Our 3️⃣ points after rampant Liverpool make light work of Southampton | OneFootball

Liverpool are up to second in the Premier League after a comfortable victory over Southampton on Saturday.

Here’s what we made of the action from Anfield.

Back in business

Their defeat at West Ham before the last international break raised questions about Liverpool’s defensive strength and their ability to win matches when Mohamed Salah doesn’t score.

But their two emphatic home wins since then have put those minor concerns back to bed.

Salah didn’t score here but he still contributes so much to the team and his assist for Diogo Jota for the second goal puts him on eight of those for the season.

Speaking of Jota, the Portuguese is so consistent that the Reds need not worry about Roberto Firmino’s injury absence at all, and he has formed a telepathic understanding with Salah and Sadio Mané.

Maybe Jürgen Klopp’s side still aren’t defending quite as well as he would like and they needed Alisson to come to their aid a few times in this game, but that is what he’s there for and 11 goals conceded in 13 matches this season is hardly a huge problem.

Sorry Saints

It’s difficult to criticise Southampton too much given they were up against a Liverpool side who would have torn any team in Europe apart in this kind of form.

But Ralf Hasenhüttl will have told his players to keep it tight early doors here, like they did against Manchester City earlier in the season. Instead they made a sluggish start, were 1-0 down inside two minutes and gave themselves a mountain to climb.

There were some bright moments going forward but Armando Broja and Adam Armstrong weren’t able to capitalise.

And defensively they were run-ragged, with their marking on the corner for the fourth goal being particularly lamentable.

Hasenhüttl said in his pre-match press conference that it isn’t impossible for a team like Southampton to win at Anfield.

It is if you play like that.

Thiago time

His goal here wasn’t quite as delightful as the one he scored against Porto on Wednesday and it found its way in with the aid of a deflection, but it was another reminder that Liverpool have a wonderful player on their hands if they can keep him fit.

After much of his first season and the start of this one was plagued by injuries, Thiago has really started to show in the last few weeks why many were so excited about his move to Anfield and he ran the midfield for the 60 minutes he was on the pitch here.

Klopp will know he needs to manage the Spaniard’s game-time carefully and taking him off with the game won and bringing on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was a smart move, especially considering the potentially tricky trips to Everton and Wolves they have coming up in the next seven days.

Shout-out again to Jota, who might just have the best striker’s instinct in the Premier League this season, and Salah, who keeps racking up astonishing numbers.

It will be a very good side who finishes above Liverpool this season, if anyone manages to do so.