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After a strong first half for the Saints, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton collapsed under a series of counter attacks to lose 4-0 away to Premier League champions-elect Liverpool.
But that first Liverpool goal, scored by former Saint Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, came following a contentious decision to not award Southampton a penalty after striker Danny Ings was felled by Fabinho in the box.
Saints manager Hasenhuttl felt that decision could have changed the game.
“You need brave decisions from the referee,” Hasenhuttl said after the game. [H/T Sky Sports] “To say ‘no goal and penalty’, here at Anfield, that won’t happen.
”In the first half there was a backpass to the Liverpool goalkeeper [not given], that’s another decision, maybe this is why it’s so difficult to win here.
”It is a clear penalty and in such moments the game can turn in our direction.
”Maybe the result is a little high but I would like to watch this game if we went one goal up.”
LFC fortunate to get away with that. Alisson picks up Robertson's backpass close to the goalline. Kevin Friend says play on
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) February 1, 2020
That sequence of Liverpool not being pulled up on a pass-back to getting a corner which clearly went off Mo Salah... Going to be a long game. #SaintsFC #LIVSOU
— J. Hughes (@JJHughes_) February 1, 2020
The back-pass mentioned by the Austrian manager, between Liverpool’s goalkeeper Alisson and left-back Andy Robertson, certainly set the tone of how the refereeing would be at Anfield.
From that, Liverpool went down the other end of the pitch and won a corner which clearly came off Mohamed Salah last.