Southampton stunned Liverpool early in the second half with a brilliant counter-attack to take the lead. However, defensive errors from the hosts allowed Mo Salah to capitalize and score twice, turning the game around in Liverpool’s favor.

In the first half, Liverpool dominated possession, using their relentless attacking pressure to control the tempo.

Despite constant efforts from Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, and Mo Salah, all attempts were thwarted by goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

The breakthrough finally came in the 30th minute when a defensive blunder by Southampton gifted Szoboszlai the ball. The Hungarian midfielder fired a precise shot from the edge of the box, striking the post before finding the net.

Liverpool’s strategy of overwhelming their opponents hit a setback when the midfield failed to contain Tyler Dibling. The 18-year-old surged forward, drawing a foul from Robertson on the edge of the box and earning a penalty. Although Kelleher saved Armstrong’s initial spot-kick, the Southampton striker reacted quickly to bury the rebound.

By halftime, Liverpool had controlled 67% of possession and fired 11 shots (7 on target), compared to Southampton’s 4 attempts on target.