Preview: Liverpool vs. Southampton
Liverpool return to league play after committing a robbery in Paris
LIVERPOOL VS. SOUTHAMPTON
| Saturday, March 8th |
Premier League | Anfield
3PM GMT/10AM EST
Southampton are at the bottom of the table, and they have been for quite some time. They are likely going down, and when that is confirmed it will only be confirmation of a foregone conclusion.
They have a total of nine (9) points. There’s 58 points between the Saints and the Reds, which is the largest gap between two teams facing each other in five years. A team on 58 points this season would be sat in second place on the table. It’s quite some gap. In their last nine matches at Anfield, the Saints have drawn two and lost seven on an aggregate score of 19-1.
All this makes them a challenge. This makes them a challenge because while PSG has shown us one possible stumbling block in a team very effective in their set up defensively and threatening in attack, Southampton provide a prime example of the other: an invitation to complacency. And they’ll not be as bad as their position on the table makes them seem: they’ll be playing for pride, and they are in many ways suffering from the strength of the league this season. They’re the worst of the 20 teams in the league, but Liverpool have been challenged by the other sides down there with them this season.
Adam Lallana has returned to fitness and might face his former side, though former teammates are getting rarer and rarer as time moves on. Lesley Ugochukwu (who was unavailable last match due to parent club ineligibility, not injury) and Jan Bednarek are available for Southampton, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis played a few minutes last time out and may return to the starting lineup. James Bree is Southampton’s only confirmed absentee.
Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)
Alisson; Quansah, Konaté, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Endō, Jones; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Núñez
Liverpool have few changes on the fitness front, Cody Gakpo remains under assessment as he returns from an ankle injury that’s troubled him for some time. He has not yet trained with the team, though might return Friday depending on pain. Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez remain out.
Arne Slot will have some decisions to make in his team selection: while players have had rest over the FA Cup weekend following that gruelling period of five games in 15 days, the form in Paris might have the boss pondering fatigue (mental and physical) versus a lack of rhythm.
The Liverpool midfield midweek was poor, and the substitutions made an immediate impact in an uptick of form. Slot might consider one or the other of Curtis Jones or Wataru Endō in place of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch. Harvey Elliott’s heroics have of course also asked the manager questions, with Elliott in contention both to come in for Mohamed Salah late on, or in place of Dominik Szoboszlai
The manager does not love rotation, but said in his press conference that the two-day turnaround will force him to avoid playing the same XI again. We’re therefore likely to see a balance between rotation in the starting lineup and planned substitutions. It’s a delicate balance, providing rotation without disrupting the team’s rhythm. Jarrell Quansah will look to start, but whether he comes in for Trent Alexander-Arnold or Ibrahima Konaté is a question; if fit, Gakpo will want some minutes ahead of the return leg on Tuesday and the League Cup final next Sunday, but he’d probably settle for minutes off the bench. The absences of Gomez and Bradley will annoy the manager, as one or players would probably start Saturday if fit.
It’s probably safest to expect one-to-two changes in both the back five and through the spine of the team, with planned changes for the likes of Mohamed Salah and others who will be on the starting team sheet against PSG.
Liverpool will look to keep their fourth consecutive clean sheet. Southampton have kept just two clean sheets all season. Liverpool have scored 66 league goals this season, the most in the league. Southampton have scored 19 league goals this season, the least in the league. Liverpool are playing Southampton on Sunday, but they’re also playing complacency, and they’ll need to beat both.
What the Managers Had to Say
Arne Slot: “They are not playing as a team who are bottom of the league because they take risks, go man-to-man and they saw how difficult we had it with that gameplan against PSG. If you are not sharp or you aren’t aggressive enough then they can hurt you.”
Ivan Jurić: ““They play great football and we know that it will be a very tough game for us. We will try to do our best and we will see. Before the match, I am always optimistic and then afterwards, maybe I think differently. I always see the possibility to do something good.”
The Officials
Referee: Lewis Smith Assistants: Mat Wilkes, Marc Perry Fourth Official: Tony Harrington VAR: Matt Donohue Assistant VAR: Derek Eaton
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