Liverpool 0 Southampton 0
Man of the Match: Maya Yoshida (Southampton)
When the final whistle blew, Liverpool had reclaimed third place and reached the 70-point barrier for only the second time in eight seasons, and yet the mood at Anfield was one of pure frustration.
“Today was one of those days,” Jurgen Klopp said. It was; against Southampton; at Anfield; in Liverpool’s season.
They had completed four games against Southampton, failing to score in 360 minutes of football despite 54 efforts at goal. They had failed to win any of their last three matches at home, against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Claude Puel’s team.
They had discovered, once again, that the lesser lights can trip them up. Liverpool represent enduring enigmas, playing some of the most blisteringly brilliant football this season in between displaying a tendency towards sterility. “It is all about scoring one and we couldn’t do this,” Klopp said.
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A largely uneventful game highlighted the paradox of a team capable of going unbeaten against the best but who have a propensity to struggle against the rest. Klopp already felt Liverpool had an image problem. The only way to shed it is to win more of such games. Stalemates such as this will only increase it.
They encourage more opponents to come to Anfield intent on defending. Southampton arrived with a game plan Liverpool knew all too well. It was the one Puel deployed when his side won at Anfield in the League Cup in January — defend deep, narrow and in numbers. Crowd the area in front of the centre-backs where Liverpool’s flair players like to converge. Once again, it worked.
“A fantastic game with a strong defensive unit,” Puel said.
Southampton did not record a shot on target. They did not need to. Fraser Forster made terrific stops from James Milner’s penalty and Marko Grujic’s injury-time header, but his other saves were comparatively simple. He was well protected.
Southampton were competent, well drilled, disciplined and utterly unambitious. Puel imposed his innate dullness on the occasion. In contrast, Klopp’s natural positivity, his hyperactive nature, his beaming grin and his willingness to laugh were not reflected in Liverpool’s flat display.
There was a lack of ideas until Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana arrived for the final quarter. The striker’s shoot-on-sight policy threatened to pay dividends. It was an indication Klopp ought to have changed things sooner. Divock Origi was wretched, Georginio Wijnaldum ineffective, Philippe Coutinho short of inspiration. Not for the first time, Liverpool missed the injured Sadio Mane.
They grew more urgent but could not compensate for a slow start. Anfield — Klopp, most visibly — was irritated by a series of Bobby Madley’s decisions, though Southampton felt the referee acted generously when he awarded Liverpool a spot kick.
“Too harsh,” said Puel when Jack Stephens was penalised as he stuck out an arm to block the ball after it bounced off Origi. Cedric Soares and James Ward-Prowse were cautioned for dissent and delaying the penalty. Forster leant over Milner, aiming to disrupt his concentration as he prepared to take it.
“That doesn’t worry me,” said a stoic Milner. Gamesmanship nevertheless seemed to work. Forster dived to his right to make a superb save.
“My fault,” Liverpool’s stand-in captain said, though Klopp refused to blame him. It was the first time since 2009 the ultra-reliable Milner had failed to score a Premier League penalty.
Klopp was irritated by both Forster’s antics and what he perceived as timewasting by the goalkeeper, but added: “Whatever I say we look like bad losers.” Or, in this case, bad drawers.
Klopp felt Liverpool merited victory, Puel that Southampton deserved the point.
“It is not the end of the world,” the German said. “But we are really disappointed.”
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