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| Daniel Sturridge scored second goal for Liverpool |
BBC Sport
Liverpool made an unconvincing start to life without Luis Suarez - but
goals from Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge edged them past a
Southampton side who shone despite their summer upheaval.
Although the
£75m sale of Suarez to Barcelona
stripped the Reds of one of the game's most prolific strikers,
Sterling and Sturridge struck either side of a Nathaniel Clyne equaliser
to compensate on this occasion.
But Liverpool were left hanging on for the win and will
have to improve significantly if they are to repeat or improve on their
second-place finish last season.
A new-look Southampton, under
new manager Ronald Koeman
, were the more dangerous team for long periods and might have
claimed a deserved point when Morgan Schneiderlin fired against the bar
late on.
Following a turbulent few months in which the south
coast club lost their manager and a host of key players, this display
suggests reports of their demise could be premature.
The irony of the fixture was that three of those
players - Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren - moved to
Anfield as part of a post-Suarez rebuilding job that has seen Liverpool
spend more than £100m, with the transfer window still open for another
two weeks.
Lovren was the only member of that trio to start
against his former employers as Lambert took a place on the bench and
Lallana missed out with a knee injury - and the Croat made an instant
impression.
While much focus has been placed on how Liverpool will cope
without Suarez, who scored 31 league goals in 2013-14, only Manchester
City (102) and Chelsea (71) managed more than their 70 when the
Uruguayan's strikes are subtracted.
Perhaps of more pressing concern, therefore, was the 50
goals they conceded; 13 more than City and 23 more than Chelsea.
Lovren's display suggested he may well provide the solution.
He was towering alongside Martin Skrtel at centre-back
as Southampton threatened in the early stages, providing a solid
platform from which his team were able to build.
