Southampton fans learn reason behind bizarre Premier League scenes on weekend | OneFootball

Southampton and Liverpool seemed to surpass their participating players' limit on Saturday. Though appearing as an erroneous act, the actual reason emerges behind the unusual yet valid Premier League moment.

Going into the Liverpool clash, Southampton fans had some reasons to eagerly wait for the kickoff whistle. Firstly, the Saints were back in Premier League action after a big break, and secondly due to injuries.

Following a lengthy fatigue streak, Ivan Juric's pre-match fitness updates felt like a breath of fresh air into the playing eleven.

Consequently, the club's morale was rising gradually but the misfortunes were waiting in store for the Saints. Club captain Jan Bednarek sustained another early knock and the traveling fans again imagined a crushing defeat in the making.

Armel Bella-Kotchap was again recalled to fill Bednarek's void but what happened later left many fans puzzled.

We are talking about the substitutes, not their quality but their quantity. It's widely known that the Premier League grants every team the right to avail the services of up to five squad players during every fixture.

Premier League's concussion protocol came into play in Southampton's 3-1 defeat

Yet, watching six substitutes participating here became a common but repetitive theme towards the final stretch of the match. Talking about Southampton, one could say they may have been awarded extra personnel to make amends for the 28-year-old's recent injury.

On the other hand, Liverpool exceeding the allowed substitute limit did raise an array of eyebrows from the Saints.

Well, don't worry Southampton fans as it wasn't another debatable call that held back the visitors. Instead, the Premier League's concussion guidelines were applied, which provided a supplementary substitution for both sides.

Without a doubt, the match referees should be applauded alongside the Premier League for approaching this scenario well. Finally, let's wish a speedy recovery to our brave captain Jan Bednarek.