Report: Brave Saints beaten by Salah brace

The visitors struck first through Dominik Szoboszlai after Saints had played themselves into trouble on the half-hour mark, but responded well as Flynn Downes forced a save from Caoimhin Kelleher before Tyler Dibling won a penalty with a trademark driving run.

Adam Armstrong’s initial spot-kick was saved by the Irishman, but the striker was in the right place to follow it up and level the scores shortly before half time.

Things got even better for Saints as Dibling and Armstrong were involved again as Saints stunned Liverpool with a brilliant counter-attack finished off by Mateus Fernandes in the 56th minute.

But Liverpool, only twice denied victory in 18 matches under new head coach Arne Slot, fought back, as Salah struck a bizarre equaliser and won the game from the penalty spot seven minutes from time.

Russell Martin made five changes to his last team selection before the international break, with two of those enforced due to injury.

Aaron Ramsdale and Jan Bednarek are set to miss weeks rather than days, prompting the return of Alex McCarthy in goal and an unfamiliar role for Downes at the heart of a five-man defence.

Ryan Manning, Joe Aribo and Cameron Archer dropped to the bench, replaced by Ryan Fraser, Dibling and Paul Onuachu, with the latter making his first Saints start in 18 months.

Mateus Fernandes goes for goal early on

Another change of sorts saw Fernandes start the game as Saints’ deepest midfield player, operating in the usual Downes role, but the Portuguese still surged forward to force the first save of the match inside five minutes.

Receiving the ball from England’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis, space opened up in front of him and Fernandes drove into it. Encouraged to shoot by another St Mary’s sell-out, his 25-yard effort just brushed the toe of Ibrahima Konaté when perhaps a more significant deflection might have deceived Kelleher.

Liverpool responded by testing McCarthy for the first time when Szoboszlai led a quick counter and Mohamed Salah sent McCarthy stooping down by his near post for a routine stop.

Martin had to be pleased with the start. Saints were taking the game to Liverpool and wanted a penalty when Konaté tangled with Armstrong in the seventh minute, as the striker wriggled away from the Frenchman leading to a clipping of the heels, but only a corner was given. Replays suggested the contact was outside the box, meaning VAR could not intervene.

Konaté was having problems with both front men. Onuachu, who had shown some nice touches, showed a turn of speed and was strong enough to hold off the defender, who subsequently joined Conor Bradley in the book for wrestling him to the ground.

McCarthy made another save from Salah, similar to his first, before holding on smartly to Szoboszlai’s low drive when the Hungarian picked Fernandes’s pocket on the edge of the box.

By the midpoint in the first half Liverpool were beginning to find their rhythm. McCarthy was racking up the saves as he pushed aside Cody Gakpo’s low stinger and held on to another strike from Curtis Jones, but these were optimistic attempts from the visitors, who were yet to pick their way through.

Focal point Paul Onuachu helped Saints grow into the game

Instead it would be a Saints mistake that set the leaders on their way. After McCarthy fell on another speculative shot, his quick roll out to Fernandes was risky, and Downes’s clearance was rushed, straight to Szoboszlai.

In fairness to the goalscorer he still had plenty to do, but Saints had shot themselves in the foot and Szoboszlai took full advantage with an inch-perfect curling strike that kissed the top of the post on its way in.

Saints responded encouragingly, immediately carving out their best chance as Lallana stepped over the ball and Downes drilled it, sending Kelleher diving to his right to preserve Liverpool’s potentially short-lived lead.

Lallana’s afternoon came to a premature end soon after, forced off with an injury, as Aribo entered the fray late in the first half.

It was Dibling, the immensely talented 18-year-old, who would inspire Saints’ timely leveller three minutes before the break as he set off on his first real run at the Liverpool defence.

With Andy Robertson backing off, Dibling kept going before darting past him on the outside and getting tripped by the Scotsman, as referee Sam Barrott this time did point to the spot.

Armstrong was forced to wait as VAR checked to assess whether the incident was outside the box. Whilst incredibly tight, the feeling was contact had occurred on the 18-yard line and the on-field decision stood.

Up stepped Armstrong, initially thwarted by Kelleher diving to his right, but the keeper’s luck was out as his save fell kindly for the striker to gobble up the rebound, scoring for the third home game in a row.

Adam Armstrong celebrates his first-half equaliser

Onuachu’s hold-up play had been impressive, so it was a blow to lose him to injury following a foul from Cody Gakpo six minutes into the second half, as Lesley Ugochukwu took his place and Dibling moved up to partner Armstrong. The Nigerian departed to a standing ovation.

Buoyed by his role in winning the penalty, Dibling set off on another run into Liverpool territory and powered a shot narrowly off target in another statement of his fearlessness.

Dibling was involved again as Saints turned the game on its head 10 minutes after half time, sending St Mary’s into a frenzy.

Ironically it started with a fumble from McCarthy, before Fraser found Dibling on the right touchline, who spotted Armstrong to his left and drilled a sublime diagonal pass into his path.

Though his touch initially deserted him, Armstrong maintained control of the ball and waited for the lung-busting run of Fernandes, who did not break stride in arriving to score with a calmly slotted left-foot finish from 14 yards.

Fernandes slides in to send St Mary's into raptures

Arne Slot wasted no time in turning to his bench, introducing Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Díaz, who should have been gifted an open goal by Darwin Núñez, only for his cross to fall agonisingly behind the Colombian.

But much like Liverpool’s in the first half, Saints’ lead would not last long. Salah, kept quiet since the early stages, escaped in behind Kyle Walker-Peters, who had swapped sides with Fraser, and reached a long ball ahead of McCarthy, who had gambled on getting there first and left his goal unguarded.

Whether Salah was actually going for goal is up for debate, but his first touch rolled into the net whether it was a shot or not, and Liverpool were back on level terms.

McCarthy made amends with a flying save to keep out Díaz’s header from a corner before Mac Allister whistled one inches over as Liverpool smelt blood.

Martin introduced Yukinari Sugawara and Cameron Archer to help his team get over the line, but Sugawara was soon making an impact for the wrong reasons, as Salah’s cross was initially controlled on his chest by the Japanese international, but then on to his outstretched hand. In truth, there were very few Saints complaints.

Up stepped Salah to complete the turnaround with a clinical spot-kick high to McCarthy’s right, whipping his shirt off in celebration as one corner of St Mary’s rejoiced.

Liverpool knew they had worked hard for this win. It might have been a shade more comfortable had Salah completed his hat-trick when he volleyed against the base of the post late on, but the Egyptian was still the match-winner on a day when Saints competed admirably against the Premier League and Champions League table toppers.

Southampton: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Downes, Stephens (c), Fraser (Sugawara 77), Fernandes, Dibling, Lallana (Aribo 37), Armstrong (Archer 77), Onuachu (Ugochukwu 52).

Unused substitutes: Lumley, Bree, Manning, Kamaldeen, Brereton Díaz.

Goals: Armstrong (42’), Fernandes (56’).

Booked: Lallana, Armstrong.

Liverpool: Kelleher, Bradley, Konaté, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Jones (Mac Allister 62), Salah, Darwin (Endo 90), Gakpo (Díaz 62).

Unused substitutes: Jaros, Davies, Quansah, Gomez, Morton, Elliott.

Goals: Szoboszlai (30’), Salah (65’, 83’ pen).

Booked: Bradley, Konaté, Gakpo, Salah.

Referee: Sam Barrott.

Attendance: 31,278.