On his final appearance for Liverpool, Roberto Firmino scored in a thrilling 4-4 draw with Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday
Firmino scored the second of Liverpool’s four goals at St Mary’s Stadium, with Diogo Jota also scoring twice and substitute Cody Gakpo scoring once.
Jürgen Klopp’s men took an early lead before scoring twice in the second period to earn a point on the final day of the 2022-23 season on the south coast.
Southampton vs. Liverpool (4-4), free highlights
News from the team
Liverpool’s final teamsheet of the season featured seven changes, including starts for Firmino and Milner.
Caoimhin Kelleher was named goalkeeper, and Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, and Kostas Tsimikas were named defenders, with Jota returning to the attack.
Liverpool: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Gomez, Tsimikas (Elliott, 56), Fabinho (Henderson, 57), Milner, Jones (Gakpo, 56), Jota, Salah, Firmino (Diaz, 57), Milner, Jones (Gakpo, 56), Jota, Salah, Firmino (Diaz, 57).
Subs not used: Adrian, Konate, Carvalho, Arthur, and Williams.
The first half
The game started slowly but quickly picked up as the Reds pressed the home side high up the pitch.
Jota charged into the defense, stole a loose ball, and fired into an empty net to open the scoring in clinical fashion.
Firmino, as he has so many times before, danced into the box and calmly drilled a low effort into the goal, sending the visiting crowd wild.
During a flurry of action in the first 20 minutes of the game, home captain James Ward-Prowse responded with a goal.
The midfielder found space inside the box and swept into the bottom corner of the goal, cutting the deficit to one.
Both Matip and Jota threatened with headers, but it was the hosts who leveled the game on the half-hour mark through Kamaldeen Sulemana.
Saints broke and the forward finished well to ensure the two teams went into the halftime break level.
The second half
Sulemana scored his second goal of the afternoon to complete the home team’s comeback three minutes into the second half.
The forward broke into the Reds’ half and found the bottom corner of the goal to give his team their first lead of the day.
Liverpool responded with Mohamed Salah proving a threat down the right flank, having several shots blocked on separate occasions.
Southampton, on the other hand, quickly added a fourth goal when Adam Armstrong curled a low shot into the net during a decisive breakaway.
Liverpool were not about to lie down, and they scored twice in two minutes to re-level a tense match on the south coast.
Substitute Gakpo first tapped in at the back post from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s low cross, before Salah played in Jota for a thunderous strike from the restart to earn a fourth.
Salah then nearly put Liverpool ahead with a dinked volley from Jordan Henderson’s pass over the top.
In the closing stages, Gakpo saw another effort fly over the bar, while Henderson’s long-range volley was well saved by Alex McCarthy.
The home goalkeeper was forced into another late save as Salah’s shot was deflected away to ensure the game ended with a draw.
In the closing stages, Gakpo saw another effort fly over the bar, while Henderson’s long-range volley was well saved by Alex McCarthy.
The home goalkeeper was forced into another late save as Salah’s shot was deflected away to ensure the game ended with a draw.
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