Liverpool will contest a second successive Carabao Cup semi-final after a hard-fought 2-1 win at Southampton on Wednesday night. The Reds scored through Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott, although a Cameron Archer strike allowed the Saints back into the game before a much-changed Reds side held off their hosts to book their passage.

The ECHO, of course, was on hand at St Mary's to deliver player rating, big-match verdict and analysis of the game. Meanwhile our colleagues from the national media also delivered their own considered takes. Here's how they viewed things.

The Daily Mail's Lewis Steele writes: "With taunts from those in the Northam Stand still ringing in Darwin Nunez's ears after he lost possession, the Uruguay striker was wheeling away in celebration after opening the scoring. Ever the pantomime villain, Nunez cupped his ear to the terraces and gave it large in return.

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"Whether he has aced the lesson on English sarcasm or not is a different matter, as the Liverpool fans poked fun at Southampton by singing their own rendition of the chant. Nunez blew them a kiss and seemed to chuckle at the joke from the travelling Kop.

"His goal set the Reds on their way to another Carabao Cup semi-final, with Harvey Elliott adding a second on his first start of the season. That cushion was needed late on after Cameron Archer pulled one back and Saints threatened to equalise.

"This was a makeshift Liverpool XI, with eight changes made from Saturday's Premier League draw with Fulham. Plenty of teenagers were called upon, though the true star was the veteran: Japan captain Wataru Endo, playing out of position in defence to put in an imperious display."

Kieran Jackson, of The Independent, writes: "After a full and imposing pre-season under his belt, Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott had lofty ambitions this season. Could he crack a regular starting spot?

"The diminutive left-footed playmaker, signed amid so much promise from Fulham five years ago, certainly would not have anticipated his first start of the season coming in mid-December. But on a torrential night on the south coast, Elliott shone brightest as the Carabao Cup holders, ultimately, sneaked through at Southampton on Wednesday night.

"Elliott, 21, scored the visitor’s second of the night, calmly slotting home with his weaker right foot, and was a figure of composure throughout. When the pace needed slowing, Elliott did so in his roaming midfield-wing role. When it needed speeding up, Elliott found his man, quickly, with a forward pass. In a makeshift Liverpool XI, he was the starring light."

Alyson Rudd of The Times focuses on Wataru Endo's display, penning: "Slot was serving a ban after his third booking of the season in the Premier League game against Fulham and rotated more heavily than expected. None of Alisson, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones were in the squad and Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas were deemed only fit enough to start on the bench.

"There was also the slightly incongruous sight of Wataru Endo playing at centre back, although the Japanese midfielder has played there for his country, and it provided an opportunity for the 31-year-old to prove his versatility, having been overlooked in favour of the superb Gravenberch all season. Joe Gomez deputised for the suspended Andrew Robertson at left back, while Trey Nyoni, 17, made his full debut in midfield. 'If I have to give anyone a big compliment it’s Wataru Endo,' Slot said, and indeed he was busy and keen throughout.

"The opening exchanges lacked verve and quality as both teams struggled to adapt to the soggy and windy conditions. The tie burst into life thanks in part to the sogginess as Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced to be audacious after the ball slowed up dangerously as Caoimhin Kelleher tried to pass out and the full back lofted an almost emergency pass through to Nunez, who, this time, was composed to leave Alex McCarthy flailing."

And finally, in the ECHO's verdict, we look ahead to another appearance in the last four of this tournament.

"You're unlikely to see a more patched-up, needs-must Liverpool team this entire campaign, but it was job done for Arne Slot and his makeshift squad as they booked a place in the Carabao Cup semi-final for the second successive season.

"And if anyone was unsure as to how much this at-times maligned tournament still means as this fascinating term continues to take shape, it was dispelled during a gritty second-half performance that saw an unusual lineup dig deep to secure their passage.

"The Reds' defence of the competition they have won more than any other goes on, but it was not earned without a healthy dollop of determination as relegation-threatened Southampton pushed them every step of the way before ultimately ending with a 2-1 home loss.

"Despite all the mixing and the matching of the team, the salient point is that Liverpool will be in Thursday's draw alongside Newcastle United, Arsenal and one of either Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester United. None of the above are particularly desirable in a campaign where there are much bigger fish to fry but this competition does afford Slot the chance to pick up silverware as Reds boss while his tenure can still accurately be described as 'fledgling'.

"And, to reverse that point, no team left will fancy the holders now over two legs either."