It was a night that Simon Rusk will never forget, the one when he took charge of Southampton for the first time in the wake of Russell Martin’s sacking on Sunday night and pushed Arne Slot and Liverpool all the way.
Nobody gave Southampton a prayer – and not only because they had conceded five in defeat in each of their previous two home matches. It has been a season of remorseless struggle for them.
When Liverpool surged into a two-goal lead before the interval, this Carabao Cup quarter-final looked over. Darwin Núñez scored the first and there was a first goal of an injury-hit season for Harvey Elliott. Slot watched it all from up in the press box as he served a touchline suspension for three yellow cards. He was comfortable.
And then he was not because Southampton were vibrant and dangerous in the second half. Cameron Archer got them back into it with a lovely strike and he would miss a big chance for the equaliser. Southampton had other flickers and then, deep into stoppage time, came the moment to have them wondering.
It was a long punt forward by the goalkeeper, Alex McCarthy, and suddenly Mateus Fernandes had the position on the last Liverpool defender, Jarell Quansah, who put his arm out to stop him. The contact started just outside the area and looked to end just before it, although Fernandes did fall into it.
Was it a foul? Rusk thought so and, in which case, it would have been a red card for Quansah. Remember, VAR is only an option in this competition when the semi-finals come around. As for Slot, he was definitely worried. The referee, Simon Hooper, gave Quansah the benefit of the considerable doubt and Liverpool were through.
“In real life, I thought: ‘Ooh … he could have made a different choice,’” Slot said. “Then I saw it back and I felt that Jarell just used his arm. For me it wasn’t a foul. But you never know with referee decisions, do you?”
Slot was not the first Premier League manager to take up temporary residence with the dreamers and romantics of the media. Arsène Wenger, for example, once squeezed himself into the Stamford Bridge press box for Arsenal against Chelsea in 2018 as he served a ban. Wenger kicked every ball that night.
The view here is more panoramic and Slot could enjoy the spectacle of his team taking control after the midway point of the first half.
The breakthrough goal was defined by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s composure on the ball, as he swayed up and away from a couple of challengers as the last man before playing forward for Núñez. McCarthy stayed at home, rather than rush out and he also stumbled. The Uruguayan swept past him.
Talk about a baptism of fire for Rusk, a knockout tie against surely the best team in Europe so far this season. Rusk’s previous experience as a manager had gone no further than a spell at the helm of Stockport in the National League in 2021. He is best known for his work as a youth level coach; he was in charge of the England Under-19s from August 2022 until the end of 2023.
Rusk was up against a heavily rotated Liverpool team; Slot could have named an excellent XI – pretty much – from the players he could not or did not call upon. There was a full debut for the 17-year-old Trey Nyoni in midfield. Wataru Endo played in central defence.
Slot tweaked things throughout, giving opportunities to others off the bench, including Federico Chiesa and James McConnell. Endo moved up into midfield when Liverpool had possession and he was involved in the second goal, playing a return pass to Cody Gakpo, who went right to Elliott. The first touch was good; the finish was low and firm, helped by a slight nick off Ryan Manning.
Southampton offered little as an attacking force in the first half and Liverpool might have had another goal, Alexis Mac Allister drawing a smart save out of McCarthy after an Alexander-Arnold pass.
Southampton needed a break in the second half and they got one when an attempted pass from Fernandes smacked Endo full in the face, laying him out and falling for Archer, who surged up the inside-left before cutting inside Tyler Morton and Quansah. He shaped the shot beautifully inside the far corner.
It was game on and Southampton were so close to the equaliser on 61 minutes. The substitute Yuki Sugawara crossed and when Archer flicked at goal from close range, Caoimhín Kelleher had to make a fine reaction save.
Liverpool would have further chances, mainly through Chiesa, who saw one shot cleared off the line by Taylor Harwood-Bellis. But it came to be about what Southampton could do. The substitute Paul Onuachu could not sort out his feet when well placed and then, at the very end, it was Fernandes versus Quansah. The verdict went Liverpool’s way.
