Southampton v Liverpool Live Commentary & Result, 28/05/2023, Premier League

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
1	MCI Manchester City	38	28	5	5	94	33	+61	89	L D W W W
2	ARS Arsenal	38	26	6	6	88	43	+45	84	W L L W W
3	MUN Manchester United	38	23	6	9	58	43	+15	75	W W W W L
4	NEW Newcastle United	38	19	14	5	68	33	+35	71	D D W D L
5	LIV Liverpool	38	19	10	9	75	47	+28	67	D D W W W
6	BHA Brighton & Hove Albion	38	18	8	12	72	53	+19	62	L D W L W
7	AVL Aston Villa	38	18	7	13	51	46	+5	61	W D W L L
8	TOT Tottenham Hotspur	38	18	6	14	70	63	+7	60	W L L W L
9	BRE Brentford	38	15	14	9	58	46	+12	59	W W W L W
10	FUL Fulham	38	15	7	16	55	53	+2	52	L D W W L
11	CRY Crystal Palace	38	11	12	15	40	49	-9	45	D D W L W
12	CHE Chelsea	38	11	11	16	38	47	-9	44	D L L D W
13	WOL Wolverhampton Wanderers	38	11	8	19	31	58	-27	41	L D L W L
14	WHU West Ham United	38	11	7	20	42	55	-13	40	L W L W L
15	BOU AFC Bournemouth	38	11	6	21	37	71	-34	39	L L L L W
16	NFO Nottingham Forest	38	9	11	18	38	68	-30	38	D W D W L
17	EVE Everton	38	8	12	18	34	57	-23	36	W D L W D
18	LEI Leicester City	38	9	7	22	51	68	-17	34	W D L L D
19	LEE Leeds United	38	7	10	21	48	78	-30	31	L L D L L
20	SOU Southampton	38	6	7	25	36	73	-37	25	D L L L L

That concludes our commentary of the Premier League fixture between Southampton and Liverpool! We hope you’ve enjoyed this - and all our commentaries this season!

An enthralling final-day tie at St. Mary’s comes to a close with Southampton and Liverpool equally sharing an astounding eight goals. Klopp’s side found themselves ahead by two after just a quarter-hour through Jota and Firmino, before Ward-Prowse and Sulemana pulled the game back level ahead of the interval thanks to two dangerous counter-attacking moves. It was the hosts who restarted the match with intent, putting themselves in the lead just two minutes after the kick-off with Sulemana the scorer of a mazy, solo effort. Armstrong would add another to cushion Saints’ lead 17 minutes later after being on the pitch for less than 60 seconds, but the Reds would show their attacking prowess, putting two past McCarthy in two minutes just before the 75th-minute mark. Despite chances in the closing stages - including seven minutes of injury time - neither side could find the winner, with the two forced to be happy with a point after their entertaining display.

90' + 8' FULL-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 4-4 LIVERPOOL.

90' + 7' Gomez hits a low shot from more than 30 yards out that finds its way towards goal but McCarthy sees it the whole way and moves to his left to make the stop.

90' + 6' Liverpool have won their final league game in each of the last six seasons, since a 1-1 draw at West Brom in 2015-16. Their last such defeat was a 6-1 hammering at Stoke in 2014-15.

90' + 4' Elliott puts his corner-kick into a good area but McCarthy makes his way through the crowd of bodies and does just enough to punch it away with a fist.

90' + 3' The fourth official indicates seven minutes will be added to the end of the match for stoppages.

90' + 1' Diaz cuts inside from the left and lashes a wild shot that sails harmlessly high and wide of the target.

90' Alexander-Arnold is unable to seriously threaten the Southampton penalty area with a corner-kick, putting it right into the arms of the awaiting McCarthy.

88' Henderson catches his volley cleanly from 20 yards out, but McCarthy does well to get his body behind the ball to make the save.

S. Amo-Ameyaw

J. Ward-Prowse

87' The Southampton faithful are given one last chance to show their appreciation for Ward-Prowse, who makes way three minutes before injury time. Amo-Ameyaw is given an opportunity to play.

D. Ballard

K. Sulemana

86' Sulemana's impressive match comes to an end, with Ballard set to see out the final four minutes.

85' Gakpo recognises the time and space given to him 24 yards from goal, taking a moment to prepare himself before hammering a dipping shot that whistles just over the crossbar.

83' Alexander-Arnold is again tasked with corner-kick duty but his latest offering is put over the heads of everyone queuing inside the six-yard box.

82' Alexander-Arnold takes up a central position and chips a cross to the far post for Diaz, who meets the ball with a diving header to put it back across the face of goal. Salah is in the vicinity but Lyanco and Walker-Peters combine well to close down the angle.

80' OFF THE POST AND OUT! Henderson plays a flat delivery over the top of the defence for Salah, who runs onto it and gets his first-touch wrong at the edge of the 18-yard box, sending the ball over the head of the oncoming McCarthy. The unintended strike almost leads to a goal but the woodwork is there to save the blushes of the goalkeeper.

79' Milner cuts inside and finds Salah with his back to goal on the edge of the penalty area. The forward meets the pass with a flick over the top for Jota, who loses possession before giving away a free-kick to end the promising move.

V. Livramento

T. Walcott

77' Livramento gets 13 minutes at the end of the match to stretch his legs, with Walcott giving way.

75' Salah has been involved in 18 goals in 15 Premier League games since the start of March (11 goals, seven assists), more than any other player in the competition in that time.

Mohamed Salah

Assist

73' Salah has yet to find the back of the net but he contributes in other ways, playing the key pass for Jota's second goal.

Diogo Jota

Goal

73' WE’RE NOT DONE YET! 4-4! Liverpool have now come back from a two-goal deficit themselves, finding the back of the net for the second time in just over a minute! Diaz keeps the ball in-play right in front of the technical area, before spraying a lovely cross-pitch pass for Salah. The winger has time and space to turn inside the centre-circle and lays it off to Jota, who meets the pass with a hammered shot high into the roof of the goal!

T. Alexander-Arnold

Assist

72' Alexander-Arnold makes his presence felt with an assist for Liverpool's third goal of the game.

C. Gakpo

Goal

72' GAKPO ADDS ANOTHER TWIST! 4-3! It’s a sensational one-touch goal, with Jota starting the move by playing a square pass from the right to Elliott, who immediately chips it over the top for Alexander-Arnold. The right-back instantly puts the ball across the face of goal for Gakpo, who meets it with a pass into the open net!

70' Alexander-Arnold finds Salah in space, with the winger eager to take on his opposing full-back. Walker-Peters keeps stride-for-stride pace with the Egypt international and does a great job to close the angle with a slide, forcing the ball over the line for a goal-kick.

68' Alexander-Arnold puts an outswinging corner into the penalty area looking to get his side back in the match but Bednarek is again able to get an initial head to the ball, before Alcaraz clears his lines more thoroughly.

66' The team finishing bottom of the table (Southampton this season) has won their final Premier League game in just one of the last 20 campaigns, with Sheffield United beating Burnley 1-0 in 2020-21.

A. Armstrong

Goal

64' A GOAL IN LESS THAN 60 SECONDS ON THE PITCH! 4-2! Adam Armstrong comes into the game and takes his position inside the centre-circle, before stepping forward to press Henderson inside the Liverpool half. The visiting captain plays a telegraphed pass that’s intercepted by the substitute, who drives down the pitch and beats Kelleher with a neat finish!

S. Armstrong

M. Elyounoussi

64' Elyounoussi comes off, with Stuart Armstrong ready to take his spot.

A. Armstrong

R. Lavia

62' Confirmation of the enforced change due to injury, with Lavia making way for Adam Armstrong.

62' The referee brings the game to a temporary halt for Lavia, who seems to have gone down with an injury. He’ll let the medical staff come on to the pitch while Southampton ready substitutes.

H. Elliott

Yellow Card

60' A scuffle inside Southampton’s penalty area following a save by McCarthy leads to a yellow card for Elliott, who has come on just three minutes ago.

59' Southampton have all 10 outfield players camped in their half, looking to repel the waves of Liverpool attacks. Sulemana has proved a useful counter-attacking outlet, even from a position inside his side of the pitch, which is useful when the hosts eventually do manage to clear their lines.

J. Henderson

Fabinho

57' Fabinho is rested just before the hour, with Henderson coming on to the pitch.

L. Díaz

Roberto Firmino

57' Firmino goes off to loud applause from the travelling support, with Diaz set to take the spot of the outgoing forward in the line-up.

C. Gakpo

C. Jones

57' Jones is also replaced, with Gakpo on in his stead.

H. Elliott

K. Tsimikas

57' Elliott comes on for Tsimikas in Liverpool's first change of the day.

55' Walcott charges into the 18-yard box and looks to hook an off-balance cross towards the opposite flank but Gomez gets back and does just enough to deflect the ball back to a grateful Kelleher.

53' Alexander-Arnold threads a pass through a trio of Southampton players for Salah, who cuts inside and shimmies past three more before dragging a poor effort well wide of the far post.

51' After failing to find the net in his previous 17 appearances for Southampton, Sulemana has scored twice in just 47 minutes against Liverpool. It may have come a bit too late to save Saints’ status in the Premier League but it’s an impressive showing nonetheless against a tough opponent.

49' Alexander-Arnold comes over to the left-hand side and plays a leading pass down the flank for Tsimikas, who takes a touch to propel himself forward before skewing a cross that winds up directly behind McCarthy’s goal.

Lyanco

Assist

48' Lyanco is credited with the assist technically, though Sulemana had a lot of work to do before making it 3-2 Southampton.

K. Sulemana

Goal

48' WHAT A GOAL! COMEBACK COMPLETE! 3-2! It’s a sensational and superb solo effort from Sulemana, who controls the ball after Lyanco’s lashed clearance on the edge of his penalty area and drives forward the entire length of Liverpool’s half before curling a fantastic shot past Kelleher from 18 yards out!

46' Southampton get the match restarted from the kick-off!

Both sides should make their full complement of substitutions in the second half, with the final 45 minutes of the season a good time to test options from the bench. Southampton could use Aribo or Adam Armstrong to help in attack with nothing left to lose, while Livramento could get some time in his recovery from injury. Liverpool will most likely withdraw both Firmino and Milner to receive their ovations, with Henderson, Diaz, Gakpo and Carvalho all capable of filling in.

Despite having nothing to play for on the final day, both Southampton and Liverpool have done their best to entertain the crowd, with the two finishing the first half level at 2-2. Nerves got the better of the hosts early on, with McCarthy’s decision to play out from the back despite the press leading to a Jota goal into an empty net. Things would go from bad to worse for Selles’ side, with Saints conceding just four minutes later to a close-range Firmino strike. To their credit, already relegated Southampton battled back and equalised within a quarter-hour of Liverpool’s second, with great takes from Ward-Prowse and Sulemana making it a contest ahead of the second period of play.

45' + 3' HALF-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 2-2 LIVERPOOL.

45' + 1' The fourth official indicates that two minutes will be added to the end of the half for stoppages.

44' GREAT TRY! Southampton work a training ground corner-kick routine, with Ward-Prowse rolling it to the near post for Walcott. The winger immediately plays the ball back to the penalty spot for Sulemana, whose first-time effort forces Kelleher into an ultimately comfortable save.

43' Jota is convinced he should be awarded a penalty after being wrestled to the ground by Bree but the referee immediately calls for play to continue, before a VAR check gets in touch to confirm that the match official’s decision is correct.

41' With just under five minutes to go in the half, there is still more than enough time for one of these two sides to take a lead into the interval. Both Liverpool and Southampton found their goals quickly and without much build-up, with the two strikes for Klopp’s team coming in just 240 seconds.

39' Alcaraz gets to the edge of the 18-yard box and looks to curl a right-footed shot into the far corner but he gets his angles wrong and misses the net by some distance.

37' Jones switches play out to the right for Milner, who immediately puts a cross into the penalty area for Firmino, who’s beaten in the air by the imposing Bednarek.

35' Milner picks up possession 24 yards from goal and drags a left-footed shot wide of the far post in search of a goal in his final game for Liverpool.

33' This is Milner’s 16th appearance on the closing day of the Premier League season, the joint-most in the competition's history (Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Jamie Carragher and Gareth Barry also 16).

31' Despite being in a promising position for a cross, Ward-Prowse goes for goal from the deadball, looking to catch Kelleher napping at his near post. It’s a good effort that forces the goalkeeper to make a save, but the clean two-handed catch ends any possibility of a chance.

30' Elyounoussi looks to cut inside on Matip just outside the Liverpool penalty area and is upended in the process, giving Southampton a free-kick in a dangerous position.

T. Walcott

Assist

28' Walcott's inch-perfect pass is credited with the assist for Southampton's second goal.

K. Sulemana

Goal

28' GAME ON! 2-2 AT ST. MARY’S! A turnover in midfield sets Southampton immediately away on the attack, with Walcott taking a touch before slipping a clever pass through the lines for Sulemana. The striker beats Gomez to the ball and slips a first-time effort underneath the diving Kelleher for his first Saints goal!

26' Alexander-Arnold sends an outswinging corner-kick towards the penalty spot but it’s Bednarek who rises highest, before nodding the danger away temporarily.

K. Tsimikas

Yellow Card

25' The first yellow card goes the way of Tsimikas, who cynically tugged Sulemana back with a pull to his arm to prevent the forward from breaking into the Liverpool half.

24' Alexander-Arnold curls his free-kick to the far post for Gomez, who does just enough to put the ball back across the face of goal despite a lack of team-mates attacking the delivery. The right-back attempts to regather possession and keep the pressure on but Fabinho’s header sends it behind for a goal-kick.

22' Lyanco’s awkward challenge on Salah gives Liverpool a free-kick 30 yards from goal, while leaving the Egypt international limping slightly.

21' Kelleher comes six yards out of his own penalty area to provide an option for his defence, before finally making a risky clearance under heavy pressure from Sulemana, who takes the goalkeeper down in his attempt to block the ball.

C. Alcaraz

Assist

19' Alcaraz's beautiful work to orchestrate the goal is rewarded with an assist.

J. Ward-Prowse

Goal

19' THE CAPTAIN CUTS THE DEFICIT! 2-1! A rare attack down the right pays dividends for Southampton, with Alcaraz cutting inside from the wing and playing a one-two with Sulemana, before finding Ward-Prowse on the far side of the penalty area. The unmarked midfielder then rolls his first-time effort perfectly into the bottom corner, beating the outstretched hand of Kelleher!

17' Southampton look to break through the Liverpool midfield and set away on a counter-attack but Fabinho cleverly comes across and brings Alcaraz down, with the professional foul allowing the visitors to get back into their shape.

15' CHANCE! Sulemana goes for the spectacular, meeting Walcott’s cross from the right with a sideways bicycle-kick that’s sent just high of the crossbar!

Fabinho

Assist

14' Fabinho picks up the assist for Liverpool's second goal by finding Firmino inside the Southampton penalty area.

Roberto Firmino

Goal

14' A PARTING GOAL FOR FIRMINO! 2-0 LIVERPOOL! Alexander-Arnold’s teased free-kick from 40 yards out is punched away by McCarthy, but the visitors are allowed to regain possession inside Southampton’s half. With numbers forward, Fabinho is able to find Firmino inside the penalty area, with the striker faking a shot twice before putting it through the legs of the goalkeeper!

12' Southampton immediately come forward looking to make amends for their error but Elyounoussi is unable to use his trickery to get past Alexander-Arnold, who sticks a foot in and wins the ball back.

Diogo Jota

Goal

10' A MISTAKE AT THE BACK GIVES LIVERPOOL THE LEAD! 1-0! McCarthy catches a Salah cross and immediately rolls it out to Bednarek inside his own penalty area. Lavia drops back to get on the ball but his pass forward is immediately intercepted by Jota, who places his shot into the empty net!

8' Alexander-Arnold appears to be coming into a central position in midfield when Liverpool are in possession, with Matip drifting out to the wing to cover the space. The right-back looks to be attempting to control the tempo of play from that spot near the centre-circle, constantly looking for a way to connect with Salah via the long ball.

6' Southampton again work the ball down the right wing through Walker-Peters, who plays an interchange with Elyounoussi before sending a cross into the penalty area that goes unmet by a forward inside the 18-yard box.

4' Walker-Peters gets forward and lays the ball off for Elyounoussi, whose hurried cross is blocked by his team-mate and put behind disappointingly for a Kelleher goal-kick.

2' Salah scoops a pass forward for Firmino, who throws his heel at the delivery to flick the ball on for Jota. Bree reads the danger well and comes across to win possession back for his side inside the penalty area, before clearing it down the pitch.

1' Liverpool get the match underway from the kick-off!

Liverpool make seven alterations to the side that drew 1-1 with Aston Villa eight days ago. Kelleher gets the nod between the posts ahead of the uninvolved Alisson, while Konate, Virgil Van Dijk and the injured Andrew Robertson are replaced by Matip, Gomez and Tsimikas. Milner is given a start in his final match for the club, giving captain Henderson a rest and the same goes for Firmino, who is in the line-up ahead of Gakpo. The final swap is on the wing, where Jota is preferred to Diaz.

Southampton make one change to the XI that lost 3-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, with Sulemana replacing Aribo in attack.

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Ibrahima Konate, Rhys Williams, Cody Gakpo, Jordan Henderson, Luis Diaz, Adrian, Fabio Carvalho, Harvey Elliott, Arthur.

LIVERPOOL XI (4-3-3): Caoimhin Kelleher; Trent-Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, Konstantinos Tsimikas; James Milner, Fabinho, Curtis Jones; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota.

SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: Tino Livramento, Gavin Bazunu, Kamari Doyle, Dominic Ballard, Samuel Amo-Ameyaw, Stuart Armstrong, Adam Armstrong, Duje Caleta-Car, Joe Aribo.

SOUTHAMPTON XI (4-2-3-1): Alex McCarthy; Kyle Walker-Peters, Lyanco, Jan Bednarek, James Bree; James Ward-Prowse, Romeo Lavia; Theo Walcott, Carlos Alcaraz, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Kamaldeen Sulemana.

With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s take a look at how the two sides are lining up - starting with our hosts!

Similarly, Liverpool have very little to play for today other than pride after their 1-1 draw with Aston Villa last weekend guaranteed Jurgen Klopp’s side fifth place. Four points behind Newcastle United in the final Champions League spot and four points ahead of Brighton and Hove Albion in sixth, the Reds will be featuring in the Europa League next year for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign; Klopp’s first season with the club.

Southampton are set to finish the season rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, having lost each of their last five matches since a highly entertaining 3-3 draw with Arsenal over one month ago. 10 points from safety to start the day, Saints have had some time to come to terms with their fate - a return to the Championship for the first time in 12 years.

Hello and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the Premier League fixture between Southampton and Liverpool!

Southampton v Liverpool Live Commentary, 28/05/2023

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