SOU vs LIV
Match Centre
SOU vs LIV As It Happened
Key moments so far
- Southampton beat the Premier League champions
- Saints hold on for a 1-0 victory at St Mary's
- Danny Ings scored in the second minute
- Three clean sheets in a row for Saints
FULL TIME: Southampton 1-0 Liverpool
What a night! Southampton have beaten the Premier League champions at St Mary's! Danny Ings's goal in the second minute held up for the rest of the way, as Saints produced an incredible effort all over the pitch. What a start to 2021!
Three added minutes
Keep holding on, lads!
So close to a second!
Yan Valery is played into space, and Alisson comes rushing out of his area to meet him well outside the box. Valery gets there first and slots between the Liverpool keeper's legs, but there isn't enough on it and it's stopped by Liverpool's back-tracking defence before it crosses the line.
Yellow Card for Xherdan Shaqiri (Liverpool)
Shaqiri is cautioned.
Wide from Alexander-Arnold
The Liverpool full-back lines up a shot from 25 yards, but it's off-target and then hits Mohamed Salah on the way through and goes wide.
Mané denied by Forster
Sadio Mané works a tiny bit of room on the left side of the area, but his low shot across goal is pretty comfortable for Fraser Forster, who gets down to save.
Over from Shaqiri
Another half chance slips by for Liverpool. This time it's Xherdan Shaqiri trying to curl one into the far corner, but he's well off target, and Saints edge a little bit closer.
Firmino glances a header wide
Xherdan Shaqiri's cross finds Roberto Firmino, but his flicked header skids a couple of yards wide of the far post.
Ings gets in an effort for Saints
A nice break from Saints sees Ings play a ball for Tella down the right. He gets forward and holds play up while waiting for support. That comes from Armstrong, who he lays it back to, with the midfielder in turn squaring to Ings 25 yards out, but his first-time shot has little power and is comfortable for Alisson. But a respite from the Liverpool pressure for Saints.
Mané delivery flashes across the area
Sadio Mané gets onto Andy Robertson's ball down the left and sends in a low cross, which takes a deflection off Jan Bednarek's out-stretched foot and flashes across the area. Saints survive again!
Stephens with a vital block
Nearly a big opening for Liverpool, as Sadio Mané forces a way in, but Jack Stephens slides in to block his strike from close range.
Walcott fires over from distance
A first effort of the second half for Saints, as Theo Walcott sends in an effort from distance but it's never really troubling Alisson's goal and goes comfortably over.
VAR Decision: Penalty not awarded for Liverpool [Georginio Wijnaldum] was confirmed
Wijnaldum appeals for handball against Jack Stephens, as he blocked his shot in the area, but it's not given, and a VAR check upholds the decision of Andre Marriner.
Liverpool putting Saints under pressure
Saints being pinned back in the opening minutes of the second half. No clear cut chance for Liverpool yet, but they're getting into some dangerous areas around Southampton's penalty box.
Second half is under way
We're up and running again at St Mary's. Come on, Saints!
HALF TIME: Southampton 1-0 Liverpool
It's a lead at the break for Ralph Hasenhüttl's side, thanks to that glorious second-minute goal from Danny Ings. Great first half, lads! 👏
Salah so close for Liverpool
Sadio Mané gets to the byline and clips in a cross with his left foot, finding Mohamed Salah, but his header goes inches over. Ryan Bertrand made a good effort at challenging for the ball, which may have put him off slightly.
Four added minutes
Into additional time, of which there is a fair bit, largely due to the stoppage for Moussa Djenepo's injury.
Saints almost open up Liverpool
A brilliant pass from James Ward-Prowse puts Danny Ings into space down the right, and he looks to square for an unmarked Theo Walcott in the middle, only for the pass to be intercepted and turned behind for a corner that Liverpool clear.
Tella so close to doubling the lead
Brilliant from Nathan Tella, who latches onto a Danny Ings flick-on, dances into a bit of space on the edge of the area and bends a low shot past Alisson, only for it to go just wide of the post. What a moment that would have been!
Firmino heads behind
Andy Robertson sends in a free-kick from a deep position on the left, with Roberto Firmino getting onto it, but his header is well off target.
Bertrand back to deny Salah
Liverpool work a slick move that looks like it might put Mohamed Salah clear down the inside-right, but Ryan Bertrand races back and just gets a toe to the ball to poke it away. A quick VAR check to see if it was a foul, but replays were clear it wasn't. Although replays also showed it should have been a corner and not a goal-kick as was awarded.
Mané shoots over
Sadio Mané works a sight of goal, driving forward and cutting onto his right foot about 25 yards out, but he curls the ball a couple of yards over.
Djenepo goes down injured
Not what Ralph Hasenhüttl needed to see. Moussa Djenepo goes down following a challenge from Thiago and is requiring a fair bit of treatment.
Good opportunity for Djenepo
Stuart Armstrong sends an angled ball to the edge of the box from the right wing, with Danny Ings heading it under control and then laying it square to Moussa Djenepo, who tries to curl it back into the far corner with his right foot, but he gets underneath it too much and sends it a few yards over.
Midway through the first half
Still it's this Danny Ings goal that separates the teams.
Forster does well
Mohammed Salah is put through on goal and, although the offside flag subsequently went up correctly, by the time it had Forster had raced out and denied Salah with an out-stretched leg, as the Liverpool forward attempted to go around him.
Yellow Card for Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Another yellow for Liverpool, as Robertson brings down Stuart Armstrong on halfway.
Saints survive a scare
Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner is met by the head of Georginio Wijnaldum, but his header hits Jack Stephens. The ball then eventually falls to Jordan Henderson just inside the area, but he shoots over.
Celebrating the opener! 📸
Danny Ings's teammates congratulate him on his second-minute strike.
Firmino shoots wide
Liverpool work the ball from a throw into Roberto Firmino, but his shot from the right half of the area is wide of the near post by a yard or two.
Yellow Card for Thiago Alcántara do Nascimento (Liverpool)
Thiago is the first man into the book.
WHAT A START!!!
Thiago fouls Stuart Armstrong about 40-plus yards out. James Ward-Prowse chips the free-kick over the Liverpool backline, and Ings runs onto it, then lofts a brilliant effort with his left foot over Alisson, with the ball dropping just inside the far post. Sensational goal. Sensational start!
WE'RE OFF 👊
Let's go Saints - start 2021 off the right way...
Hey, Fras 👋
Saints make three changes, including Fraser Forster’s first appearance since May 2019. He has kept four clean sheets in his last five games vs Liverpool.
19.16LIVERPOOL XI
Starting XI: Alisson (GK), Alexander-Arnold, Henderson, Fabinho, Robertson, Thiago, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: Kelleher, R.Williams, Phillips, N.Williams, Milner, Jones, Minamino, Shaqiri, Origi.
19.03SAINTS XI 😇
Armstrong until 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ 😍
Hear from Stuart Armstrong, following the news this week that he'd completed a contract extension!
16.57The best of 2020 🔥
Got some time to kill before tonight's 8pm kick-off? Spend it watching the best goals from 2020 - there are some absolute crackers among them.
16.46Saints vs reigning champions 🤞
Southampton have won 10 league games against reigning Premier League champions, beating all six different teams to win the trophy when defending their crown (Man Utd, Blackburn, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Leicester).
16.40Forster first in line 🙌
Following the news that Alex McCarthy is having to isolate after returning a positive Covid-19 test, Fraser Forster is set to make his first Saints appearance of 2020/21. Welcome back, Fras!
16.38Hear from the boss 😎
Ralph Hasenhüttl has his say on Jürgen Klopp and the threat of Liverpool.
16.3516.33After the last round of tests, we have one positive with alex mccarthy, so he's out for the game with liverpool and maybe also shrewsbury.
ralph hasenhüttlon the absence of alex mccarthy
STAT ATTACK 🤓
Since Ralph Hasenhüttl took charge of Southampton in December 2018, Danny Ings has been directly involved in 38 goals in the Premier League (31 goals and seven assists); 16 more than the player with the next most in this period (22 – James Ward-Prowse).
16.29Welcome to St Mary's 😇
Welcome back, Saints fans, for our first clash of the new year. We hope you all managed to have some time with family over the festive period! A big evening of football is planned live from St Mary's tonight, as Liverpool are the first visitors of 2021, and after back-to-back goalless draws, Saints will be hoping to give the reigning champions a run for their money. See you back here at 8pm GMT!
16.20SOU vs LIV Line Ups
Southampton
44 |
Fraser Forster (GK)
|
---|---|
3 |
Ryan Bertrand
|
5 |
Jack Stephens
|
2 |
Kyle Walker-Peters
|
35 |
Jan Bednarek
|
8 |
James Ward-Prowse (C)
|
27 |
Ibrahima Diallo
|
12 |
Moussa Djenepo
Nathan Tella (32′)
|
17 |
Stuart Armstrong
|
9 |
Danny Ings
Daniel N'Lundulu (77′)
|
32 |
Theo Walcott
Yan Valery (82′)
|
Substitutes
23 |
Nathan Tella |
---|---|
72 |
Kgaogelo Chauke |
20 |
William Smallbone |
40 |
Daniel N'Lundulu |
18 |
Yan Valery |
29 |
Jake Vokins |
31 |
Kayne Ramsay |
7 |
Shane Long |
41 |
Harry Lewis |
Liverpool
1 |
Alisson (GK)
|
---|---|
26 |
Andrew Robertson
|
66 |
Trent Alexander-Arnold
James Milner (77′)
|
3 |
Fabinho
|
14 |
Jordan Henderson (C)
|
15 |
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Xherdan Shaqiri (56′)
|
5 |
Georginio Wijnaldum
|
6 |
Thiago
|
10 |
Sadio Mané
|
9 |
Roberto Firmino
|
11 |
Mohamed Salah
|
Substitutes
27 |
Divock Origi |
---|---|
17 |
Curtis Jones |
76 |
Neco Williams |
23 |
Xherdan Shaqiri |
18 |
Takumi Minamino |
62 |
Caoimhin Kelleher |
7 |
James Milner |
47 |
Nathaniel Phillips |
46 |
Rhys Williams |
SOU vs LIV Match Stats
Head to Head Stats

-
Possession (%)3367
-
Shots717
-
Shots on target31
-
Corners110
-
Passes Complete233543