Diogo Joto netted a brace as Liverpool erased a 4-2 second-half deficit and secured an entertaining 4-4 draw on the final matchday of the season vs Southampton at Saint Mary's Stadium. Roberto Firmino also bid farewell to the Reds in style as he found the back of the net in his final game with the club.
First Half
After feeling each other out for the first 10 minutes, Diogo Jota pounced on a mistake as the Saints had trouble playing out of the back. Jota calmly put the ball in the bottom corner for a 1-0 Liverpool lead.
The Reds struck again in the 14th minute. Nifty footwork by Roberto Firmio in the box gave him just enough space to finish and get on the score sheet in his final match in a Liverpool shirt. Southampton pulled a goal back in the 19th minute as James Ward-Prowse unleashed a beautiful strike to cut the Saints deficit to 2-1.
Liverpool enjoyed a good spell of play with three straight corners, but poor defending allowed the Saints to score the equalizer. Kamaldeen Sulemana took advantage of a lot of space and fired a shot in the bottom right corner to tie the match in the 28th minute. Both teams had chances during the rest of the opening 45 minutes, but neither side could score, leaving the tally at 2-2.
Second Half
Southampton wasted little time taking the lead in the second half. Sulemana made a run straight down the middle of the pitch and nobody picked him up. As a result, Sulemana scored in the 47th minute as the home team took a 3-2 lead. Mohamed Salah nearly equalized at the hour mark but the attempt was blocked. Another bad giveaway led to another Southampton goal thanks to Adam Armstrong's strike.
Down 4-2, Liverpool responded quickly. Cody Gakpo was waiting back post for a tap-in thanks to an assist from Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 71st minute. In the 72nd minute, Jota bagged a brace with a strike from distance after an assist from Salah to tie the match at 4-4.
The last part of the match was full of chances for Liverpool, mostly from Salah. His chip in the 79th minute hit the post and he had four more shots in the final 10 minutes plus stoppage time as Liverpool settled for an entertaining 4-4 draw.
Bombs Away
Liverpool peppered the Southampton goal with shots all afternoon long. They garnered a season-high of 30 (8 on goal) and controlled 69 per cent of the possession. If not for a pair of bad giveaways and susceptibility to the counter-attack, Liverpool would have won this match relatively easily.
Looking On The Bright Side
Even with the draw, Liverpool have finished the season with 11 straight results and that's nothing to be ashamed of. Yes, there will be changes ahead of next year, particularly in the midfield, but the finish to this season is still something the club can build on.
Reaching The Century Mark
With their four goals in the match, Liverpool have once again scored at least 100 goals in a season. They have only failed to reach that mark one time under Jürgen Klopp. Their 75-goal mark inside League play is third-best among EPL clubs.
LFC Globe Verdict
It wasn't a win, but it was an entertaining match of football. That's all you can ask for on the season's final day when both sides' positions on the table are already secured. I would venture that both clubs were somewhat pleased with the outcome, Southampton because they got a result before being relegated and Liverpool for responding after going down 4-2.
Man Of The Match & What's Next
I'm giving it to Roberto Firmino for the second match in a row. He is already a famous player, but scoring in both his Anfield and overall Liverpool farewell has endeared him even more to Reds' supporters.
What's Next
The offseason
Goals
Southampton
- James Ward-Prowse 19'
- Kamaldeen Sulemana 28'
- Kamaldeen Sulemana 47'
- Adam Armstrong 64'
Liverpool
- Diogo Jota 10'
- Roberto Firmino 14'
- Cody Gakpo 71'
- Diogo Jota 72'
Substitutions
Southampton
- Adam Armstrong for Romeo Lavia 63'
- Stuart Armstrong for Mohammed Elyounoussa 64'
- Valantino Livramento for Theo Walcott 77'
- Dominic Ballard for Kamaldeen Sulemana 86'
- Samuel Amo-Ameyaw for James Ward-Prowse 87'
Liverpool
- Luiz Diaz for Roberto Firmino 57'
- Jordan Henderson for Fabinho 57'
- Cody Gakpo for Curtis Jones 57'
- Harvey Elliott for Kostas Tsimikas 57'
