Southampton boss Ivan Juric insists Liverpool’s first penalty should never have been awarded, suggesting the referee made the call because the game was tied at 1-1.
Southampton took a surprise lead at Anfield when Will Smallbone capitalized on a mix-up between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker. However, Liverpool responded strongly after halftime, with Arne Slot making three changes to turn the game around.
Darwin Nunez leveled the score in the 51st minute and then won a penalty just three minutes later, which Mohamed Salah converted. The Egyptian added another spot-kick late on, but it was the first penalty that left Saints boss Ivan Juric furious after the final whistle.
Nunez appeared to go down easily under a challenge from Smallbone, leading to a soft penalty decision. Juric was outraged and even suggested that the officials awarded it because of the unexpected scoreline at Anfield.
“They reacted really well. We had really good moments in the first half,” Juric told the BBC. “I think the [first] penalty was not a penalty, and that changed the match. I am satisfied with how we played today.
“This can never be a penalty. I’m sorry it happened because it was 1-1, and it changed the match. We have lots of young players who want to grow and improve. We can lose, but we have to fight like we did today.”
For Nunez, the goal was his first since 18 January, when he scored twice against Brentford. Salah was pleased to see his teammate back on the scoresheet.
“Very important. He is a very important player for us,” Salah said. “I’m always there talking to him. We need him. You saw him in the last game against PSG—he made a difference when he came in. Good for him.”
Salah also acknowledged Southampton’s strong first half but was relieved Liverpool managed to turn things around. “It was a tough game. They had a good game plan, and it worked well for them in the first half. But I’m glad we came back and won.”
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