Liverpool 3-1 Southampton: Mo Salah scores two penalty kicks as Reds go SIXTEEN points clear in title race after coming from behind to beat Premier League’s bottom side

Liverpool‘s attack was this week compared to ‘three fighter jets’ by Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique.

For 45 languid minutes against lowly Southampton, they resembled more of a run-of-the-mill plane with propellers, struggling to take flight.

For the next 45, though, Arne Slot‘s men looked like the Red Arrows, zooming through the sky. Blink and you’ll miss them.

They were troubled by turbulence and rock-bottom Saints took an unexpected lead that saw the star of Wednesday’s heist in Paris, Alisson, turn from hero to zero in a calamitous mix-up with the equally-imperious Virgil van Dijk.

Slot, sat just behind the press box in the final game of his touchline ban, looked agitated and stood with his hands on head, eyes shut. The Kop was just as stunned.

But whatever the Dutchman said at half-time clearly worked as normal service was resumed not long into the second period. Liverpool scored two goals in two minutes to turn the game on its head and open up a 16-point lead atop the Premier League table.

 Alisson Becker (left) and Virgil van Dijk (second right) were both at fault for the opening goal

It was scored by 25-year-old midfielder Will Smallbone – the first of his Premier League career

Darwin Nunez continued his redemption arc after a stellar assist in Paris with a goal and assist here, with Mohamed Salah scoring two penalties in the second half.

Poor old Southampton and manager Ivan Juric looked like rabbits in the headlights. In the first half, they played with a confidence, vigour and structure that belied their league position.

But like most teams that come here find out, Slot’s men can lull you into a false sense of security and soon you are dead and buried. It feels the same for Arsenal in the title race. They have played two games fewer than Liverpool but points on the board are what matters.

The Liverpool head coach had asked his players to treat this game as the first of three cup finals this week, with PSG in town on Tuesday and then a Carabao Cup final against Newcastle on Sunday.

But instead of a final, this felt more like an FA Cup third-round clash in the first half. A heavyweight faltering against, in relative terms at least, a minnow. Complacency? Maybe. Fatigue? Certainly. Anfield felt flat both in the stands and on the pitch.

Liverpool were seeing a lot of the ball without severely testing Aaron Ramsdale in the Southampton goal. The former England international did well to smother a loose ball when Trent Alexander-Arnold had a sight of goal but the other shots were all regulation stops for him.

Juric’s men were growing in confidence by this point and had a succession of dangerous corners. Then they took a surprise lead on the stroke of half-time as Alisson and Van Dijk both contrived to leave the ball for one another.

Neither took ownership and Will Smallbone nicked in, seized possession and then cleverly slotted into the empty net.

Reds striker Darwin Nunez was instrumental in his team’s second-half fightback on Saturday

Nunez shushed the crowd after scoring the equaliser and then won a penalty kick for his side

Those loyal followers in the away end had seen their side win just five points on the road this season so enjoyed the goal – although one did have a wardrobe malfunction as a lady’s top fell down. Slot, meanwhile, looked like he was ready to explode from anger.

He made three half-time changes and one of them, Wednesday’s match-winner Harvey Elliott, had an instant impact and forced a top save from Ramsdale.

Some fans had called for both Nunez and Luis Diaz to be hauled off at half-time but Slot knows best – clearly – and the two South Americans combined for Liverpool’s equaliser. Diaz squared for Nunez who just nipped in ahead of his marker and fired into the goal.

Seconds later – genuinely, seconds – Nunez was getting ahead of the defender again and Smallbone fouled the Uruguayan. Young referee Lewis Smith pointed to the spot and Salah comfortably dispatched for 2-1.

From a stadium riddled with anxiety and frustration, soon this place was a hot cauldron of noise and jubilation. Johnny Heitinga, the coach taking charge of Liverpool, called over Nunez and gave him a kiss on the forehead and slap on the bum… plus some tactical instructions.

Nunez has had a hard time recently with Slot calling him out but the last few days have been perfect: a superb assist in the Parc des Princes, a thunderous finish and winning a penalty. For good measure, he put finger to lips to silence the away end who were earlier taunting him.

Southampton barely had a sniff after that and Liverpool put the game to bed on 88 minutes when Yukinari Sugawara handled the ball in the penalty area. Salah stepped up and, well, you know the rest. That’s now 27 and counting in the league this season.

The penalty was converted by Mo Salah as Liverpool completed the turnaround on 54 minutes

Salah later scored a second penalty and now has 32 goals in 41 Liverpool games this season