Salah and Firmino try late efforts to get on the target, but they are replled by the Southampton defence.
90'
Mohamed Salah has scored a goal for Liverpool! Assist by Roberto Firmino.
Firmino runs down the right flank and works the ball back to Salah for the forward to score again.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! SALAH NOTCHES HIS SECOND!!!! 4-0!!!! Liverpool have their fourth goal as Salah bundles an effort home from close range. He starts the move by releasing Firmino into the right inside channel. The Brazilian tries to get the better of Stephens and does enough to poke the ball back to his team-mate. Salah's strike deflects off Stephens and back onto himself before rolling over the line.
There will be four minutes of added time.
89'
J. Stephens gets yellow.
Stephens is booked for a foul on Firmino.
88'
A. Lallana enters the game and replaces J. Henderson.
Lallana replaces Henderson for the closing stages.
85'
Boufal tries to line up a strike from distance, but he sees his effort travel wide of the post.
82'
S. Boufal enters the game and replaces M. Djenepo.
Boufal replaces Djenepo after a lively game for the winger.
81'
T. Minamino enters the game and replaces G. Wijnaldum.
Minamino replaces Wijnaldum for the home side.
80'
Djenepo tries to offload to Adams in space in the final third, but the forward is caught offside.
76'
Liverpool can afford to take time off the clock. They now that the game is secure at this stage.
Minute
Description
73'
N. Keïta enters the game and replaces A. Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is withdrawn for Keita in the Liverpool midfield.
71'
Mohamed Salah has scored a goal for Liverpool! Assist by J. Henderson.
Henderson chases down Alisson's kick and releases Salah into the box with a ball over the top.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! SALAH CONVERTS FROM CLOSE RANGE!!!! 3-0!!! Liverpool surely secure the three points this afternoon as Salah slots his effort past McCarthy from close range. Alisson kicks the ball deep down the right flank and Henderson pursues. He guides the ball over the top for Salah in the inside channel. He angles himself to strike on his left foot and beats the Southampton keeper with his effort.
70'
C. Adams enters the game and replaces D. Ings.
M. Obafemi enters the game and replaces S. Long.
Ings has played extremely well without scoring, and now he makes way for Adams.
Obafemi replaces Long, who has worked tirelessly this afternoon.
69'
Bertrand whips a cross-field pass towards Ward-Prowse, who takes the ball down and shoots on his left foot. His effort just creep past the post, although Alisson may have had it covered.
67'
Ings continues to find space in the Liverpool half and he tries to fire a cross towards Long, but Van Dijk sticks out a leg to make the interception.
66'
Djenepo tries to weave his way through the Liverpool defence, but just waits a second too long to pull the trigger, allowing Gomez and Van Dijk to quell the threat.
65'
J. Ward-Prowse gets yellow.
Ward-Prowse brings down Oxlade-Chamberlain on the charge and goes into the book.
62'
Long runs down the right flank and he sends an early cross into the middle that just evades Ings' dive. That was close for the visitors.
60'
J. Henderson has scored a goal for Liverpool! Assist by Roberto Firmino.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! HENDERSON MAKES IT TWO!!!! 2-0 LIVERPOOL!!! The Reds get a vital second goal to provide a sense of security in the game. A hopeful long ball forward from Alexander-Arnold finds Firmino in space on the left flank. He runs into the box before squaring the ball for Henderson. The Liverpool captain picks his spot and drills his attempt past McCarthy.
Firmino notches his second assist of the game as he collects Alexander-Arnold's ball over the top and places an offload to Henderson to provide the finish.
56'
The Saints not backing down in the second half. Liverpool need to remain disiciplined in their approach.
52'
The Saints win a corner down the right flank and Ward-Prowse sends a threatening delivery into the middle that somehow evades everyone before being cleared by the home side.
50'
Djenepo surges down the right flank and he floats a cross to the back post. Redmond meets it first time, but slices his effort nowhere near the net.
47'
A. Oxlade-Chamberlain has scored a goal for Liverpool! Assist by Roberto Firmino.
Firmino offloads to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who does the rest with a fine finish.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN PUTS LIVERPOOL AHEAD!!!! 1-0!! The midfielder scores his second goal of the week to ease the tension at Anfield. After Ings' penalty claim, the Reds break down the left and Firmino works the ball to Oxlade-Chamberlain. There's still work to do as the midfielder cuts in from the left flank and opens up space for a strike. He sends a firm strike towards the bottom-left corner and it travels through a crowd of players to beat an unsighted McCarthy.
46'
We're back underway at Anfield.
45' +1
HALF-TIME: LIVERPOOL 0-0 SOUTHAMPTON
45'
There will be one minute of added time.
44'
Ings breaks behind the Liverpool defence, but Alisson is sharp off his line and does enough to force him wide to concede only a corner. The Reds are under pressure at the back.
Ings knocks the ball into the path of Redmond to fire at goal, but he blazes his attempt over the bar.
43'
Hojbjerg drifts into space in the right inside channel and he goes for a strike at goal, but Alisson has his angles covered and makes the stop.
38'
Alexander-Arnold lines up the free-kick, only to see his effort diverted behind for a corner by Bednarek in the wall.
37'
Oxlade-Chamberlain charges forward and wins a free-kick in a decent position for the home side following a foul by Romeu.
30'
Oxlade-Chamberlain has a drive at goal from the edge of the box and it's deflected towards goal, forcing McCarthy to turn the effort behind for a corner.
28'
The Saints try to catch out the home side with a quickly taken corner, but Bertrand's pass back to Djenepo catches the winger in an offside position.
26'
Fabinho plays an incisive pass towards Wijnaldum in the box, but he just cannot turn in time to force a powerful strike towards goal. McCarthy games a tame effort attempt from the Dutchman.
24'
Liverpool break back up field and Firmino squares an offload towards Henderson to strike, but he sees his effort charged down by a wall of Saints' defenders.
23'
Van Dijk does brilliantly at the back to read the danger from Ings' cutback towards Long, making the interception to deny the visitors.
17'
Alexander-Arnold looks for an early cross into the box and it catches McCarthy by surprise, but it travels over the top of the bar and on to the roof of the net.
16'
Ward-Prowse lifts the free-kick into the box and Long rises to flick it on, but it evades the yelllow and blue shirts attacking towards the back post before travelling out for a goal-kick.
15'
Henderson pulls back Djenepo before he can run at the Liverpool defence. The Saints have a free-kick inside the Liverpool half.
12'
Salah twists and turns after the resulting corner lands at his feet, but the Saints hold their disicpline at the back to crowd him out.
11'
Salah latches on to a long kick out from Alisson and he wins a corner off the legs of Bednarek.
10'
Djenepo tries to get the better of Robertson down the right flank with quick feet after collecting Redmond's pass, but he loses out. The Liverpool left-back nudges the ball towards goal and Alisson picks it up. The Southampton appeals for a backpass are rebuffed.
8'
Ward-Prowse tries to release Long down the right flank with a ball into space, but Robertson recovers to knock it towards Alisson to clear the danger.
6'
Robertson tries to float a cross deep to the back post for Salah and Firmino, but the ball sails harmlessly behind for a goal-kick.
5'
Oxlade-Chamberlain draws a foul from Djenepo and Liverpool have a free-kick inside the Southampton half.
4'
Henderson sends the ball into space for Robertson to chase, but the Scot can only guide the ball further down the left flank as he has to slide to keep it in play.
2'
Alisson launches a long ball over the top for Salah to chase, but the ball bounces into the hands of McCarthy.
1'
We're underway at Anfield.
Good afternoon and welcome to the live commentary of the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield.
Liverpool's inevitable march towards the Premier League title continued during the week with a 2-0 win over West Ham. Goals from Mohamed Salah and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain guided the Reds to their 23rd victory of the season in just 24 matches. Jurgen Klopp's men are unbeaten in 41 matches in the top flight, only Arsenal's invincibles produced a longer spell without defeat. Liverpool have a chance to extend their lead over Manchester City to 22 points, but will have to be on their guard against the Saints this afternoon.
Southampton have lost just once in their last nine matches in all competitions, which came at the hands of Wolves after surrendering a 2-0 lead. They drew 1-1 last time out against Tottenham in the FA Cup, salvaging a replay thanks to a late goal from Sofiane Boufal. Ralph Hasenhuttl's men are only three points off the pace of fifth place, which is an incredible feat considering where they were after their 9-0 hammering at the hands of Leicester City earlier in the campaign. However, challenges don't come as hard as a trip to Anfield and they will have to be flawless to earn a positive result.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Dejan Lovren, Naby Keita, Adrian, Takumi Minamino, Adam Lallana, Divock Origi, Joel Matip.
SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): Alex McCarthy; James Ward-Prowse, Jack Stephens, Jan Bednarek, Ryan Bertrand; Moussa Djenepo, Oriol Romeu, Pierre-Emilie Hojbjerg, Nathan Redmond; Shane Long, Danny Ings.
SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: Jannik Vestergaard, Che Adams, Sofiane Boufal, Michael Obafemi, William Smallbone, Angus Gunn, Kevin Danso.
Southampton are showing again how much they have improved under the tenure of Ralph Hasenhuttl. His side have been extremely impressive against the league leaders. The Saints are not backing down from the challenge and could even be ahead. It's going to take another strong outing the second half to claim a positive result though.
Liverpool are next in action against Shrewsbury during the week in their FA Cup fourth-round replay at Anfield. Southampton are also in replay action against Tottenham on the road on Wednesday.
Thanks for joining our commentary this afternoon. Until next time, goodbye.
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