Liverpool 4-0 Southampton: Sensational second half sees Reds thrash Saints

The Premier League title race appears a foregone conclusion on 1 February after Liverpool established an unprecedented 22-point lead at the top of the table by beating Southampton 4-0 at Anfield.

It was goalless at the interval, but a double from Mohamed Salah, as well as strikes from Jordan Henderson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, turned a contest that briefly hung in balance into a dazzling home win.

There were still 20 minutes of the match remaining when the home crowd began their now customary chant: 'We're gonna win the league.'

Story of the game

It was a slow start, with the first attempt of any real significance not arriving until just before the 20-minute mark as Salah saw a half-volley deflected wide following Oxlade-Chamberlain's knock-down.

There was a better opportunity five or so minutes later when Fabinho slipped in Georginio Wijnaldum, who could only shoot straight at Alex McCarthy under challenge.

The Reds then went up a gear, putting together their most fluid move of the game on the half-hour, culminating in a Henderson lay-off to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who forced McCarthy to tip over with the aid of a deflection.

A flurry of goalmouth action followed, Virgil van Dijk seeing an audacious close-range backheel saved by McCarthy, who then stayed alert to stop Roberto Firmino's follow-up.

Southampton failed to clear and it looked as if Liverpool were going to make them pay when Henderson dinked in a cross from the byline and Firmino waited to head into the empty net. However, the Brazilian was forced to the turf, and VAR would uphold Kevin Friend's dismissal of the appeals, much to the dismay of the Anfield crowd.

It was the Saints who finished the half stronger as they looked to pounce on a number of errors. Alisson was called into action to prevent Shane Long, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Danny Ings opening the scoring and Nathan Redmond lifted a shot over from a dangerous position.

The start of the second period was just as frantic as the end of the first.

Ings demanded a penalty after going down under challenge from Fabinho as he burst into the box, but Friend was uninterested and Liverpool raced up the other end.

Oxlade-Chamberlain picked up the ball up from Firmino, dribbled to the edge of the area and drove a fine low shot into the corner, wrong-footing McCarthy. After a VAR check on the penalty, the goal stood and the deadlock was broken.

Southampton didn't look overly dispirited by the concession of the opener, and hearts were in mouths after Long beat Alisson to the ball and the 'keeper had to scamper back to his goal. Fortunately for Liverpool, Andrew Robertson was on hand to sweep up.

From the counter, Firmino played Salah through and he finished, only to be flagged - just about - offside.

On the hour, though, the second did arrive. Trent Alexander-Arnold arrowed a loose ball out to Firmino first-time and the forward drove forward before cutting it back to an unmarked Henderson, who duly side-footed it into the net for his second goal in three league games.

Liverpool weren't able to establish an immediate stranglehold on the game, with Gomez and Van Dijk called upon to make key interventions.

The former blocked Hojbjerg's effort after a neat interchange, while the latter hacked away after battling with Moussa Djenepo to take control of Alexander-Arnold's loose backpass.

Then came an indication that Ralph Hasenhuttl was looking ahead to more winnable contests. Ings was withdrawn, to applause from throughout the stadium, alongside Long.

And soon enough it was game over. From the right-wing, Henderson found Salah's run with a perfectly-weighted pass, and the winger coolly dinked it past McCarthy from very close range.

Liverpool pressed tirelessly to turn an emphatic victory into a rout. McCarthy took the ball from the feet of Firmino after a magnificent through-ball from substitute Naby Keita, and fellow introduction Takumi Minamino fired over after Salah weaved through and looked to tee him up for a first Liverpool goal.

They managed to cap off the victory in the final minute, when Firmino and Salah combined, the Egyptian ever-so-calmly lofting the ball up and into the net with Southampton bodies on the turf beneath him.

Takeaways

Henderson for POTY?

Jordan Henderson has bossed the midfield with increasing regularity, but if he's to be in the player of the year discussion, he needs to make headlines, such is the way of the footballing world.

And he did exactly that here, combining a goal and an assist for the second time in just over a week. It was an assured finish for Liverpool's all-important second, and he found Salah for number three like an accomplished playmaker.

The skipper finds himself enjoying an extended purple patch, and he is hurtling up the pecking order in the hunt for the top individual honour. Only Sadio Mane, absent here, and Kevin de Bruyne can rival his current claim.

The race for other accolades is on

Elsewhere, a delightful brace boosts Mo Salah's chances of retaining the gold boot. After nursing an ankle injury for much of the autumn, he is injury-free and terrorising defences at will once again.

As it stands, he's third in the rankings, having closed to within three of pace-setter Jamie Vardy.

Alisson, meanwhile, is now the overwhelming favourite for back-to-back golden gloves after yet another well-earned shut-out. In fact, he looks set to cruise to the honour despite his prolonged absence.

It may be all about the collective rather than the individual at Anfield, but this group are certainly worthy of a shower of prizes.