Football news – Liverpool remain perfect with Southampton procession

Liverpool maintained their 100 per cent record in the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Southampton at Anfield.

Wesley Hoedt’s unfortunate own goal spurred the hosts into life, with Joel Matip’s excellent header doubling their advantage.

Mohamed Salah prodded home the third from close range on the stroke of half-time after Xherdan Shaqiri’s free-kick had rattled the woodwork, before the Reds cruised through the second period.

The only sour note for Liverpool was that Virgil van Dijk left the field with what looked to be a rib injury shortly after the break.

The win sends Liverpool back to the top of the table, although Chelsea will able to leapfrog them should they win by two goals against West Ham on Sunday. This also represents the first time in the club's history the Reds have begun a season with seven wins in a row.

Relentless Liverpool march on. Many tipped the Reds as Manchester City’s biggest rivals for the Premier League title heading into the season and they’ve certainly lived up to that billing so far. This is the kind of game they would expect to win, but it’s still pleasing to do so - especially in such emphatic style and especially coming off the back of playing in the Champions League in midweek. There are much biggest tests to come, with Chelsea and City Liverpool’s next two opponents in the league, but so far there are few if any weaknesses on display.

Robert Firmino (Liverpool): Although he didn’t score, he was a handful for the Southampton defence all afternoon and his work-rate off the ball remained brilliant.

10’ - GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Southampton (Hoedt o/g). Shaqiri's corner is a poor one, but he gets a second chance and his curling shot is deflected by Long and then bundled into his own net by Hoedt.

21’ - CHANCE! Salah plays a lovely one-two with Firmino and looks poised to tuck home from close range when Cedric comes in from nowhere to make a brilliant last-ditch tackle. Great defending.

21’ - GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Southampton (Matip). That tackle ends up being for nothing as Matip rises highest from the resulting corner and guides a header into the far corner. The Reds are cruising now.

45+3’ - GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Southampton (Salah). Liverpool have a free-kick 30 yards from goal, Shaqiri unleashes a brilliant effort which rattles the bar and it's Salah who reacts quickest to tap home the rebound, with the ball having almost crossed the line on its way down from the crossbar.

89’ - DISALLOWED GOAL! Salah runs down the right and his cross causes mayhem, with Milner and Firmino both having efforts blocked before Salah himself eventually puts the ball in the goal, but it's correctly disallowed for offside.

Liverpool: Alisson 6, Alexander-Arnold 7, Matip 6, Van Dijk 7, Robertson 6, Henderson 6, Wijnaldum 7, Shaqiri 8, Mane 6, Salah 6, Firmino 8. Subs: Milner 6, Gomez 7, Keita 6.

Southampton: McCarthy 6, Cedric 6, Vestegaard 5, Hoedt 4, Bertrand 6, Romeu 5, Hojbjerg 4, Lemina 4, Redmond 6, Targett 5, Long 5. Subs: Armstrong 5, Bednarek 5, Austin 5.

Liverpool have gone 750 minutes without conceding a Premier League goal at Anfield, keeping eight clean sheets in a row.

The last Southampton player to score a Premier League goal against Liverpool is Sadio Mane.

Southampton didn’t have a shot on target until the 91st minute.