Liverpool’s quest for a second consecutive Carabao Cup trophy continued as they edged past a spirited Southampton side 2-1 to book their place in the semifinals. However, the Reds were without their manager Arne Slot on the touchline, as he served a one-match touchline ban for card accumulation this season.
In a rain-soaked affair at St Mary’s Stadium, it was the hosts who started brighter, buoyed by the departure of manager Russell Martin following a 5-0 home thrashing by Tottenham at the weekend. But Liverpool’s superior quality soon shone through as summer signing Darwin Núñez opened the scoring in the 24th minute.
The Uruguayan striker, who had earlier been taunted by the Saints fans for a glaring miss, pounced on a defensive mix-up between center-back Jan Bednarek and keeper Alex McCarthy to coolly slot home. Nunez put his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture to the crowd after scoring the crucial opener.
Elliott Doubles Liverpool’s Lead
Liverpool doubled their advantage just eight minutes later through 19-year-old Harvey Elliott. The talented youngster latched onto a pass from January arrival Cody Gakpo before unleashing a low, powerful drive past McCarthy from the edge of the area to make it 2-0 to the visitors.
Southampton refused to lie down though and halved the deficit in the 59th minute through substitute Cameron Archer. The young forward, on loan from Aston Villa, picked up the ball just inside the Liverpool box and curled a sublime effort into the top corner past the despairing dive of Caoimhín Kelleher.
Slot Forced to Watch From Stands
With Arne Slot banished to the stands due to his touchline ban, it was left to his assistant coaches to patrol the technical area and communicate with the players. Slot cut a frustrated figure as he watched on from the press box, unable to have his usual influence on proceedings.
We have to defend the trophy because the club won it last season, so we want to compete in every league and this is one of them, so we’re happy that we reached the semifinal.
– Arne Slot, speaking after the match
The Reds manager acknowledged the difficult circumstances his side faced with the wet and windy conditions, plus a Southampton team desperate to make amends for their weekend capitulation. But Slot praised his players for standing up to the challenge.
Núñez Continues To Impress
Darwin Núñez’s well-taken goal was his 12th of the season since joining from Benfica in the summer. The Uruguayan is starting to find his feet after a difficult start to life at Anfield punctuated by some glaring misses.
- Núñez has now scored in each of his last 3 starts for Liverpool
- His 12 goals have come from an xG (expected goals) tally of 9.7, showing he is scoring at an above average rate
We came into this game knowing the circumstances that Southampton were going through and knew they were going to come out fighting and we were ready for it.
– Harvey Elliott on dealing with Southampton’s fast start
Harvey Elliott also continued his breakthrough season with a well-taken goal, his 5th of the campaign. The 19-year-old is establishing himself as a key part of Slot’s midfield and repaying the faith shown in him.
Implications For Liverpool’s Season
This hard-fought victory keeps Liverpool on track for a record-extending 12th League Cup triumph. As the competitions enters its business end, Slot will be keen to have his full complement of players fit and available.
The Reds will discover their semifinal opponents in Thursday’s draw, with Arsenal and Newcastle United already booking their places, while Tottenham and Manchester United face off for the final spot. Two-legged semifinals are scheduled for late January before the final on February 25th at Wembley Stadium.
Progressing in the Carabao Cup also offers Liverpool a chance to redeem what has been a disappointing campaign to date. Slot’s side sit 7th in the Premier League table, already 21 points adrift of leaders Arsenal and facing an uphill battle to secure a top 4 finish and Champions League qualification.
With their Premier League title hopes already extinguished, Slot will see the cups as Liverpool’s most realistic routes to silverware this season. Defending their Carabao Cup crown, while also mounting a challenge in the FA Cup and Champions League, could salvage the Reds’ stuttering campaign.
– Football journalist Melissa Reddy on Liverpool’s trophy prospects
But Slot knows he must address Liverpool’s inconsistencies, particularly defensively, if they are to compete on multiple fronts in the second half of the season. The January transfer window may provide an opportunity to reinforce key areas, with a midfielder and additional forward options seemingly top priorities.
For now, Liverpool march on in the Carabao Cup and an awkward trip to Southampton negotiated without their manager’s presence on the touchline. Slot will return for the Premier League visit of Leicester on December 26th, with points urgently needed to reignite their flatlining league campaign. But this cup victory provides a timely boost ahead of the busy festive schedule.
