It was a Cup evening, so did you anticipate something aside from surprises? Nothing ever goes to plan at Anfield on events similar to these and so, once more, it was true.
There was a shock for Alexander Isak, who discovered himself being ordered to do extra operating at half-time when he thought the sanctuary of the altering room beckoned. There was a shock for Will Nonetheless, who noticed his Southampton crew depart their patchy type nicely behind.
However the largest shock was reserved for Arne Slot, who watched in disbelief as Hugo Etikite saved the day in a single second then, within the subsequent, introduced his supervisor with a pointless headache from two actions that even his team-mates considered preposterous.
You must go some to get criticism after plundering a late winner however for Ekitike to place a blemish on all his early excellent work with two – wholly avoidable – bookings and earn himself a suspension for Saturday’s journey to Crystal Palace left Slot dumbfounded.
‘Useless? Sure,’ Slot harrumphed. ‘And it was silly. It was. Within the first one (for dissent), it was already pointless and, to a sure extent, silly, as you’ve got to manage your feelings. I understand how laborious it’s when you play within the Premier League, when you’re a quantity 9.
‘The defender can nearly do every little thing he desires and whenever you shirt pull or push him slightly bit, you get a free-kick in opposition to you. It’s all the time the perfect to manage your feelings. If you happen to can’t, do it in a manner that doesn’t result in a yellow card.
Alexander Isak scored his first aim for Liverpool as they beat Southampton within the Carabao Cup
Hugo Ekitike netted a late winner on 85 minutes however Liverpool had been at removed from their finest
However the Frenchman bizarrely took his shirt off and was despatched off for a second bookable offence, and Arne Slot bemoaned his behaviour post-match, labelling it ‘pointless’ and ‘silly’
‘I mentioned after I acquired my pink card in opposition to Everton that’s all the time silly as a result of you possibly can present feelings, but when it results in a yellow or pink card, that’s silly. That’s what occurred within the first yellow. Useless, not good, you name it silly, I known as it silly instantly as nicely.’
Taking the highlight away from Isak, who acquired the primary aim of his Liverpool profession, was going to take some doing however Ekitike managed it. Nonetheless, will probably be a reduction to the £125million man that he’s up and operating, having acquired off the mark like an impatient batsmen scampering a fast single.
Fast-thinking from Federico Chiesa, an instinctive dart into area and Isak compounded the error Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy had made, conceding possession so cheaply, by sweeping a shot into the Anfield Street Finish web. The locals had waited for this second and the way they loved it.
However the man himself? Maybe he envisaged being greeted with slaps on the again as he made his manner off on the interval – you could possibly definitely inform he wasn’t anticipating to see Aaron Briggs, certainly one of Arne Slot’s teaching crew, ordering him again out to do some shuttle runs.
‘That’s a brand new one on me,’ Isak mentioned later with a smile. ‘It was humorous. I’ve acquired to get match.’
It was that type of evening. Slot seemed exasperated as soon as once more as Liverpool needlessly conceded an equaliser to Shea Charles late within the second half, an equaliser that was deserved and owed nothing to luck.
There’s a vulnerability concerning the Premier League champions defensively and, once more, it confirmed.
Southampton are struggling to discover a rhythm within the league underneath their new head coach however, freed from the stress that accompanies the grind of attempting to win three factors every week, they took what was a free shot and nearly knocked Liverpool clear out.
Isak was then withdrawn at half time and compelled to endure operating drills on the break
Shea Charles (No 24) had levelled for Southampton who totally deserved their equaliser
Regardless of the victory, Slot is unlikely to be happy with what he noticed at Anfield on Wednesday
Fairly how the sport would have unfolded had, within the forty second minute, Southampton taken the fantastic probability that got here their manner is anybody’s guess however it could not have out of protecting had they gone into the interval with the benefit quite than Liverpool.
However every little thing modified within the forty first minute Adam Armstonhg hit the bar after a fast break and Leo Scienza one way or the other contrived to go broad of a gaping aim with Giorgio Mamardashvili, the Georgia worldwide making his Liverpool debut, stricken on the bottom.
Soccer is merciless and, within the subsequent assault, Liverpool went up the sector, McCarthy tried to play out in his six yard space – generally coaches and gamers may be too intelligent for their very own good – and Liverpool had smashed their guests on the nostril to eye-watering impact.
Southampton, to their credit score, got here again when Charles profited within the seventy fifth minute from some lax defending at a nook however the dream end result was unobtainable. Ekitike noticed to that, as he turned in Chiesa’s selflessness, however he additionally noticed that his supervisor can be livid together with his celebrations.
‘I advised him that when you rating within the Champions League remaining within the 87th minute after outplaying three gamers and hitting it within the high nook, I can perhaps perceive,’ Slot mentioned. ‘He’s like: “That is all about me, what did I do!” However I’m old style, I’m 47 and previous.
‘I by no means performed at this degree however did rating a number of objectives and if I scored a aim like this, I’d have circled and walked as much as Federico Chiesa and mentioned: ‘This aim is all about you, this isn’t about me’.”
The message couldn’t have been mentioned any louder. Repeats is not going to be tolerated.
