Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge
were both on target for Liverpool as
they started the new Premier League
season with a nervy 2-1 home victory
over Southampton on Sunday.
Liverpool went ahead with a confident finish from
Sterling in the 23rd minute, but were pegged back
11 minutes into the second half when Nathaniel
Clyne blasted home.
The home side, who were far from their fluent best
in their first competitive game following the sale of
Luis Suarez to Barcelona, were given a few late
scares as Southampton grew in confidence.
But Sturridge ensured last season's runners-up made
a winning start to the new campaign when he got on
the end of Sterling's header in the 79th minute to
nudge the ball home.
Liverpool handed competitive debuts to Croatia
centre-back Dejan Lovren, who they signed from
Southampton, and Spanish right-back Javier
Manquillo.
The visitors, who sold five key players during the off
season, included new signings goalkeeper Fraser
Forster, winger Dusan Tadic and striker Graziano
Pelle, while on-loan Chelsea defender Ryan Bertrand
started at left-back.
Brendan Rodgers's side began confidently and striker
Sturridge flashed a long-range effort over the
crossbar, although Forster did not look worried by it.
The home crowd called for a penalty in the 12th
minute when Maya Yoshida got himself tangled up
with Sturridge, but the offence occurred just outside
the area and referee Mark Clattenburg waved away
their appeals.
Liverpool's dominance eventually told with a goal
midway through the first half.
Jordan Henderson, who harried the Southampton
players throughout, stole the ball in his own half and
showed brilliant vision to send Sterling clear with an
exquisite left-foot pass.
The 19-year-old England winger escaped the
attentions of both Jose Fonte and Clyne and calmly
stroked the ball past Forster as he tried to narrow
the angle.
Shortly afterwards, a dangerous curling free-kick
from James Ward-Prowse towards the back post
caused Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to
make an awkward save.
Ronald Koeman's Southampton grew in confidence
and Morgan Schneiderlin forced Mignolet to save in
more orthodox, and spectacular, fashion just before
the interval with a bending effort from 25 yards.
Forster was called into action again in added time in
the first half when he parried Sterling's shot from
just outside the penalty area.
Southampton's bright finish to the half continued
after the break and they equalised in the 56th
minute with a well-worked goal that owed much to a
brilliant piece of skill from Tadic.
Clyne played the ball into the feet of the Serbia
international and he expertly flicked the ball back
into the path of the right-back, who fired high into
the net from the corner of the six-yard box.
Southampton should have taken the lead when
another intelligent ball from Tadic found Ward-
Prowse, who teed up the unmarked Steven Davis 10
yards from goal, but he tamely side-footed the ball,
allowing Mignolet to save.
Rodgers introduced former Saints striker Rickie
Lambert for the tiring Philippe Coutinho in the 76th
minute, in a bid to add more physical presence in
the final third, and Liverpool's winner moments later
certainly had more of a direct approach to it.
Southampton failed to clear a cross from the right
flank and Sterling headed the ball forward into the
path of Sturridge, who scruffily flicked the ball past
Forster and into the net from close range.
Southampton squandered a late chance to equalise
when Mignolet pushed a well-struck Schneiderlin
shot onto the crossbar and substitute Shane Long
headed the rebound past with the goal at his mercy.
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