Liverpool ended their disappointing season with a game that summed up their inconsistent campaign, shipping four goals to already-relegated Southampton.
Southampton 4-4 Liverpool
Premier League (38), St Mary’s
May 28, 2023
Goals
Jota 10′ (assist: Lavia )
Firmino 14′ (assist: Fabinho)
Ward-Prowse 19′
Sulemana 28′
Sulemana 47′
A. Armstrong 65′
Gakpo 72′ (assist: Alexander-Arnold)
Jota 73′ (assist: Salah)
There was a real end-of-season feel at St Mary’s as the sun beat down and two sides with nothing to play for faced off, with Jurgen Klopp‘s side reflecting that.
Klopp made seven changes, completely resting Alisson and Virgil van Dijk from the squad and giving James Milner and Roberto Firmino farewell starts.
Liverpool were gifted the opening goal when Saints midfielder Romeo Lavia played a blind pass straight for Diogo Jota to pass into the open net eight yards out.
The lead was doubled within four minutes, Firmino with a lovely fake to sit two defenders down inside the box then finish for his 13th goal of the season.
Si Senor was already dominating the away fans’ songbook and that cranked up a notch after another Bobby goal!
But Liverpool went on to sum up their season in the opening half hour, conceding twice after some really sloppy defending.
The first was when James Ward-Prowse finished a decent move after being given acres of space inside the box, Liverpool’s much-changed defence was all at sea.
More poor defending then let Southampton in for an equaliser through Kamaldeen Sulemana, who finished after Liverpool gave the ball away again. Caoimhin Kelleher should have done better in goal too.
Half time: Southampton 2-2 Liverpool
The second half started with similarly poor defending and Sulemana scored his second goal of the game with ease, waltzing past Fabinho in midfield and finishing past Kelleher.
‘How shit must you be’ was the chant from the home fans who had only seen their side win twice at St. Mary’s all season.
A quadruple sub just before the hour saw Firmino depart the pitch for the final time as a Liverpool player.
Jordan Henderson, one of the subs, gave the ball away in midfield and Adam Armstrong ran at the defence to finish past Kelleher for his first goal since last August.
Liverpool then somehow levelled it at 4-4 with two goals inside a minute.
First, Cody Gakpo tapped in from inside the six yard box, then within seconds Salah set up for Jota to rifle into the top corner for his second of the game.
Liverpool almost gifted a fifth for Southampton, Alexander-Arnold giving the ball away inside his own box.
The game was a mess with so little quality, a reminder of how bad Liverpool have been for most of this season, after some improved form over the last 10 games before it.
A draw it ended, for a match that summed up Liverpool’s inconsistent and disappointing season.
Liverpool end the season in fifth place, on 67 points – the lowest in a full season under Klopp.
Next season needs to be seriously better.
TIA Man of the Match: James Milner
Referee: Darren England
Southampton: McCarthy; Bree, Lyanco, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Lavia, Ward-Prowse; Sulemana, Alcarax, Elyounoussi; Walcott
Subs: Bazunu, Caleta-Car, Livramento, Doyle, Amo-Ameyaw, Aribo, S.Armstrong, Ballard, A.Armstrong
Liverpool: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Gomez, Tsimikas (Elliott 58′); Fabinho (Henderson 58′), Milner, Jones (Diaz 58′); Salah, Jota, Firmino (Gakpo 58′)
