Liverpool always seem to make things difficult for themselves.
Despite this, they managed to defeat a determined Southampton at Anfield in a comeback victory. Will Smallbone gave Southampton the lead, but Darwin Nunez equalized with a sharp finish, and Mohamed Salah scored twice to seal the win.
Salah, who was quiet in the midweek game, returned to form before the crucial Champions League second leg against Paris Saint-Germain. He is truly an exceptional player.
Mohamed Salah Keeps Scoring
Liverpool now have a 16-point lead at the top of the Premier League, although Arsenal in second place have two games in hand. It’s still a significant gap as the season approaches its final stages.
Similar to the Paris game, Salah struggled to impose himself in the first half but delivered when it mattered. His season stats are impressive: 32 goals and 22 assists in 41 games.
Despite losing possession 21 times and winning only one of five duels, the 32-year-old Salah was a vital attacking outlet for Liverpool, who were below their best. Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has praised his ‘unstoppable’ performances this season.
While Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai were substituted at halftime, likely with the PSG game in mind, Kostas Tsimikas was fortunate to play even 45 minutes and might have been expected to complete the full match.
However, he missed a good opportunity to impress.
Kostas Tsimikas Missed His Chance
Liverpool has been the Premier League’s top team this season, but the left side of their defense under Slot has been inconsistent.
Andy Robertson has faced criticism this season, and Tsimikas could have used this chance to improve his standing with Slot. However, despite showing aggression against Southampton, he ultimately failed to impress.
The Liverpool Echo gave the 28-year-old a 5/10 rating, noting he seemed out of sync with his teammates and struggled against Tyler Dibling.
It wasn’t entirely negative for the Greek defender. He won six of ten duels and made five tackles, but also committed several fouls and risked being sent off. Tsimikas was substituted at halftime after receiving a yellow card.
Tsimikas’s yellow card and Slot’s decision to substitute him at halftime suggest his current position in the squad is uncertain. He has never consistently held a starting place, and this situation seems unlikely to change.
With reliable sources like Romano reporting FSG’s interest in Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez this summer, it appears Tsimikas’s time at Liverpool might be coming to an end.
He has been a valuable player, but this potential transfer could be a step to strengthen Slot’s team further. Given Slot’s strong start, he deserves support in the transfer market.
Vihaan Mehrotra