Liverpool 3-1 Southampton: Mohamed Salah penalties seals comeback win as Reds move 16 points clear | OneFootball

Reds survive first-half scare to move one step closer to Premier League title

Liverpool came from behind to beat Southampton 3-1 and opened up a 16-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

The Reds trailed at the break following a rare defensive mistake involving Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, but stepped it up in the second half with Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah both getting on the scoresheet to ensure the league leaders moved one step closer to being crowned champions of England.

The Dutchman, serving the second and final match of his two-game touchline ban, also warned against complacency facing a side bottom of the Premier League table.

And despite making three changes to the side that started in Paris on Wednesday night, the Reds were rather lethargic in the first-half, with the likes of Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Luiz Diaz not quite at the races, whilst Curtis Jones had their best two opportunities early on but saw one effort blocked as sliced the other wide.

After Aaron Ramsdale bravely denied Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Saints began to grow in confidence with Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Mateus Fernandes both testing Alisson Becker.

Then in first-half stoppage time, the visitors took a surprise lead thanks to defensive mix-up in between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson left Will Smallbone with a simple tap-in and he obliged to silence many inside Anfield.

Slot responded with a triple change at the break and within 10 minutes of the restart, Liverpool had completed the turnaround.

Firstly, Darwin Nunez equalised - ending his 10-game goal drought in the process - as he got in front of his marker to get on the end of Diaz’s cross to fire the ball past Ramsdale from close range.

Darwin Nunez equalised for Liverpool early in the second half

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Nunez was involved in the goal that put the hosts ahead as it was he who was fouled by Smallbone in the area which resulted in a penalty from which Salah comfortably dispatched to become the outright third-highest scorer in Liverpool history with 242 goals.

Alisson was called into action to make a fine save from Cameron Archer but Salah made the game safe three minutes from time, sending Ramsdale the wrong way from 12 yards after Yukinari Sugawara conceded a penalty after handling the ball in the area.

It wasn’t the walkover that many predicted before the game with it being top vs bottom, but Liverpool got the job done in the end. 16 points clear, albeit having played two more games than Arsenal, it feels like it’s just a matter of time before the league title returns to Anfield.