Relegated Saints go down swinging in bonkers goalfest as Reds end below-par season with draw

SOUTHAMPTON and Liverpool shared the points and eight goals in a vintage final day ding-dong as both ended disappointing seasons.

Kamaldeen Sulemana and Diogo Jota bagged braces as both sides threw away two goal leads, the Saints scoring four after going two goals down before conceding another two.

Outgoing Reds’ hero Roberto Firmino hit the second of their two early goals but Saints fought back to lead 4-2 before being held in a ding-dong thrillerCredit: Getty

Two-goal Liverpool attacker Diogo Jota celebrates as he rescues a drawCredit: Getty

James Ward-Prowse sparked Southampton’s fightback in what could be the midfielder’s final game for the relegated clubCredit: PA

Roberto Firmino ended his Liverpool career with a goal while James Ward-Prowse did the same for the hosts, with the captain expected to depart following Southampton’s relegation.

Adam Armstrong and Cody Gakpo both got onto the scoresheet in a chaotic, thrilling second half.

Jurgen Klopp made seven changes as James Milner and Firmino were both handed starts in their final appearances for the Reds.

For Southampton, it was one final glimpse of Premier League football at St. Mary’s following their worst home campaign on record.

And if ever a goal was to sum up a season it was Liverpool’s first, gifted to Jota by Romeo Lavia.

The Saints were trying, and failing, to play out from the back as Alex McCarthy went short to Lavia, who looked to square the ball to a centre back in his own box but played it straight to Jota to tap home.

Southampton’s defending didn’t get much better, with Firmino leaving both Jan Bednarek and Lyanco on their backsides before firing home a low effort four minutes later to sign off his Liverpool career in style.

It wasn’t just Firmino and Milner bidding farewell at St. Mary’s.

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This was almost certainly Ward-Prowse’s final outing in a Southampton shirt, having made his full debut for the club in their first game back in the Premier League 11 years ago.

And he began Southampton’s fight back on 19 minutes, firing home a low shot after being found by Carlos Alcaraz.

Theo Walcott was also bidding farewell having confirmed his departure on Sunday morning, and he chipped in with an assist as Southampton remarkably found an equaliser just shy of the half hour mark.

Lavia won the ball from Firmino, with Walcott collecting it before sliding in Sulemana to bag a long awaited first goal for the club.

Southampton fans were enjoying what looked to be their side bowing out with a bang, but given they’ve only seen two Premier League wins here all season – the lead was never likely to last.

Gakpo, who the Saints tried to sign last summer, tapped in a low Trent Alexander-Arnold cross at the far post to reduce the deficit to one before Jota blasted home his second minutes later to level things up.