Can and Sturridge hinder Liverpool

As Liverpool crashed out of the League Cup, we rate those who impressed and those who flopped in the semi-final second leg against the Saints.
LIVERPOOL
LORIS KARIUS Comfortable in the Liverpool goal and made a great save to deny Dusan Tadic from point-blank range 7
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD Looks an exciting talent and caused problems going forward. However, he was left really exposed from a defensive standpoint 6
JOEL MATIP First start in six weeks and was not given an easy ride as Southampton grew into the game and posed a real threat on the break 6
DEJAN LOVREN Given the usual warm (!) reception by the Southampton fans. Relatively solid but did put pressure on his defence with a few stray passes 6
JAMES MILNER Liverpool’s ‘Mr Dependable’ was a little below par at Anfield. A scrappy performance 6
JORDAN HENDERSON Has dropped far too deep to have any major effect on the midfield. Played as third centre-back at times in a game where Liverpool needed goals 5
EMRE CAN Represented quite a negative selection from Klopp. Often played too close to the already deep Henderson and brought nothing to the midfield 5
ADAM LALLANA Got more involved in the second half but he too was lacking that killer final ball 6
PHILIPPE COUTINHO Fresh from signing a five-year contract, Coutinho was Liverpool’s best creative player on the night with his penetrating passes7
ROBERTO FIRMINO Drifted in and out of the game. Not his best night by any stretch 6
DANIEL STURRIDGE Was wasteful in front of goal and showed why he is not a favourite under Jurgen Klopp with quite a lethargic display 5
Substitutions
DIVOCK ORIGI (for Can, 77′): Liverpool fans were calling for his introduction long befor he came on. He should have been awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time 7
GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM(for Coutinho, 86′): Was introduced far too late N/A

SOUTHAMPTON
FRASER FORSTER Turned a dreadful save from an Emre Can shot into an incredible stop on the goal-line 6
CEDRIC SOARES Was just about able to keep the lid on Adam Lallana 7
JACK STEPHENS Had big boots to fill with Virgil van Dijk out injured but did not look out of place whatsoever. Saying that, he should have been penalised for a clear foul on Origi in his own area 7
MAYA YOSHIDA Also barely put a foot wrong and what looked on paper to be Saints’ biggest weakness, the centre-back partnership was one of their major strengths 7
RYAN BERTRAND Busy night with Alexander-Arnold on the rampage but played his part in what was a rock-solid back four 7
ORIEL ROMEU Extremely disciplined performance from one of the more underrated defensive midfielders in the Premier League 8
STEVEN DAVIS Got into some promising areas in attack and moved the ball on quickly when under immense pressure 7
DUSAN TADIC Dangerous but wasted Southampton’s best chance of the night with a scruffy finish from six yards out 6
JAMES WARD-PROWSE Night ended prematurely because of injury but had many salivating over his set-piece delivery 6
NATHAN REDMOND Came to life when he switched to left flank and was a massive danger on the break 8.5
JAY RODRIGUEZ Did not make much of a contribution and was forced off at half time with an ankle injury 5
Substitutions
SHANE LONG (for Rodriguez, 45′): Put the tie beyond all doubt with an emphatic finish towards the death 7
PIERRE-EMILE HOLBERG (for Ward-Prowse, 57′): Made a difference after coming on 7
JOSH SIMS (for Redmond, 80′): Provided the surge forward and perfect pass for Long to seal a special moment 7