5 Talking Points from Liverpool vs Southampton

Quality makes the difference

Despite being outplayed and looking vulnerable, Liverpool was able to lead at halftime thanks to a brilliant strike from Sadio Mane. Southampton controlled the game and kept the pressure on Liverpool but lacked the quality to be able to capitalize  while Mane was able to use his to create a goal that changed the entire complexion of the game.

Adrian makes things interesting

Adrian is doing his best to replace Alisson including making the same mistakes in similar situations. Liverpool fans will remember the goal Alisson gave away against Leicester last season when he decided to play with the ball instead of clearing it away which changed the entire game much like Adrian’s mistake did today. In both cases, Liverpool was up 2-0 and was simply cruising against teams who were showing signs of accepting defeat. Adrian gave away a needless goal and woke up the crowd. Ings missed a sitter which would have tied the game and cost Liverpool 2 points. Adrian who had a great game aside from the howler will hopefully learn from this error just like Alisson did. 

Ox looks the part in midfield

Following a poor performance in the Super Cup, Ox had a good outing against Southampton. He seems to fit the midfield a lot better compared to playing wide. He was able to use his energy to be able to win several balls in midfield and looked good in being able to distribute from that position. His speed and agility give our midfield a very different look and gives defenses something else to worry about. This, in turn, helps Mo and Mane by giving them more space and time. This game was a good opportunity for Ox and he definitely took better advantage of this one compared to the one midweek. As he gets his legs back by stacking up these minutes on the pitch, he will definitely bring several key moments to celebrate this season.

Mane has the scoring touch

Mane was the man of the match for me. He had a goal and an assist in this game and could have easily had two more assists with some great passing throughout the game. Aside from his attacking play, he was also instrumental in making some key defensive stops, an area of his game that gets overlooked at times. For a player who had the shortest offseason, his performance has been incredible. There is a lot to love about this guy on and off the field. He has started the season on fire and watching the front three feed off of each other is football heaven.

Tough 3 points secured

Playing a midweek game is tough enough. When you make that a game that is 120 minutes along with long-distance travel, rotation and some signs of fatigue were to be expected. The Reds capitalized on the depth of their squad in midfield and was able to take three points from a tough away fixture. Watching players who can give a performance like that shows the hard work done in the off-season. There are several things that the Reds can surely improve on as they looked vulnerable especially in the first half. Opponents would have definitely looked at this fixture as one that Liverpool could slip on though especially with the heavy match traffic early in the season. Liverpool proved them wrong and took away the three points. YNWA!