Richard Keys: Liverpool star should’ve been sent off v Southampton
Liverpool went 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a 3-1 win over Southampton at Anfield on Saturdsay.
The Reds asserted their dominance over relegation-threatened Southampton, coming back from behind to register their 21st win of the Premier League season.
Arne Slot’s side conceded in the stoppage time of the first half as the visitors took a shock lead at Anfield. It didn’t take long for Liverpool to equalise as Darwin Nunez scored the equaliser in the 51st minute.
Mohamed Salah scored to a penalty to give Liverpool the lead before finally delivering the sucker punch in the 88th minute to score and kill the tie.
Liverpool’s ‘lucky week’
Liverpool came into this game on the back of a narrow 1-0 win over PSG in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg in Paris.
Although the Reds squeezed out a victory, PSG were the more dominant side and had it not been for the heroics of Alisson, Slot’s men would have conceded more than once on that night.
Liverpool found themselves lucky in Paris as they were at the risk of being reduced to 10 men as Ibrahima Konate launched a last ditch tackle in the first half to stop Bradley Barcola from being through on goal.
| Match Stats | Liverpool | Southampton |
| Possession | 71% | 29% |
| Shots | 28 | 6 |
| Shots on Target | 7 | 4 |
| Big Chances | 8 | 1 |
Barcola was brought down and Konate miraculously escaped a red card. The referee handed a free kick to PSG and the Frenchman escaped a suspension.
Liverpool’s stars seemed to have aligned in their favour once again as Reds forward Nunez also escaped a suspension. The Uruguayan pulled off a cynical challenge on Kyle Walker-Peters in the first half which resulted in a yellow card while the Saints players appealed for the forward to be sent-off.
Nunez went onto score Liverpool’s equaliser and pundit Richard Keys tweeted that he shouldn’t have been on the pitch.
He tweeted: “This is definitely Liverpool’s lucky week. Nunez shouldn’t be on the pitch.”
Liverpool heading towards Premier League title
Following their win over Ivan Juric’s side, the Reds are 16 points clear at the top of the league table. Their closest rivals, Arsenal, play Manchester United on Sunday and any slip-ups by Mikel Arteta’s men will allow Liverpool to maintain a very healthy gap at the top.
With no other side close to Liverpool, Slot’s men are cruising towards their first Premier League title under the Dutchman. It will be a historic feat that Slot will guide a team to the English league title in his first season, a feat only achieved by Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Manuel Pellegrini.
Liverpool also have a shot at winning another silverware next weekend as they face Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final at the Wembley stadium.
It has been a highly impressive debut campaign under Slot and this season is setting up the tone for a new era under the Dutch manager.