the ball to each other.
Neither took the property and will be ceded, inauguration, and then intelligently entered the empty network.
Reds striker Darwin Nunez was fundamental in his team’s fight in the second half on Saturday
Nunez silenced the crowd after marking the draw and then won a penalty to his side
Those loyal followers at the end saw their team winning only five points on the road this season, so they liked the goal – although one has a guard malfunction – when the blouse of a lady fell. In the meantime, it seemed that he was ready to explode with anger.
He made three changes in the break and one of them, Wednesday winner Harvey Elliott, had an instant impact and forced a Ramsdale defense.
Some fans asked Nunez and Luis Diaz to be transported at the break, but Slot knows better and the two South Americans combined for Liverpool’s draw. Diaz sought Nunez, who just came in front of her marker and shot the goal.
Seconds later – genuinely, seconds – Nunez was staying in front of the defender again and Smallbone knocked down the Uruguay. Young referee Lewis Smith pointed to the scene and Salah dispatched comfortably 2-1.
From a stadium full of anxiety and frustration, so this place was a hot cauldron of noise and joy. Johnny Heitinga, the coach who is in charge of Liverpool, called Nunez and gave him a kiss on the forehead and slap on the rear … besides some tactical instructions.
Nunez recently had difficulties with slot calling -o, but the last days were perfect: excellent assistance at Parc des Princes, a resounding ending and winning a penalty. For a good time, he put his lips from his finger to silence the end outside that once caused him.
Southampton has barely smelled after that and Liverpool put the game in bed on 88 minutes when Yukinari Sugawara dealt with the ball in the penalty area. Salah intensified and, well, you know the rest. Now it’s 27 years and counting on the league this season.
The penalty was converted by Mo Salah when Liverpool completed the turnaround in 54 minutes
Salah later scored a second penalty and now has 32 goals in 41 Liverpool games this season
