No word from Simon Rusk, though at some point he’ll surely have something to say about that Jarell Quansah challenge on Mateus Fernandes late in injury time. Keep them peeled for that. In the meantime, David Hytner was at St Mary’s, and his verdict is in. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
Arne Slot speaks to Sky. “First half really good … good performance … played really well … it didn’t come as a complete surprise to concede the goal because before that we started to get a bit sloppy … lost one or two easy balls … they came back in the game … later on we had a few chances to make it 3-1 … we have to defend the trophy … I wasn’t involved but the players were, and Jurgen of course … we want to compete in every league … it’s always a tough competition and this time for sure.”
Player of the match Harvey Elliott talks to Sky Sports. “They caused us a fair few problems … we knew they could come out fighting … we had to be ready for that … some of us haven’t played much this season and we had really young lads as well … thankfully we can come away with the win … Southampton are a side full of confidence (!) … they’re not afraid to play out of the back and take risks.”
Tyler Morton adds: “It was a tough test for us … everyone was ready … the gaffer chose a different side … we gained control early on and that gave us a lot of confidence … it was a good fight from us right to the end … people playing in different positions … it was tough for us, but very good for us.”
That was a much-improved second-half performance by Southampton. Cameron Archer scored a wonderful goal, with the assist going to poor Waturo Endo’s startled face, and Paul Onuachu caused all manner of bedlam when he came on as a late sub. Mateus Fernandes and Jarell Quansah then went down in a heap deep in injury time, but Southampton appeals for a spot kick were turned down. No VAR, so the referee’s decision stood. To be fair to Liverpool, they spent most of the night in an extremely youthful free-jazz formation, and scored a couple of fine first-half goals, but they’ll be happy to get out of Dodge and go into the velvet bag for tomorrow night’s semi-final draw.
Newcastle won the third of tonight’s quarter-finals by beating Brentford 3-1. Whatever happens tomorrow night between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, there are going to be two heavyweight semi-final showdowns.
Arsenal 3-2 Crystal Palace
Newcastle United 3-1 Brentford
Southampton 1-2 Liverpool
FULL TIME: Southampton 1-2 Liverpool
Nope. The holders flop over the line. Saints made a proper game of that in the second half. A performance that augurs well for their future.
90 min +6: Brereton Diaz crosses low from the left. Quansah blooters clear. Liverpool counter, and Nunez drags a dismal shot wide left. Goal kick. Any more time for Saints to send this to penalties?
90 min +5: Elliott crashes an ambitious shot miles over the bar from 25 yards. Nevertheless, he’s named as the player of the match by Don Goodman on Sky Sports for his Duracell bunny performance.
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90 min +4: Liverpool go up the other end, winning a corner then a throw. It’s all about possession and territory now. The clock ticks on.
90 min +3: A long bash down the middle. Quansah and Fernandes tussle under the ball. They go down in a heap on the edge of the box. Saints want a penalty; they’re not even getting a free kick. It looked outside the box … but it also looked a foul, with Quansah’s arm over his opponent, even if Fernandes went down easily. Liverpool and Quansah get away with a big one.
90 min +2: Fernandes sprays a delicious crossfield pass towards Dibling on the right touchline. Dibling can’t control, though, and the ball goes out for a throw. Shame for Saints, who would have had Liverpool severely on the back foot there.
90 min +1: The first of six additional minutes sees Southampton deal with the set piece. The tension at St Mary’s is palpable.
90 min: Chiesa dribbles in from the right. He enters the box and curls low towards the bottom left. It’s heading in, but Harwood-Bellis extends a leg to stop the goal Chiesa gets to the rebound, but his second shot is deflected out for a corner.
89 min: McConnell is booked for an agricultural clank into the back of Fernandes.
88 min: A very small amount of space and time for Chiesa on the right. He manages to cut back to McDonnell, whose low drive is blocked and cleared to Onuachu. The big man holds up the ball brilliantly, then switches play to the Saints right. Fernandes crosses. Brereton Diaz stoops to head towards the bottom right. Kelleher claims with safe hands, and the flag pops up for offside anyway.
87 min: Nunez, in the centre circle, recklessly shanks the ball out for a throw on the left. That throw leads to a corner, but though Saints pack the box, Fernandes gets a rush of blood to the head and hoicks the set piece straight out of play.
85 min: Danns, like McConnell and Quansah, one of Liverpool’s young heroes in this year’s final, comes on for Nyoni.
84 min: Another Saints double change, with Aribo and Bednarek making way for Brereton Diaz and the former Liverpool player Lallana.
83 min: Morton ships possession and allows Manning and Onuachu to cause some bother down the left flank. Nyoni deals with the resulting cross. But Saints come again, Sulemana whistling a low ball in from the same flank. Onuachu swings and misses, six yards out, and Tsimikas clears.
81 min: Tsimikas crosses from the left. Nunez has a go at a spectacular bicycle kick and only disturbs the surrounding air. Full marks for ambition.
79 min: … so having said that, Liverpool manage to slow things down a bit and regain some sort of control. Pulitzer, please!
77 min: Liverpool are trying to slow things down and regain some sort of control. But Saints are snapping into everything and not letting them. An entertaining end to this game coming up, one way or another.
75 min: A free kick for Saints out on the right. Fernandes curls it in. Onuachu is free, six yards out, and chests down, then fresh-airs his kick! The flag goes up for offside, though Chiesa was playing him on. No VAR, remember. Another close shave for Liverpool.
73 min: Saints make a double switch. Archer and Downes make way for Onuachu and Sulemana. Onuachu is immediately in the thick of it, barrelling down the right, but he’s crowded out of it upon reaching the edge of the box.
71 min: That was a fine chance for Chiesa to open his Liverpool account and a dreadfully poor miss. He makes up for it, a bit, by bringing down a high pass on the halfway line with a gossamer touch, then immediately nutmegging Fernandes. It leads to nothing, but what skill.
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69 min: Jota drives at the Southampton defence and reaches the edge of the Saints D. He’s within his rights to shoot, but slips Chiesa in to his right instead. Chiesa’s low shot looks like heading wide left, but is deflected out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece, but now we’re at the stage of saying that’s a little better from Liverpool. The visitors have done very little in attack during this second half.
67 min: We now know the identity of the first semi-finalist: Arsenal have come from behind to see off Crystal Palace. Barry Glendenning explains all in the minute-by-minute format.
65 min: All of that’s got the Southampton crowd going again, too. A proper cup-tie atmosphere now, with all corners giving it plenty.
63 min: Another double change for Liverpool, with Gakpo and Mac Allister making way for Jota and McConnell.
62 min: Sugawara crosses from the right again, causing more bother in the Liverpool box. Quansah is forceed to turn behind for a corner, from which nothing comes. Saints alive.
61 min: Sugawara is immediately into the thick of things, crossing from the right. Archer meets the ball six yards out, and sidefoots towards goal. The shot’s travelling, but Kelleher makes a superb point-blank stop and Morton clears off the line.
60 min: Archer was about to be substituted, his details given to the fourth official. You can be sure that’s not happening now. But Saints do make one change, taking off the injured Bree for Sugawara.
GOAL! Southampton 1-2 Liverpool (Archer 59)
Saints are back in it, thanks to a mix of good fortune and brilliance! Fernandes batters the ball into Endo’s startled face. The ball rebounds to Archer, who tears off down the left, cuts infield, and curls an unstoppable shot into the top right! Kelleher had no chance, and this cup-tie is back on!
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58 min: Now it’s Bednarek and Nunez’s turn to wrestle off the ball. For a second it looks like kicking off, but the pair embrace to take all of the heat out of the situation.
57 min: Downes and Elliott are booked for some rough-house wrestling in the centre circle. All a bit unnecessary.
55 min: Gakpo tears down the left at speed and cuts infield. His low cross is trapped by Nunez on the penalty spot. Nunez attempts to tee up Mac Allister, but Bednarek intercepts, and the flag pops up for offside anyway.
53 min: Everyone’s passing gets a bit tatty again.
51 min: Scrub that, Bree is OK to continue, though he’s still gingerly holding that groin. Meanwhile Liverpool’s corner is a non-event.
49 min: Liverpool settle things down with some sterile domination. Then Tsimikas pings a pass down the left in the hope of releasing Gakpo. Bree comes across to turn the ball out for a corner, then goes down having tweaked his groin. By the way he’s signalling to the bench, it doesn’t look as though he’s going to be able to continue.
47 min: A scrappy start to the half as everyone relocates their feet.
Liverpool get the second half underway, having made two changes at the break. Alexander-Arnold and Gomez make way for Tsimikas and Chiesa, who both return from injury.
Half-time entertainment. A reminder of better days for Saints fans. There’s an argument which names this as the best First Division / Premier League goal of all time.
HALF TIME: Southampton 0-2 Liverpool
Liverpool’s experimental team are good value for their two-goal lead. Saints can take succour in a two-goal half-time deficit being a whole lot better than five. Baby steps.
45 min: … Manning sticks it into the six-yard mixer. Kelleher punches clear under pressure from Archer, and wins a free kick to boot. There will be one minute of additional first-half time.
44 min: Archer, coming in from the left, slips a pass towards Dibling on the right. Dibling prepares to advance but Gomez takes the ball off his toe at the expense of a throw. But from that throw, Bree makes good along the flank and wins a corner off Endo. From which …
43 min: Quansah tries to release Gakpo down the left with an ambitious crossfield pass, but overcooks it. The ball disappears into the stand behind.
42 min: This is better from Saints, though, as Fernandes bursts down the left on the overlap, reaches the byline, and dinks into the mixer. Bree races in, hoping to connect, but only succeeds in running slap-bang into Gomez. Kelleher ushers the cross away from danger.
40 min: Liverpool are stroking it around with great confidence. Saints struggling to retain any sort of possession. Dibling tries his best to get something going down the right but Endo and Gomez make sure he meanders out of play.
38 min: Morton busies himself down the left and earns a corner. Mac Allister aims for Nunez at the near post. Nunez attempts a backward header that doesn’t come off. Saints clear their lines.
36 min: Alexander-Arnold swishes a low pass in from the right, picking out Mac Allister on the edge of the Saints D. Mac Allister hits a first-time pass of his own, opening his body and sidefooting towards the bottom right. It’s heading in, so McCarthy does well to turn it around the post. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
34 min: Elliott’s shot took a little nick off Manning’s boot, ensuring it evaded the spreading McCarthy and nestled into the corner. The finish a bit fortunate, but the move, instigated by Gakpo, was delightful.
GOAL! Southampton 0-2 Liverpool (Elliott 32)
Elliott doesn’t have to wait long for another chance. Some lovely Liverpool passing. Gakpo comes in from the left and one-twos with Morton before teeing up Elliott, who lashes a low shot into the bottom left.
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31 min: Nyoni rolls a fine pass down the inside-left channel for Gakpo, who should enter the box and take a shot, but lets the ball snag between his feet. His resulting low cross for Elliott is no good, and a big chance for Liverpool to at least test McCarthy is gone.
30 min: The Liverpool fans in fine voice as their team take complete control of the game, probing away in search of a second. In the meantime, here’s Richard Hirst: “I’m a neutral in the game and regarding Russell Martin (though since Fulham are playing Southampton at the weekend I rather wish he was still in place). But to my mind it’s simple: play it out = Liverpool get possession 20 yards from goal, result misery; hoof it clear = Liverpool get possession 50 yards from goal, result delayed misery. So it all depends on whether you like immediate pain or anticipatory pain.”
28 min: That goal came at an unfortunate time for Southampton, who were slowly establishing a foothold in the match. But now they’re on the back foot again, perhaps mindful that they shipped goals in batches against Spurs on Sunday evening.
26 min: That was a wild swipe by Bednarek. But he had to try something, because Alexander-Arnold’s pass was going to release Nunez anyway. A sublime wriggle by Alexander-Arnold as well, to waltz his way through the Southampton press. And a calm finish by Nunez as well, which isn’t always his MO.
GOAL! Southampton 0-1 Liverpool (Nunez 24)
Alexander-Arnold elegantly sashays his way out a Saints pincer movement and pings a long pass down the middle. Bednarek should intercept, but slices the ball backwards, allowing Nunez to scamper clear down the middle. He takes a careful touch to bring the ball down, and slots across McCarthy and into the bottom right.
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22 min: Saints are slowly edging their way into this game. The hosts with a little bit more possession in the middle of the park.
20 min: Fernandes slips Dibling into space down the inside-right channel. The Saints starlet enters the box, opens his body, and … scuffs a weak shot straight at Kelleher, who will be glad of the handling practice in these wild conditions. A decent chance for the hosts.
19 min: Nyoni snaffles possession in midfield, and sends Nunez scampering away down the inside-left channel. He enters the box and shapes to shoot, only to be denied by an aquaplaning Bednarek. Brilliantly timed slide tackle.
17 min: Another McCarthy hoof. More cheers all round. But Liverpool regain possession immediately. Russell Martin’s argument, right there. On the other hand, Saints were 3-0 down by this point last weekend, so there are two sides to this one.
15 min: Nunez, on the edge of the Saints D, looks for the top-right corner of the goal. He finds the top-right corner of the stand. Liverpool want a free kick, Mac Allister prevented from making a run into the box by Wood’s block. But they’re not getting one.
14 min: Gakpo shimmies in from the left and looks for Mac Allister, in space just inside the box. A pinpoint cross and Saints are in trouble. The cross isn’t pinpoint. Out for a goal kick it goes. Saints go up the other end, where Archer and Fernandes make nuisances of themselves on the edge of the Liverpool box. Quansah deals with the danger.
12 min: The Liverpool forwards press McCarthy. The keeper whacks clear, safety first. Cheers from the home support. Not wholly ironic, I’ll be bound.
11 min: Mac Allister hits the corner over everyone’s head. One dismal set piece each, then.
10 min: Gakpo probes down the left and wins the first corner of the evening off Bree. Mac Allister trots across to take it.
8 min: Harwood-Bellis rakes a fine long pass down the inside-right channel for Bree to hare after. Bree’s clear of the Liverpool back line, but he’s gone a fraction too early, and the flag quickly pops up for offside. It was close, but there’s no VAR, so the officials won’t be playing as fast and loose as they normally do in the Premier League.
7 min: Liverpool are dominating the early possession. Some relief for Southampton as Alexander-Arnold blooters a long crossfield pass out for a throw.
5 min: The rain is coming down in sheets now. A good evening for slick passing, if nothing else. Nyoni curls a cross in from the left but it’s headed clear by Harwood-Bellis.
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3 min: Nyoni gets a few touches as he gamely attempts to get something going down the left. A nerve-settler for the young man on his first senior start, if nothing else.
1 min: A long ball pumped down the left flank. Quansah barges Archer to the ground near the corner flag. A very early chance for Southampton to test the makeshift Liverpool defence … but Manning inexplicably skies the free kick over everyone’s head and it’s an easy mop-up job for the visitors.
Southampton get the ball rolling. The rain is almost horizontal. Arne Slot, serving a touchline ban tonight after picking up his third yellow of the season against Fulham, may be happy to be safe and snug towards the back of the stand.
The teams are out! Southampton in red and white, Liverpool in black with aqua trim. Alex McCarthy and Trent Alexander-Arnold tonight’s captains. It’s wet and windy down Solent way. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.
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Liverpool boss Arne Slot talks to Sky. “The players who have played many, many, many minutes are not even with us … the players who have played a lot of minutes will not play the whole game today … the ones who haven’t played that much, it’s an ideal moment for them to play 90 … it’s easier for [Tyler Morton and Trey Nyoni] if they can come in with ten other starters because the connection with the team is perfect … now there are a few different players … they know what to do but they will face a strong Southampton team … we knew how difficult it was two or three weeks ago when we played our starters … it is going to be a challenge but it’s a quarter-final so you expect a challenge.”
Saints interim manager Simon Rusk speaks to Sky Sports. “Obviously a quick turnaround from Sunday … a little bit of time to get organised on the grass … get to know the guys … we’re confident we’re where we need to be … the best we can … we look forward to it … there have been things in games that have been excellent, so we try to retain that … but of course we want to be hard to beat … make sure we have solidity to our game … if we get the balance right we’ll have enough to cause problems … it’s a great competition … it’s an opportunity for us to make it a catalyst for the season.”
Here’s a reminder of exactly what happened when these two teams clubs met last month …
… and here’s how things went down the last time they met in the League Cup, back in the 2017 semis. Features an outrageous 54th-minute Fraser Forster save from, er, Fraser Forster.
Saints make three changes in the wake of the Spurs debacle. James Bree, Nathan Wood and Cameron Archer are in, replacing the absent trio of Kyle Walker-Peters, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Adam Armstrong.
Liverpool make eight changes after their draw with Fulham. In come Caoimhín Kelleher, Wataru Endō, Jarell Quansah, Tyler Morton, Alexis Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott, Darwin Núñez and, making his first start for the club, the exciting 17-year-old midfield prospect Trey Nyoni. They replace Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah, who have all stayed at home.
The teams
Southampton: McCarthy, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Wood, Bree, Downes, Fernandes, Aribo, Manning, Dibling, Archer.
Subs: Lumley, Edwards, Sugawara, Lallana, Fraser, Amo-Ameyaw, Onuachu, Sulemana, Brereton Diaz.
Liverpool: Kelleher, Quansah, Gomez, Endo, Alexander-Arnold, Morton, Mac Allister, Nyoni, Elliott, Gakpo, Nunez.
Subs: Jaros, Chiesa, Jota, Tsimikas, McConnell, Nallo, Norris, Danns, Ngumoha.
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).
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Preamble
It’s hard to know what to expect here tonight. Southampton are coming off the back of their clown-shoe special against Spurs, and have just sacked their manager; high-flying Liverpool dropped precious Premier League points at home to Fulham at the weekend, but still received plenty of praise for their ten-man moxie. On the other hand, Saints gave Liverpool a good run for their money here in the league last month, and the previous time this fixture was played, it ended in a 4-4 draw. Throw in any number of potential League Cup changes by both teams, plus the fact there’s a semi-final appearance on the line, and good luck predicting what will happen here. Straight to penalties if there’s no winner in regulation time, remember. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
