Liverpool vs Southampton results: Daniel Sturridge late goal gives them the win 2-1

Liverpool open the 2014-15 season looking to accomplish what they nearly did last season, winning a Premier League title. The season kicked off with a home game against Southampton at Anfield, the first game of the post-Luis Suarez era.

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Liverpool and Suarez finally went their separate ways during the transfer window, after Suarez’s third biting incident of his career at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Liverpool has used those transfer fees to bring in a slew of players to replace him and are looking to win with more of a team approach than a singular super star.

One of the players will lean on is youngster Raheem Sterling, who played in the World Cup over the summer with the England national team. His abilities and creativity made him an integral part of the last season, and even drew comparisons with Lionel Messi from his manager Brendan Rodgers.

It was Sterling, who doesn’t appear to be backing down from the opportunity, who put Liverpool on the board first, giving them the early lead. A pass from Jordan Henderson curled to find Sterling in between two defenders, who controlled the ball immaculately and managed to get it around the goal keeper with a perfectly placed shot.

While Sterling’s touch and shot were both things of beauty, it was Henderson’s pass that might have been the most impressive. Henderson’s pass not only curled ever so slightly to get around a defender and to Sterling, it was weighted enough that it stuck to the pitch when it got to Sterling, allowing him to control it and not to bounce away.

That goal had Liverpool feeling confident, but Southampton were able to pull a goal back in the 56th minute. Nathaniel Clyne passed the ball to Dusan Tadic, who was on the edge of the box. Tadic was boxing out and holding off new Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren, famous for the foul on Fred’s flop in the opening game of the World Cup between Brazil and Croatia.

Tadic held on to the ball for a bit while Clyne ran past him into the box. Tadic just used the back heel of his foot to put the ball around Lovren into the box to find Clyne for a beautiful give-and-go. While Tadic holds on to the ball, he draws in two other Liverpool defenders, one of whom seems to abandon Clyne making the run right past him.

Clyne fired a powerful shot from not too far out beating Simon Mignolet for the goal, tying the game up.

Liverpool’s aspirations of winning and contending for the Premier League title were off to a rough start. They didn’t want to begin the season behind in the race.

Liverpool’s dynamic striker Daniel Sturridge, who had a tremendous season in the shadow of Luis Suarez, came up big when they need them. A kick came into the box and found Sterling, who then heads it towards Sturridge crashing the back post.

Sturridge doesn’t have to do a whole lot to redirect it in on goal, and he does so perfectly. After Sturridge taps it ever so slightly, the ball rolls in towards the left post and away from Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster who is in the center of the box.

That goal gave Liverpool the lead again in the 79th minute, and they’d hold onto it for the remainder of the game to win and collect three points.