Southampton 1-2 Liverpool | EFL Cup Quarter Final - Man Of The Match - Slot's Squad Players Show Their Value
Liverpool beat Southampton in difficult conditions at St Mary's on Wednesday evening to reach the EFL Cup semi-finals.
Arne Slot made seven changes to the team that drew 2-2 with Fulham in the Premier League at the weekend, with Trey Nyoni given his full debut.
The Reds took the lead in the 24th minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold's through-ball was deflected into the path of Darwin Nunez, who composed himself to slot past Alex McCarthy.
It was 2-0 just eight minutes later when Harvey Elliott was on hand to fire a right-footed shot with the help of a slight deflection past the Southampton keeper.
Despite Liverpool's dominance in the first half, they allowed the Saints back into the game in the 59th minute when a loose ball in midfield found its way to Cameron Archer, and he curled a fine shot past Caoimhin Kelleher.
Both sides had chances to score again, with the returning Federico Chiesa twice going close for Liverpool.
Slot will be delighted with the result on a near-perfect evening for the Dutchman, which saw him rest a number of his first-team players.
In their absence, Harvey Elliott stepped up to show his quality once he made the switch to a midfield role after starting the match on the right.
Wataru Endo was another to impress with two very different performances in each half.
In the opening 45, the Japan captain regularly stepped out with the ball to start Liverpool attacks and get them on the front foot.
After the break, however, he showed his defensive qualities, winning several vital headers and duels as Southampton came forward with more regularity.
The 31-year-old once again proved his worth despite a lack of minutes lately, and he is our man of the match.
Man Of The Match - Wataru Endo
Mature Liverpool Enthusiast. LFC Transfer Room contributor & writer since 2021.