Premiership: Southampton secure a lucky draw

Liverpool 1 Southampton 1

Southampton were unlucky not to beat Liverpool at Anfield, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Michael Owen scored his 20th club goal of the season, but Kevin Davies equalised.

Had it not been for a last-ditch save from Jerzy Dudek to keep out a Chris Marsden header, and the width of a post to stop a drive from Anders Svensson, Southampton would have won.

Liverpool have now won just once in their last nine league games, while Manchester United - with eight successive league wins - are waiting for their faltering rivals with great expectation on Tuesday.

Phil Thompson recalled Emile Heskey, leaving Nicolas Anelka on the bench. Vladimir Smicer returned after a back injury for a place on the bench, and found himself in the fray after just 31 minutes following a worrying ankle injury for Steven Gerrard.

Liverpool set off like men possessed, but could not keep it up and let what had been a timid Saints side back into a game they could have been four down in early on.

After just two minutes, Liverpool were awarded a free-kick 20 yards out for a foul by Marsden on Owen, and when Patrik Berger curled in his shot, Paul Jones produced an outstanding save to claw the ball out from right under the angle. A minute later, Sami Hyypia met a John Arne Riise free-kick from the left with a powerful downward header from eight yards, and again Jones somehow got his body in the way.

Jones was getting no help from the men in front of him, and had to produce another outstanding block with his legs when Heskey turned and wrestled his way past Claus Lundekvam before drilling a fierce shot that the Wales keeper got in the way of.

After seven minutes Liverpool took the lead. Dietmar Hamann's fierce, low cross was turned away again by Jones, but this time Owen stabbed home the loose ball.

Dudek only had one first half save to make, but Liverpool were caught cold a minute after the re-start. A long ball down the middle from Wayne Bridge produced no reaction from Liverpool's back line, and Marsden chased after the ball and got himself a couple of yards clear before anyone moved a muscle.

He was half stopped by a recovering Hyypia, but the ball fell invitingly for Davies to fire home his first Premiership goal in 13 months.

More problems for Liverpool came when substitute Smicer limped off with a leg strain, Anelka coming on. But there was a lethargy about Liverpool's play, they lacked co-ordination and inspiration. Only Anelka's pace on the left caused problems for Southampton and Saints looked more likely to win it in a desperate final few minutes.