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Liverpool boss Arne Slot feared a dramatic late twist at St Mary’s before his side edged into the Carabao Cup semi-finals by holding on for a 2-1 win over managerless Southampton.
With the hosts pushing to force a penalty shootout, Reds defender Jarell Quansah appeared to haul down the clean-through Mateus Fernandes just outside the 18-yard box during six minutes of added time.
Referee Simon Hooper waved away passionate appeals from home supporters and, with VAR not in use, the Premier League leaders escaped retrospective action.
First-half goals from Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott put Slot’s much-changed team in control of the quarter-final tie before Cameron Archer halved the deficit to set up a tense final half an hour.
“The moment the ball is over the top you’re not nervous but the moment you see two players colliding into each other, you always wonder what the decision might be,” Slot, who was watching from the stands due to a touchline ban, said of Quansah’s challenge.
“In real life, I thought, ‘ooh, he (Hooper) could have made a different choice’.
“But then I saw it back and I felt he (Quansah) just used his arm.
“For me, it wasn’t a foul but you never know with refereeing decisions, do you?”
Three days since sacking Russell Martin following a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Tottenham, Southampton were seeking to stun the cup holders under the guidance of interim boss Simon Rusk.
Slot’s decision to make eight changes to his starting XI, including leaving captain Virgil van Dijk and top scorer Mohamed Salah out of his matchday squad, looked set to be rewarded with straightforward progression after Nunez and Elliott struck in the space of nine first-half minutes.
But Archer’s superb curling finish changed the complexion of the contest, culminating in a few anxious moments as the Premier League’s bottom club sensed an upset.
Slot said squad rotation, which included a full debut for 17-year-old midfielder Trey Nyoni, was key during a busy period of the season.
“It would be normal if I play all the regular starters that we have a better team than we had tonight, otherwise I make every week the wrong decision,” said the Dutchman.
“But we also trust these players because we know how much quality they have, so that’s the first reason to play these players, that we have a lot of confidence in them.
“Second of all, it’s not about a result on Sunday (away to Tottenham), it’s more for the long-term fitness of the players that we make the decision that the ones that played so many minutes to give them a bit of rest during this week because the schedule is going to be intense again in the upcoming weeks.”
Temporary Southampton boss Rusk hopes the improved second-half showing can be a “catalyst” to revive his club’s dismal season.
Rusk, who felt Saints “didn’t get the rub of the green” with the Quansah challenge, will prepare the team for Sunday’s trip to Fulham as the process to identity Martin’s permanent successor continues.
“I’m really encouraged by the second half – that’s what we have to focus on now,” he said.
“They showed belief in themselves, they showed character, they stood up, the fans were behind them.
“Hopefully, that second half is enough for a catalyst for the guys.
“The players’ commitment level and their receptiveness to how I was working has been second to none.”
