Football – Premier League leaders Liverpool beat bottom side Southampton 3-2 yesterday to build a sizeable eight-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City after Mohamed Salah led a second-half comeback for the visitors.
Liverpool were trailing 2-1 when Salah scored twice in the second half to take his season’s tally to 10 goals in the league.
After City lost their third straight league game on Saturday, a humbling 4-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool took full advantage and Arne Slot’s side now have 31 points from 12 games to City’s 23. Southampton shot themselves in the foot when they tried playing out from the back and under Liverpool pressure, Flynn Downes’s pass fell to Szoboszlai at the edge of the box and the unmarked midfielder fired home to make it 1-0.
However, Southampton received a lifeline minutes later when Andy Robertson tripped Tyler Dibling on the edge of the box and the referee pointed to the spot, with VAR upholding the decision even though the contact was made just outside the area.
Although Adam Armstrong had his spot kick saved by Caoimhin Kelleher, the forward pounced on the rebound to equalise with his third goal in four games for Southampton.
Saints turned things around 11 minutes into the second half from a sublime counter-attack when Dibling found Armstrong running into space and the forward spotted Mateus Fernandes making a run and the Portuguese midfielder made it 2-1.
That spurred Liverpool into action and after Darwin Nunez failed to find Luis Diaz at the far post for a simple tap-in, Salah took matters into his own hands.
Liverpool equalised through Salah when he ran through on goal on to a lob from Ryan Gravenberch and as he saw Alex McCarthy come off his line, the Egyptian winger took one touch to let the ball roll past the onrushing goalkeeper.
Southampton then conceded a penalty in the 83rd minute from a Yukinari Sugawara handball and Salah made no mistake from the spot as Liverpool sealed the three points.
Manchester United had to settle for a 1-1 draw at lowly Ipswich Town in Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim’s first match in charge as Marcus Rashford’s early goal was cancelled out by a deflected strike from Omari Hutchinson.
United, who began with a 3-4-2-1 formation, took the lead after 81 seconds through Rashford who stole in between two defenders to steer the ball home after a brilliant run down the right by Amad who then delivered the perfect cross.
United keeper Andre Onana made a brilliant one-handed save to deny Liam Delap as halftime loomed but Ipswich equalised in the 43rd minute as Hutchinson curled a shot into the top corner helped by a deflection off visiting defender Noussair Mazraoui.
After the break Ipswich striker Sam Szmodics almost scored with a back-heel that Onana saved with his feet but neither side could find a winner. The result leaves United in 12th place with 16 points, six off the top four. Ipswich are 18th with nine.
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