Southampton 1-2 Liverpool: Reds survive late Saints onslaught as they extend EFL Cup unbeaten run past two years

There was a clip posted online this week which showed Darwin Nunez being taught some English phrases by a young fan, in return for the Liverpool star schooling the kid on how to pronounce some Spanish words.

And it seems Nunez’s English lessons have now seen him turn to the chapter about swear words and Liverpool strikers from around the 2012 era. ‘You’re just a s*** Andy Carroll’ is the jibe often chanted at him by opposition fans – and last night he took it personally.

Not seconds after the Southampton supporters taunted the Uruguay striker for giving the ball away, he was wheeling away in celebration after opening the scoring. Nunez, always seeming to play the role of pantomime villain, cupped his ear to them and gave it large in return.

Whether he understands sarcasm or not is a different matter, with Nunez waving to the away end as they mocked Southampton with their own rendition of the chant after their No 9 set a makeshift Liverpool team on their way to another Carabao Cup semi-final.

The reigning champions had made eight changes from Saturday’s draw against Fulham but goals from Nunez and Harvey Elliott, on his first start of the season, helped them beat managerless Southampton despite their efforts to rally in the second half.

Arne Slot sat up in the press box after picking up three yellow cards this season. He cut a relaxed figure, with no headphones or direct line of communication to the touchline visible, and was perched next to analyst Roderick van der Ham, who recently joined from Feyenoord.

Harvey Elliott doubled the advantage as the Reds looked to be cruising to victory

Cameron Archer scared the visitors in the second half but the Saints could not follow it up

For the first 20 or so minutes of the match, the pair might as well have tuned the laptop in front of them to a warming Christmas film. There was nothing for assistant boss Sipke Hulshoff, on the touchline, to radio up about, with the torrential rain making this a soggy affair.

As the rain fell down with menace, Slot and Co would have been happy they left the spine of their team at home. Captain Virgil van Dijk and top scorer Mohamed Salah remained up north while Ryan Gravenberch, Alisson, Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai also skipped this long trip.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, though, was forced to travel given a defensive availability crisis. And it was the stand-in captain who created the first goal, out of nothing. It started with him facing his own goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, with two Saints forwards charging towards him.

He shimmied past one, sent the other jolting past him and, before Southampton knew it, Alexander-Arnold was out of trouble and playing a defence-splitting pass to Nunez. All that was between Nunez and a goal was Alex McCarthy.

Given the Uruguayan forward is out of form at the moment, with just three goals all season before this match, scoring this easy chance was certainly no formality. But he confidently slotted home into the bottom corner – before taunting the home fans behind the goal.

Eight minutes later, it was two. And this was a goal that was reminiscent of Sunday, when Tottenham rocked up at this ground and broke through the Southampton defence like a hot knife through butter to lead 5-0 at half-time.

With youth coach Simon Rusk in the dugout after Russell Martin was finally sacked in the aftermath of that embarrassment, the Saints hierarchy will have noted that the new manager may need to be a magician to solve this shoddy defence.

Cody Gakpo jogged through and picked out Elliott, unmarked in the penalty area, for the youngster to score on his first start of the season. It could have been three not long after as Liverpool broke through again but Alexis Mac Allister was denied by McCarthy.

Arne Slot sat up in the press box after picking up three yellow cards this season

Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced to travel given a defensive availability crisis

It felt like it could have been another harrowing night for Southampton – but whatever Rusk said at the break saw them come out for the second half a revamped team. Suddenly they were causing trouble and limiting the danger at the other end.

They pulled a goal back on 59 minutes as Cameron Archer cut inside from the left channel and curled a rasping finish into the far corner. 

And the striker could have had a second minutes later but was denied by a smart reflex save from Kelleher after a close-range shot.

If Slot looked comfortable in the first half, by this point he probably felt rather agitated. There is a Premier League title to be won – and who knows maybe a seventh European Cup – so this trophy is by no means a priority but he will still want to win it.

Slot’s XI was even more makeshift-looking after the break, too, with the back four made up of midfielder Tyler Morton, out-of-favour Jarell Quansah and Wataru Endo, plus half-fit Kostas Tsimikas on his first appearance for a few weeks. 

Several teenagers were on at the other end.

Saints’ presence grew stronger towards the end and it felt like Liverpool were hanging on as substitute Paul Onuachu saw a shot blocked by the superb Japan captain Endo and Quansah felled Mateus Fernandes when last man back. Perhaps luckily he escaped punishment.

And so just like they did in the final of this competition last season, Liverpool’s band of youngsters and fringe stars gave everything to win. 

Simon Rusk was in the dugout after Russell Martin was finally sacked in the aftermath of a 5-0 loss against Spurs

Liverpool were hanging on as substitute Paul Onuachu saw a shot blocked by the superb Japan captain Wataru Endo

It was far from pretty but, in the end, it got the job done – and Slot is now just two ties away from his first piece of silverware on these shores.

SOUTHAMPTON (5-3-2): McCarthy 7; Harwood-Bellis 6, Wood 5, Bednarek 5 (Brereton Diaz 84); Bree 5 (Sugawara 60, 6), Aribo 6 (Lallana 84), Downes 6 (Sulemana 73, 6), Fernandes 6, Manning 6; Dibling 7, Archer 7 (Onuachu 73, 6).

Subs not used: Lumley, Edwards, Fraser, Amo-Ameyaw.

Booked: Downes.

Scorers: Archer 59.

Manager: Simon Rusk 7.

LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Kelleher 7; Alexander-Arnold 7 (Chiesa 46, 6), Quansah 7, ENDO 7.5, Gomez 6 (Tsimikas 46, 6); Morton 6.5, Mac Allister 6 (McConnell 63, 6); Elliott 7, Nyoni 6.5 (Danns 86), Gakpo 7 (Jota 62, 6); Nunez 7.

Subs not used: Jaros, Nallo, Norris, Ngumoha.

Booked: Elliott.

Scorers: Nunez 24, Elliott 32.

Manager: Arne Slot 7.

Referee: Simon Hooper 7.

Attendance: 26,503.