Arne Slot has detailed why he was not surprised Southampton were up for the clash against the Reds, which resulted in Liverpool moving eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Liverpool came from 2-1 down to claim a 3-2 win over the Saints on Sunday, with Mohamed Salah netting a second-half brace to see the Reds past Southampton. Prior to the game, Liverpool sat at the top of the table, while Southampton were at the bottom.
But, while the hosts made plenty of defensive errors, they looked good going forward, causing Slot’s Premier League leaders plenty of issues on the counter attack. Their second goal, scored by Matheus Fernandes, saw Southampton go from their own box defending a corner to scoring past Caoimhin Kelleher in just three passes.
However, in the end, Liverpool managed to find a way to claim all three points against the Saints – a result which widens the gap between them and Manchester City. It was an important win for the Reds, who could now move even further ahead of City next week should they beat them when they welcome them to Anfield next Sunday.
Since replacing Jurgen Klopp earlier this year, Slot has lost one competitive game as Liverpool boss. But while he has guided Liverpool to 16 wins from 18 games, Slot is still learning. And speaking after the game at St Mary’s, the Dutchman explained how he has learnt that a Premier League stadium doesn’t need much to get going to give their side a boost like the Saints supporters did for Southampton.
“It was not at surprise that Southampton made it difficult as we have seen how they have played against top teams,” Slot told the BBC. “We dominated the game, but because they went 2-1 up they made it really difficult for us.
The Dutchman added: “The stadium was up for the whole game and helped the home side, as I have seen across England. It was good for us that Mo [Salah] got the equaliser as it was not our best period. After that we dominated, they got injuries and got tired, so we hoped it would eventually be 3-2.
Liverpool.com says: “In an environment that was buzzing when Southampton went 2-1 up, Liverpool managed to find a way to win against the Saints, a result which could be huge come the end of the season. Slot and the Reds will be hoping that next weekend when they take on City at Anfield, they will be boosted by a raucous atmosphere that helps them move 11 points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side.”
