Mike Dean reacts to Liverpool controversy v Southampton on Sky Sports
Liverpool eventually beat Southampton 3-1 at Anfield on Saturday to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.
Southampton took a shock lead on the stroke of half-time through midfielder Will Smallbone, which prompted Reds boss Arne Slot to make a triple substitution at the break.
Harvey Elliott, Alexis Mac Allister and Andy Robertson replaced Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Konstantinos Tsimikas.
Those changes galvanised Liverpool, who established a 2-1 lead within minutes of the break through Mohamed Salah’s penalty.
Mike Dean reveals stance on Liverpool penalty
Liverpool were awarded a penalty when the scores were level at 1-1 as Nunez, who bagged his side’s equaliser just moments previously, was adjudged to have been fouled in the area by Smallbone.
| Darwin Nunez stats | All competitions 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 38 |
| Goals | 7 |
| Assists | 5 |
Speaking live on Sky Sports News [16.15, 8 March], Dean reacted to the incident as footage was relayed to him, saying: “It’s not the best of challenges.
“Nunez has kind of just got in front of him, he knows the challenge is coming.
“He (Smallbone) has caught him on the back of his left leg.
“Given on-field by Lewis Smith and, for me, it will be check completed and it will be a penalty kick.”
Dean’s judgement of the situation matched that of VAR, as Salah went on to beat Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to hand his side a lead from the penalty spot.
Southampton performance could mark a turning point for Liverpool’s Nunez
Liverpool striker Nunez faces a lot of criticism from both Reds supporters and the wider football world, as he often portrays himself as a player who can lack composure in the final third and subsequently miss key opportunities to score.
Slot’s men have even faced calls to sell the Uruguay international during the summer transfer window, but he made a strong account of himself against Southampton.
The Reds were staring down the barrel at what could have been an embarrassing defeat to Southampton, as they trailed 1-0 at half-time.
But Nunez helped Liverpool turn the game on its head during the early proceedings of the second half when he first scored the equaliser before winning the penalty which helped them take the lead.
The Anfield faithful would now be delighted to see the forward repeat those exploits during the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie with PSG on Tuesday 11 March.
Meanwhile, it’s another step closer to that Premier League crown again.