Liverpool needed 45 minutes and a wake-up call from Arne Slot to get into gear, but when they did it was enough to open a 16-point gap at the top ahead of yet another huge Anfield night.
The Reds have long had a knack for giving teams in the bottom half of the table a confidence boost, with Will Smallbone doing enough to hand Southampton an unlikely lead on Saturday.
Slot’s half-time changes and the three goals that followed crushed any dreams Arsenal had of this being a day for dropped points, with this instead a lesson of what not to do against PSG.
With another three points added to the tally, Joanna Durkan (@JoannaDurkan_) and Courtney Neary (@Courtney_Neary), who was at Anfield, discuss the victory and who ought to be in the XI in the Champions League.
The good…
COURTNEY: For starters, that weather! Makes me excited for the last few games this season, with everyone out before and after the game enjoying the good weather and good football together!
As for the atmosphere, I was on The Kop for the first time in a while today and I have missed it.
First time in ages I’ve felt the stand bounce along with the fans in years, you could feel how much the comeback meant in the second half.
Those first 10 minutes in the second half were a massive boost after the first-half performance, just a shame we couldn’t do it in the first place and rest some key players.
JOANNA: It gave off vibes of the Luton win last season, down at halftime and then Anfield responded and we made ‘easy’ work of it in the end.
As you say Courtney, it was a shame that we waited so long to kick into gear but, again, a massive nod to Slot’s subs and the timing of them – he doesn’t hang about, does he?
He is not afraid to take action and it has worked in our favour a lot this season, and that will be a boost for those on the fringe that they still have a role to play in the next couple of months.
Nunez is the perfect example of that here, two crucial involvements to score and win the penalty to turn a losing scoreline into a winning one in just 84 seconds.
Sixteen points clear, albeit having played two games more, is madness. I can’t wipe the smile off my face.
The bad…
JOANNA: It is not easy to follow 3pm games when you are not at the match, but perhaps that was for the better when we consider the first half!
It did not really surprise me though given the energy it took to keep PSG at bay during the week. It never quite felt like more than three changes were on the cards but it was needed, for me.
We are going to have a few more moments like this throughout the season you sense, but it is clear Liverpool need to find more intensity for Tuesday.
COURTNEY: The whole first half! Nunez and Tsimikas’ yellow cards summed it up, fouls that didn’t need to be made, yet out of the frustration of the way it was going you saw two mistakes lead to two bookings.
Then the Southampton goal, you could see from where I was that there was no communication between Virgil and Alisson in that moment.
I remember seeing Virgil try to shepherd the ball to Ali with a man on and thinking, ‘Just get rid of it!’.
JOANNA: It wasn’t great, was it? Let’s hope it is their annual mix-up out of the way then – always good when it does not cost us points, unlike last season!
And who should start against PSG on Tuesday?
COURTNEY: Alisson; Trent, Ibou, Virgil, Robbo; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Salah, Diaz, Nunez
I’d go full strength, if Cody was fit I’d start him, however, we’re still not 100 percent sure where he’ll be by Tuesday.
Nunez just starts ahead of Jota for me after two brilliant games, for me Jota is a brilliant player to be able to bring on as fresh legs.
We saw how tough PSG are to play at the minute, so I think we need to be as strong as possible obviously being at Anfield will help as I can see the atmosphere being unforgettable that night.
JOANNA: It is hard to disagree with what you have there, Courtney.
I would also start Gakpo if he was guaranteed to be fit, he would offer that physical presence we lacked in the first leg to keep hold of the ball, but he’s only likely to return to the bench – if at all.
I do wonder, though, if we will see Slot use all four midfielders as he did at Villa and City – especially as none of them played the full 90 against Southampton.
Although, I am opting for Darwin over Diaz. I just think he has to start this one, give them a little chaos and a big body to measure up against.
Mine would, therefore, be: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Jones, Nunez
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