Babbel quiets Anfield groans

Liverpool's new year began as happily as they would have wished, but only if results are all that matter.

After a bright first half the standard dropped and it needed a Markus Babbel header four minutes from time to secure the points and quell crowd impatience.

Southampton had taken only eight minutes to equalise Steven Gerrard's early strike and held their own for more than an hour and were denied a hand-ball penalty.

While conceding "it was not the best Liverpool performance in terms of passing and movement," Gerard Houllier added: "I don't think we were lucky. We dominated a confident team."

In possession and territory that may have been true. In imagination, though, they looked increasingly bereft. which is why the Anfield fans were restive at the incompetence of it all.

Houllier was right when he said his three substitutes made the difference. "They brought freshness and desire to take the game our way when the guidelines of our play had gone."

In the first half Emile Heskey was briefly at his burly, bustling best; Gary McAllister kept the midfield machinery in running order; and Gerrard, lying deep, got forward unnoticed to inject pace and purpose.

In the second minute, from 25 yards, his rocket forced Paul Jones to palm away for a corner. In the 12th, from five yards deeper, and again not picked up, he beat the keeper to his top left-hand corner with another bullet still rising.

For once, the Southampton goal was not James Beattie's, though it owed something to the fear which his record of 10 goals in 10 games struck in Liverpool's defence. Stephane Henchoz had already been glad to concede a corner when Claus Lundekvam's long ball found Beattie beyond him. Then Sami Hyypia did the same. This time Marian Pahars' corner found Trond Soltvedt beyond the far post

Southampton regained composure and Liverpool could not work out how to break down the organisation Matt Oakley had marshalled in front of his back four. If Southampton threatened only on the break, Liverpool hardly made a clear-cut chance.

The winner came from a corner, won by Owen's burst past Jason Dodd, nodded back by Hyypia and in by Babbel. Just previously, from Pahars' free-kick, Henchoz shot up a hand under pressure from Beattie and clearly palmed the ball out. "They have to catch it nowadays if you're away," said visiting manager Glenn Hoddle.

Asked about Gerrard's international potential, he said: "He plays with his head up, a rarity these days." If only more of his team-mates did the same.

Liverpool: Westerveld, Henchoz, Babbel, Hyypia, Carragher, McAllister, Barmby (Murphy 52), Gerrard, Smicer (Owen 72), Heskey (Biscan 78), Fowler. Subs Not Used: Hamann, Nielsen. Goals: Gerrard 12, Babbel 86.

Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Lundekvam, Bridge, El Khalej, Oakley, Tessem (Rosler 90), Soltvedt, Pahars (Kachloul 82), Beattie, Davies. Subs Not Used: Moss, Bleidelis, Gibbens. Booked: Rosler. Goals: Soltvedt 20.

Referee: D Gallagher.