Mohamed Salah thought that Liverpool were about to break Premier League rules by sending on a sixth substitute against Southampton on Saturday. The Egyptian was desperately trying to stop the change until referee Lewis Smith explained to him that Arne Slot was well within his rights to make it.
Teams are usually limited to five substitutions per match, which was expanded from three subs per match in 2020. While 1-0 down and chasing the game against the division’s bottom side, Liverpool made a trio of changes at the break with Alexis Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott and Andrew Robertson coming on for Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Konstantinos Tsimikas.
Slot also sent on Diogo Jota and Wataru Endo during the second period, which under normal circumstances would have maxed out his changes. That’s why Salah desperately tried to step in when Jarell Quansah stood on the touchline, ready to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 89th minute.
It was only when match official Smith explained to Salah that, because Southampton made a concussion protocol substitution in the first half when Armel Bella-Kotchap replaced Jan Bednarek, both teams’ limit was expanded to six changes.
International Football Association Board (IFAB) rules state that a team trying to exceed the permitted number of substitutions made during a match ‘must be prevented by the referee’. And if they mistakenly allow a team to surpass the limit, the subs must be reversed and the matter reported after the game.
Thankfully for Liverpool, there will be no need for that as all six of Slot’s subs were above board. Relief was also granted when they came back with three goals in the second half to take another step closer to the Premier League title.
Darwin Nunez got the ball rolling from open play, and then Salah scored twice from the spot to send the Saints back down south empty-handed. Liverpool are now 16 points clear at the top, albeit having played twice more than Arsenal, who travel to Old Trafford on Sunday.
« We were sloppy and slow in the first half, » Salah said after the game. « I don’t think we played well today. If you want to win the Champions League or Premier League you have to win these games like that. The manager was a bit frustrated. His head was going for us. Southampton had a good game plan. »
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