Arne Slot explains why it was a 'mistake' to start Dominik Szoboszlai as Liverpool boss highlights midfielder's 'different energy' in shaky start against Southampton

Despite trailing at half-time, Liverpool turned the game around in the second half with a decisive 3-2 victory, propelling them 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League. A quick goal from Darwin Nunez in the second half ignited the comeback and two penalty conversions from Mohamed Salah sealed all three points for Liverpool.

The result, however, came after a tactical reshuffle by Slot at the break. The manager made a bold decision to introduce Harvey Elliott, Alexis Mac Allister and Andy Robertson, replacing Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas to freshen things up in the middle. The Dutchman revealed that his team’s lacklustre first-half display prompted the substitutions, and upon reflection, he admitted that it was a mistake to start Szoboszlai in the first place.

The Hungarian midfielder, known for his incredible work rate and endurance, was visibly not at his best during the opening 45 minutes. Admitting his selection mistake, Slot told reporters: "Today, if I could do it one more time over, I would have started it differently than I started today - but you don't know this in advance. Every time I am sitting here and talking about Dominik, I'm talking about he is a machine. He can keep on going, running and running and running.

"It was maybe the first time this season I saw a different energy from him. Which is maybe normal. Maybe I made a mistake by playing him because he gives so much every single game. The good news is he only played 45 and is more rested for the upcoming week now than he is if I played him for 90."

With the victory over Southampton behind them, Liverpool will now shift their attention to Champions League action where they are set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday evening at Anfield. Following that fixture, the Reds will face Newcastle at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.