It was an afternoon of poignant farewells and an expected, but difficult departure. It was always going to be.
2022/2023 Premier League
4-4
Match Report
Southampton have known they will be playing in the Championship next season since their 2-0 loss to Fulham on May 13; many expected as such weeks earlier. Though yesterday, their divorce was enacted.
As with many separations, it comes to realisation once signed and delivered. The first goal, gifted to Liverpool, and subsequent leaky backline, were arguably symbiotic of the Saints’ season as a whole. But the rest of their performance displayed real, true grit; how they could done with more of this across their 37 other games.
Amid passing the ball between the backline in their own penalty box, of all places, Romeo Lavia’s passed right to an onrushing Diogo Jota.
He slotted past goalkeeper Alex McCarthy. Roberto Firmino left with his memento of a goal four minutes later, which sparked the Saints to life. The score levelled at 2-2, before Kamaldeen Sulemana nabbed his second and Adam Armstrong scored his side’s fourth.
One had to double check the crest on the home side’s shirt as to how, and why, they were performing so well in some periods of the match.
Their forwards took each and every chance. It gave their fans at least something to boast about.
The Reds eventually levelled, but for them it was largely all about the two men signing off one last time. James Milner donned the captain’s armband on a record-equalling 16th Premier League final-day appearance; Firmino was handed his 362nd appearance.
The pair are adored by these supporters, and rightly so, having put in shifts across an eight-year period since joining the club in 2015.
Their trophy haul includes the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
The chatter between the Saints fans before the match centred on what life in the second tier will bring, and whether they can bounce back to the promised lands at their first attempt.
Conceding twice in 15 minutes was certainly not the best practice. After Jota scored his tap-in, Firmino joined in.
The Brazilian shimmied one defender to the floor, skipped past a further two before striking into the bottom-left corner.
The Reds’ fans stood and cheered for their man, some brandishing Brazil flags in tribute.
In tune with the game’s high tempo, James Ward-Prowse replied within five minutes, Carlos Alcaraz’s through ball allowing his captain to curl into the net with pace.
By 28 minutes, they were level. Sulemana beat Joe Gomez to the ball, striking underneath a diving Caoimhin Kelleher. The goalkeeper should have done better, the ball deflecting off his legs before going in.
Within one minute of the restart, Sulemana got his second. On the break from a set-piece, he dribbled from before the halfway line. His run evaded the heart of the Reds’ midfield and defence to score again.
Mo Salah should have struck immediately after, only to hit a ricochet straight at the keeper.
Then Jordan Henderson uncharacteristically passed the ball to Adam Armstrong who obliged with a finish.
The Reds were to get the match back to four a-piece thanks to Cody Gakpo and Jota’s strikes. Mo Salah, on a rare off night indeed, struck the post with a chip 10 minutes from time.
Though, today, that did not matter. It was all about one team going down, and two men bowing out.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
10' GOAL! Southampton 0-1 Liverpool (Jota)
14' GOAL! Southampton 0-2 Liverpool (Firmino)
19' GOAL! Southampton 1-2 Liverpool (Ward-Prowse)
25' Yellow Card! Tsimikas booked
28' GOAL! Southampton 2-2 Liverpool (Kamaldeen Sulemana)
38' CHANCE! Elyounoussi's long shot wide out
47' GOAL! Southampton 3-2 Liverpool (Kamaldeen Sulemana)
60' Yellow Card! Elliott booked
64' GOAL! Southampton 4-2 Liverpool (Adam Armstrong)
72' GOAL! Southampton 4-3 Liverpool (Cody Gakpo)
73' GOAL! Southampton 4-4 Liverpool (Jota)
79' OFF THE POST! Salah nearly scores
Line-ups
Southampton XI: Walcott, McCarthy, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Ward-Prowse, Bednarek, James Bree, Lyanco, Walker-Peters, Carlos Alcaraz, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Roméo Lavia
Subs: Armstrong, Caleta-Car, Adam Armstrong, Joe Aribo, Tino Livramento, Gavin Bazunu, Dominic Ballard, Kami Doyle, samuel ameyaw amo
Liverpool XI: Milner, Matip, Firmino, Salah, Fabinho, Joe Gomez, Tsimikas, Jota, Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones
Subs: Henderson, Adrian, Arthur, Konate, Cody Gakpo, Luis Díaz, Fabio Carvalho, Rhys Williams, Elliott