Liverpool recorded their seventh consecutive victory in all competitions as they swept aside a hapless Southampton side 3:0 at Anfield. It was a landmark victory as Liverpool have now surpassed the excellent start to the season that dates back to the 1961-62 campaign. The Reds equalled that record with a midweek win against PSG but with a victory against Southampton, they have now made the best start to a season in the club’s history.
After Wesley Hoedt opened the scoring for Liverpool with an unfortunate own goal, Joel Matip and Mohamed Salah were on target as the league leaders sealed all three points, thanks to a mammoth 3:0 lead at half-time. The job became easier for them afterwards as Southampton were content to avoid further humiliation rather than trying to squeeze their way into the game in the second half.
Here are three reasons why Jurgen Klopp’s side emerged victorious once again this weekend.
A solid defence
Klopp will be delighted to have secured a clean sheet, after conceding four times during victories over Tottenham, Leicester City and PSG.
But, it was Joel Matip and Virgil Van Dijk’s performance in central defence, which was more appealing to the fans and coach alike. Matip, in particular, produced a wonderful performance after being given a starting berth over the ever-impressive Joe Gomez.
While he did eventually get to partner Gomez later in the second half, Matip remained composed at the back and looked very sensible in his overall passing. He also recorded the most number of headed duels than any other player on the pitch, which reflects the fact that Matip’s presence played a key role in shutting out the entire Southampton attack.
Klopp, now, will be hoping that his side can maintain their defensive solidity at the back and they look to continue their rampant start to the season.
Vintage Shaqiri
Liverpool’s latest acquisition Xherdan Shaqiri was the star of the show, as the former Stoke City forward produced an astonishing performance, in what was his first start for his new club.
Shaqiri dictated the flow of the game in midfield, using his technical quality and strength to carry the ball around half-spaces and also to find useful balls into the final third. His link-up play with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Georginio Wijnaldum was excellent too and overall, the Swiss international caused a lot of trouble for the Southampton defence in the first half.
Unfortunately for Shaqiri, his sumptuous free-kick only hit the bar in the dying embers of the first half. The rebound of that hit, however, fell straight to Mohamed Salah, who made no mistake in bagging Liverpool’s third of the afternoon and putting the final nail in the coffin. Shaqiri was subbed off for James Milner after the restart, for tactical reasons.
Unpredictable Liverpool attack
While the midfield and defence were excellent throughout the course of the game, it was Liverpool’s attack, which made the most impact and for obvious reasons.
But, unlike in previous matches, where the attacking trio of Salah, Mane and Firmino would often interchange position and operate in a free-flowing attacking formation, head coach Jurgen Klopp made a slight tweak to his formation this afternoon.
Salah, a subject of harsh criticism for his ‘lack of productivity’ in this new season, operated in a more central role than usual with Firmino often drifting out wide to provide support and to offer his teammates more freedom in the final third. And the move paid off, as the Egyptian was almost untouchable, at times, thanks to some delightful interplay with Firmino and Shaqiri.
Salah, then, capped off his excellent performance by scoring Liverpool’s third just before the end of halftime but Klopp certainly deserves a lot of praise for forming an unpredictable attacking unit, which completely bamboozled the Saints defence.
