Liverpool have been in sensational form this season, sitting 16 points clear of second-placed Arsenal while also preparing for the Carabao Cup final and holding a one-goal advantage ahead of their Champions League second leg at Anfield. Time has favoured the Reds, who have achieved all this with just four defeats. However, they struggled in the first half against Southampton on Saturday, conceding early before Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah led the fightback to secure another crucial victory.
Arne Slot acknowledged that Liverpool fell short of their best in the first half of their Premier League comeback win against Southampton at Anfield. He altered the line-up from their clash with Paris Saint-Germain three days earlier, bringing in Kostas Tsimikas, Curtis Jones, and Darwin Nunez while benching Andy Robertson, Alexis Mac Allister, and Diogo Jota.
The Gaffer was not impressed by the first half display
One thing to know about the Dutch tactician is that his substitutions have always made their mark, and this phenomenon has not been an exception in the match against Southampton.
Although Tsimikas and Jones alone did not carry the blame for Liverpool’s dull first half, Slot felt the need to change something. So, he made a really bold decision at half-time and replaced them both with Dominik Szoboszlai in one triple switch. The adjustment paid immediate return when Liverpool turned the game around in just 10 minutes after the resumption.
Nunez scored the equaliser before quickly delivering a penalty that was converted by Salah. The Reds earned another penalty late in the match, and Salah once again found the net to seal the victory. Serving a touchline ban, Slot watched the game from the stands and later told Sky Sports that his players’ first-half performance did not impress him.
The Dutchman speaking to SkySports after the game, wanted to create anger with the substitutions
“In the end, I had to make some hard decisions at halftime to create some anger. The three that came in did really well, but I could see from the other eight they were different.
“I am fully aware you cannot play high intensity for 38 games. Sometimes you have to find another way to win. Hopefully the first half was a warning sign. The good thing is we probably didn’t run that much [before facing Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday].”
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The Slot machine never misses, and his substitutions continue to turn games around, whether directly or indirectly. With the manager and the squad in perfect sync, this Liverpool side looks destined for glory and silverware.