Liverpool beat Southampton to keep in top-four hunt

Liverpool closed the gap on the Premier League top four with a 2-0 victory over Southampton at Anfield on Saturday night.

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Sadio Mane and Thiago Alcantara scored in each half as Liverpool beat Southampton to maintain their hopes of finishing in the top four.

Liverpool started strongly with Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota forcing Fraser Forster into saves, while Georginio Wijnaldum hit the bar.

Che Adams was denied one-on-one by a brave Alisson stop at the other end but Mane broke the deadlock just after the half-hour, heading in Salah’s pinpoint cross for his ninth league goal of the season.

Ibrahima Diallo stung the palms of Alisson and the Brazilian goalkeeper was later forced into a recovery save after gifting the ball to Adams as Southampton pushed for an equaliser.

However, Thiago curled the ball into the bottom corner in the last minute to score his first Liverpool goal and secure victory.

Liverpool leapfrog Tottenham Hotspur into sixth place, six points adrift of fourth-placed Leicester City having played a match fewer.

Southampton stay 16th, 10 points above the relegation zone.