'Shaqiri sparkles on full debut' - the media on LFC 3-0 Southampton

An own goal from Wesley Hoedt edged the Reds into the lead and further efforts from Joel Matip and Mohamed Salah ensured a new club record of seven successive victories at the start of a campaign was set.

Read on for the media's view of the match...

James Pearce, Liverpool Echo

The man with the Midas touch did it again. The pack was shuffled but Jürgen Klopp still held all the aces as the good times just keep on rolling at Anfield. For the first time in their illustrious history Liverpool have kicked off a season by winning their first seven competitive fixtures. This stroll in the park against Southampton put the Reds top of the Premier League table as they stole a march on Chelsea, who take on West Ham on Sunday. The wealth of talent at Klopp's disposal was showcased by the contribution of those who stepped up from the fringes. Xherdan Shaqiri sparkled on his full debut for the club with two assists – forcing Wesley Hoedt's own goal and then unleashing the free-kick which cannoned against the woodwork and was tucked away by Mohamed Salah. In between, Joel Matip, who hadn't started a game since the victory at Crystal Palace in March, savoured his first goal at Anfield. The points were wrapped up by half-time. The second half was a non-event with Saints seemingly content just to avoid an absolute hammering. Klopp has made Anfield a fortress once again and the fear factor is growing by the week. The sheer gulf in class was underlined by the fact that it took 91 minutes for Mark Hughes' side to force a save from Alisson Becker. European hangovers were an issue last term. Liverpool won just one of their six league battles immediately following group matches. But this time momentum was maintained.

Dominic King, MailOnline

Shaqiri made an instant impact when he scored a brilliant bicycle kick against Manchester United in pre-season and he hardly hung about here; within 10 minutes, the man signed from Stoke for £12.5million had created Liverpool's opener. Immediately there was a link with Sadio Mane, as he latched on to a glorious ball from the Senegal flyer, skipped inside Cedric Soares and then saw his curling shot cannon off Shane Long and into Wesley Hoedt before trickling over the line. He scurried around in the areas Milner would normally patrol, pointing and barking and making sure that those in yellow and blue shirts were picked up. He won't succeed at Anfield if he doesn't work hard and that's precisely what he did. In many ways, this was the perfect game for him to get attuned to the Liverpool Way. Without being at their best, they stretched easily away from Southampton in the manner that a top class racehorse would leave a lesser stablemate behind on the gallops. Sure enough, you could see Shaqiri's confidence surging. In one pin-ball passage of passing in the 32nd minute, that involved Jordan Henderson, Mane and Roberto Firmino, Shaqiri's delightful back-heel into the Brazilian almost created a third goal. Goal number three eventually arrived in the second minute of time added-on and, again, Shaqiri was central to it, his bending 25-yard free-kick thudding against the bar and beating Alex McCarthy all ends up, enabling Mohamed Salah to ensure he didn't go a fourth game without scoring.

Andy Hunter, Guardian

Liverpool ended the contest before half-time as a Wesley Hoedt own goal, Joël Matip header and Mohamed Salah tap-in brought an emphatic interval lead over Mark Hughes’ visitors. If Charity Shield results are included, this is now the finest start to a campaign in Liverpool’s illustrious history. They are raking up wins while in second gear, have kept eight consecutive clean sheets at home in the Premier League and have two points more than Manchester City did at the corresponding stage of last season. Not that anyone at Anfield is looking too far ahead, of course. The game provided a further demonstration of the widening gulf between the Premier League’s leading lights and their supposed competitors. Southampton did not play particularly badly and Liverpool were a long way short of their intensive, dominant best; yet they still strolled off at half-time three goals to the good. The second half was flat by comparison although the watching Jeremy Corbyn, in the city for the Labour party conference and having paid his respects at the Hillsborough memorial before kick-off, can only have been impressed.

Chris Bascombe, Telegraph

Depending on how seriously you take the Community Shield, Klopp’s Liverpool have become history makers. No Anfield side has ever won seven consecutive fixtures at the start of a season – presuming it is accepted English football’s curtain-raiser constitutes a competitive game. A stewards enquiry may be needed to deny Kenny Dalglish’s 1990 team the same honour and more given they won ten on the run after a Wembley draw that year. Nevertheless, a stroll against Southampton indisputably secured a club record in the Premier League era, and the comfort in which Mark Hughes’ submissive visitors were brushed aside suggested they are well equipped to extend the run. This was another of those peculiarly reassuring performances when progress could be measured in the gulf in class without Liverpool needing to keep their foot on the pedal. The second half, especially, was an exercise in winning with minimal application. It was the ideal follow-up to the emotional and physical demands in defeating Paris St-Germain in midweek. To suggest Liverpool did not play particularly well is an exaggeration. There was a different mastery at work here. Also reassuring was Salah’s improvement, which constituted more than his goal. It speaks volumes that a three game wait constituted a “drought”. For 45 minutes he looked anxious, first denied a tap-in by a brilliant Cedric Soares tackle, and then seeing a clever back-heel drift wide. As is so often the case for the most prolific, his confidence was assisted by a tap-in and he improved as the game aged. He will thank Shaqiri for the spectacular 25-yard free-kick that made it possible, bouncing off the underside of the crossbar, enabling Salah to pounce for his third of the season just before the interval.

Neil Jones, Goal.com

Welcome to Liverpool, Xherdan Shaqiri. Anfield has had to wait for its first proper look at the Reds’ new £13million ($17m) signing, but they will have liked what they saw here. 'The Magnificent Seven' arrived with the minimum of fuss, with Mark Hughes’ sorry Southampton side brushed aside in the most routine of manners. Liverpool’s 3-0 victory was achieved without the need for third gear. Their best start to a season in 28 years shows no sign of slowing. Having had just 34 minutes of competitive action so far, Shaqiri got just 45 here. With two assists, however, the Switzerland international sure made his presence felt, on a day which underlined the benefits of a well-stocked squad. On a gloomy Merseyside day, Shaqiri’s brightness was there for all to see. Given license to move across the pitch in search of space, the 26-year-old saw plenty of the ball and showed a willingness to work which will have delighted his manager.

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.