How Southampton’s Victory against Liverpool Changed the Table?

Danny Ings’second minute strike helped Southampton to take a 1-0 victory against Liverpool on Monday night. After dropping three points on the road, Liverpool finds themselves in trouble as the table has become interesting for other teams, especially Man United.

First Half Decides The Winner

Jurgen Klopp called Thiago Alcantara to start, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was also included in the starting line-up. The defense was not up to the mark for the Reds, and Saints took just three minutes to break the deadlock of Liverpool. James Ward-Prowse free-kick allowed Ings to start the scoring for Southampton. It was the record 50th goal for Danny Ings in Premier League. Moussa Djenepo left the ground after suffering a hamstring injury. Nathan Tella and Theo Walcott made the counter-attack against Liverpool’s tight defense, and the Saints take the first half. Liverpool stepped up in the second half to find the equaliser, but they missed out it. Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah had few shots, but they were unable to trouble Fraser Forster. The only goal from Ings made all the difference, and Southampton walked away with all three points.

2020-21 is not Even Equal to 2019-20 for The Reds

Liverpool created history in the previous year by winning the title after 30 years, and they sealed the title in June with seven games in hand. This season is completely different for Klopp as they have already dropped points in eight of their 17 games. They have conceded more goals so far compared to the last edition. At this same stage last season, they dropped points just once. The poor form in away matches are also a big concern. Apart from the 7-0 success against Palace, the Reds have showcased a poor show on the road.

The Title Race Gets Hot

It was the third consecutive match when Liverpool dropped points, and finally, it allows its arch-rivals to take the top spot. Man City thrashed Chelsea 3-1, and United edged past Aston Villa 2-1 to make the table interesting. Liverpool started the year on top with 33 points, and now, United also have 33 points with one game in hand. If Red Devils don’t drop points against Burnley on January 13, they will upstage Klopp’s side from the top. Man City have two more games to play, and they can also take the top spot if United drops points in the next couple of games. The COVID cases can harm their preparation, but City are in terrific form, and they would avoid any drama this month.

Look at the top six in Premier League 2020-21:(Updated on Jan 04)