Saints come from behind to lead Liverpool but Salah strikes twice

SAINTS came from behind to lead but rued three Liverpool goals of their own making in a gut-wrenching 3-2 defeat to the Reds.

Saints handed the visitors the impetus when Dominik Szoboszlai capitalised on mistakes in possession while Adam Armstrong levelled from a penalty rebound before half-time.

Mateus Fernandes then finished a stunning Saints move to complete a comeback after the break but Mohamed Salah tapped into an open goal less than 10 minutes later.

The Egyptian then made no mistake with his spot-kick, putting the Reds 3-2 ahead in the 83rd minute and taking the winds out of Southampton's sails.

Only four times in Premier League history have the team bottom of the table beat the league's leaders in 39 meetings, with the last in February 2011.

Under new manager Arne Slot, Liverpool led the league by five points before kick-off, having only conceded an impressive six goals in 11 games.

Saints came into it knowing time was running out as no team has ever lost 10 of their first 12 Premier League matches and beaten the drop come May.

Manager Russell Martin named "the most attacking lineup" he could with five changes from the 2-0 defeat at Wolves, including a first start for Paul Onuachu.

Aaron Ramsdale and Jan Bednarek missed out through injury, but the boss also sacrificed Ryan Manning, Joe Aribo, and Cameron Archer.

It ended up as a 5-3-2 with Flynn Downes in central defence and the returning Ryan Fraser as wing-back, and Saints were good value for the contest.

Alex McCarthy made a handful of first-half saves, including two on danger man Mohamed Salah, while Armstrong was denied a penalty up the other end.

St Mary's roared as six-foot-seven-inch striker Onuachu displayed determination and technical ability in equal measure, taking Liverpool's players on.

But it was the visitors who opened the scoring, capitalising from a mistake at the back as McCarthy rolled out to Mateus Fernandes under pressure.

The Portuguese's pass was heading out for a corner but Downes cleared it right back to Szoboszlai, who fired in off the far post in the 30th minute.

Martin was handed more bad news when 36 year old Adam Lallana was forced off with an injury in the 37th minute. Joe Aribo was introduced in his place.

But Armstrong did get his chance from the spot before half-time when Tyler Dibling was fouled right on the edge of the box by Andy Robertson.

It was nearly not to be as VAR checked it - and it was close - and Caoimhin Kelleher saved Armstrong's initial shot but could not keep out the follow-up.

Martin was dealt a second injury blow shortly after the break when Onuachu - who had earned a standing ovation from the fans - was unable to continue.

Defensive midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu was called to shore things up but not at the cost of endeavour as Fernandes fired Saints 2-1 ahead in the 56th minute.

Dibling will take the plaudits for the goal's creation, touching under pressure and launching a perfect cross-field pass for Armstrong to slot across the box.

The action continued; Armstrong was bizarrely refused a penalty when he was clattered by Kelleher and Nunez squared behind Luis Diaz with the goal gaping at the other end.

Salah also had the goal gaping but was not so forgiving in the 65th minute when McCarthy misjudged the flight of a pass and offered the Egyptian the entire net to tap into.

From a potential spot-kick to make it 3-1, Saints were instead looking at 2-2 with likely half an hour still to play against a resurgent Reds side.

Salah rubbed salt in the wounds with the winner from the penalty spot after substitute Yukinari Sugawara handled the ball back to McCarthy less than 10 minutes from time.

Saints: McCarthy; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Downes, Stephens, Fraser (Sugawara, 77); Lallana (Aribo, 37), Fernandes, Dibling; Armstrong (Archer, 77), Onuachu (Ugochukwu, 50).

Unused subs: Lumley, Bree, Manning, Kamaldeen, Brereton Diaz.

Booked: Lallana, Armstrong.

Liverpool: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones (Mac Allister, 62), Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo (Diaz, 62), Nunez (Endo, 89).

Unused subs: Jaros, Davies, Gomez, Elliott, Quansah, Morton.

Booked: Bradley, Konate, Gakpo, Salah.

Referee: Sam Barrott.

VAR: Michael Oliver.