From the first whistle, the Anfield crowd sensed something special. Curtis Jones, Liverpool’s midfield engine, slipped a razor‑thin pass through the Southampton defense and set up Alexander Isak inside the box. The Swedish forward struck cleanly, his right foot meeting the ball with the kind of composure you’d expect from a seasoned number nine. Southampton’s keeper, Alex McCarthy, stretched to his limit and parried the effort, leaving a wave of gasps in the stands. Undeterred, Isak gathered the rebound, turned, and fired a low shot across the goal line, finally ticking the box on his Liverpool account.
Isak’s celebration was immediate and exuberant. He sprinted to the corner flag, arms wide, mouthing a thank‑you to the fans while clutching the ball. Teammates swarmed him, and the club’s new number nine seemed to understand exactly what his first goal meant – a vote of confidence from a ruthless league and a signal that he is ready to lead the line.
The Saints responded quickly. Shay Charles, a quick‑silver forward on loan from Tottenham, capitalised on a momentary lapse in Liverpool’s back‑line. A mis‑timed tackle left a gap, and Charles slotted the ball past Alisson Becker to level the scores at 1‑1. The equaliser sparked a brief spell of pressure from Southampton, who under new manager Will Stills were playing an aggressive, high‑press style that caught the Reds off‑guard.
Liverpool, however, began to dictate the tempo. A sweeping move from the back saw the ball travel from goalkeeper to full‑back, then zip across the midfield to the wing, before being delivered into the box for a clinical finish. The goal came from a well‑timed run by Mohamed Salah, who found space on the edge of the area, cut inside and curled a low shot past McCarthy. That strike gave Liverpool the lead they needed and shifted the momentum firmly in their favour.
Midway through the second half, the match took a dramatic turn. Hugo Ekitike, Southampton’s prolific striker, earned a second yellow for a reckless tackle on Jordan Henderson. The referee showed him a red card, leaving the Saints with ten men for the remainder of the game. Despite being a man down, Southampton kept the pressure on, probing for a counter‑attack that never materialised.
In the closing minutes, Liverpool tightened their defence, and Alisson made a series of comfortable saves to preserve the advantage. The final whistle blew with the scoreboard reading 2‑1, confirming a hard‑won victory for the Reds and sending their Carabao Cup campaign back on track.
Isak’s debut goal will no doubt boost his confidence as the season ramps up across the Premier League, Europa League, and domestic cups. Manager Arne Slot, who was in his fourth encounter with Southampton, praised his new striker’s composure: “He showed the kind of poise we expect from a top‑level forward. It’s a great start for him and the team.”
Southampton, meanwhile, will regroup after the defeat and the disciplinary setback. Stills highlighted the need to maintain intensity but warned against letting the red card define their season.
The win also marks Liverpool’s first Carabao Cup appearance since the Wembley loss to Newcastle in March—a match where Isak himself scored the decisive goal for the Geordies. The irony was not lost on fans, who now see the same player wearing the red shirt, helping to turn that painful memory into a fresh chapter.