The Premier League serves up an intriguing battle this afternoon as cellar-dwellers Southampton welcome table-toppers Liverpool to St Mary’s Stadium. Arne Slot’s Reds can extend their lead to a commanding eight points with a victory, but the Saints are desperate for points in their fight against the drop.
Team News: Injuries Impact Both Sides
Southampton and Liverpool each have some significant absences to contend with for this crucial clash. The home side make five changes from their defeat to Wolves a fortnight ago, with Alex McCarthy replacing the injured Aaron Ramsdale in goal. Ryan Fraser, Tyler Dibling, Paul Onuachu and Flynn Downes also come into the starting XI.
Liverpool, meanwhile, are forced into three alterations from the team that beat Aston Villa 2-0 last time out. Conor Bradley fills in at right-back for the sidelined Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai are preferred to Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister in attack.
Saints’ Survival Scrap
Rock-bottom Southampton know they need to start picking up points quickly if they are to escape relegation. The Saints currently sit four points adrift of safety and have won just three league matches all season. According to a close source, manager Russell Martin remains confident his side can claw their way out of trouble, but time is running out.
We’re still fully focused on staying up. There’s a lot of football still to be played and we believe in the quality of this group to turn things around.
– Southampton manager Russell Martin
Liverpool’s Title Tilt
In contrast, Liverpool arrive on the south coast in fine form and with their sights set firmly on the Premier League crown. Slot’s men have been outstanding this term, losing just once in the league so far. The Reds already have a five-point cushion over nearest challengers Arsenal, and victory here would represent another huge step towards a first title in four years.
One of the key factors behind Liverpool’s success has been the sensational form of their front three. Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo have plundered 31 league goals between them, terrorizing defenses up and down the country. The Southampton rearguard will need to be at their very best to keep that vaunted trio quiet this afternoon.
Head-to-Head History
Liverpool unsurprisingly hold the edge in recent meetings between these two sides, winning five of the last six league encounters. However, Southampton did spring a surprise in this exact fixture last season, prevailing 1-0 thanks to a superb strike from James Ward-Prowse. A repeat of that scoreline would be a huge boost to their survival hopes.
| Last 6 Southampton vs Liverpool (PL) | Result |
| May 2023 | Southampton 1-0 Liverpool |
| Nov 2022 | Liverpool 3-1 Southampton |
| Apr 2022 | Southampton 1-2 Liverpool |
| Nov 2021 | Liverpool 4-0 Southampton |
| May 2021 | Liverpool 2-0 Southampton |
Match Details
With so much at stake for both teams, an absorbing 90 minutes lies in store at St Mary’s. Can Southampton secure a priceless victory to boost their bid for Premier League survival? Or will Liverpool’s title charge continue to gather pace on the south coast? Follow along with our live match updates to find out!
- Venue: St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
- Kick-off time: 14:00 GMT
- Referee: Samuel Barrott
| Southampton (4-2-3-1) | Liverpool (4-3-3) |
|---|---|
| McCarthy | Kelleher |
| Walker-Peters | Bradley |
| Harwood-Bellis | Konate |
| Stephens | Van Dijk |
| Fraser | Robertson |
| Downes | Szoboszlai |
| Lallana | Gravenberch |
| Dibling | Jones |
| Fernandes | Salah |
| Armstrong | Nunez |
| Onuachu | Gakpo |
