Liverpool booked their place in the EFL Cup fourth round with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Southampton at Anfield on Tuesday night.
The Reds opened the scoring just before half-time when summer signing Alexander Isak netted his first goal for the club in the 43rd minute. The striker showed composure inside the box, calmly converting after a clever assist from Federico Chiesa, giving Liverpool a deserved lead heading into the break.
Southampton, however, refused to go down quietly. In the 76th minute, midfielder Shea Charles found space in the Liverpool penalty area and unleashed a precise strike past the goalkeeper to level the score, stunning the home crowd and setting up a tense finale.
With the match seemingly heading for extra time, Liverpool struck again. Substitute Hugo Ekitike restored the advantage in the 85th minute, once more thanks to Chiesa’s creativity, as the Italian international claimed his second assist of the night.
Ekitike’s joy turned bittersweet moments later when his shirtless celebration earned him a second yellow card, reducing Liverpool to ten men for the closing minutes.
Despite the setback, Arne Slot’s side showed resilience and defensive discipline, weathering Southampton’s late pressure to secure their passage into the next round.
The win highlighted the impact of Liverpool’s new signings, with Isak and Ekitike both scoring and Chiesa providing two crucial assists, underlining the depth and attacking options available to the Reds this season.
