Liverpool pick up another 3 points in the Premier League after a thumping 4-0 victory over Southampton at Anfield. The Saints played well for the first hour or so of the game, but after the Reds scored their second it finished them off. In the end, it could have been 6 or 7.
Our beautiful gloved Brazilian was at it yet again, putting in another excellent performance. Everything he had to do was done with incredible ease and confidence.
At the back, all four of Trent, Robertson, Gomez and Van Dijk had good games. While Southampton got into decent positions on a few different occasions, the defending meant that they rarely had a clear sight of goal. Robertson was more involved going forward than Trent, but both had a hand in a goal each. Robertson’s back heel into Firmino led to the Oxlade-Chamberlain goal, while Alexander-Arnold’s long ball into Firmino’s feet allowed the Brazilian to put a pass on a plate for Henderson. The two centre backs were incredible once more. Between them they have everything you would want from a partnership at the back – brilliant awareness, pace, power, dominance in the air, good on the ball and great passing.
Fabinho came in for his first Premier League start since returning from injury, lining up alongside Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum. He had a good first half and had seemed to have shaken off a lot of the rust that had plagued his performances since reaching full fitness. In the second half, a bit of that rustiness returned, but it wasn’t too serious. Jordan Henderson helped himself to a goal and an assist for the second time in 3 games as he achieved the same feat away to Wolves. It is fantastic to see our midfield contributing to goals on a more consistent basis. Wijnaldum also played, apparently.
In the attack, Oxlade-Chamberlain was out on the left in the absence of Sadio Mane and, despite his goal, didn’t have his best game. No one likes seeing him wide anymore as we know it doesn’t get the best out of him. It probably did have to be done on this occasion, but hopefully that’s the last we see of The Ox wide this season. Roberto Firmino was sublime for the third game on the trot, notching a staggering 3 assists. One for Oxlade-Chamberlain, one for Henderson and one for Salah. He’s still somehow yet to score at Anfield this season, but if he’s going to keep creating at the rate he is I don’t think anyone will mind. Lastly, Mo Salah got 2 more goals which means he now has 4 in last 4 league games, putting him just 3 behind top scorer Jamie Vardy in the race for the golden boot. You know he’ll be eying that up.
As for Man of the Match, there were a few candidates in this one with so many good performances. Firmino with 3 assists, Salah with 2 goals, Henderson with a goal and an assist. Despite all the amazing attacking that was on show, I’m going to give it to Joe Gomez. He was sensational yet again and without him it could have been a very different and far less comfortable game.
