The details
Venue – Anfield, Liverpool
Referee – Kevin Friend
Date & Time – Saturday, February 1st @ 15:00
Current Odds – Liverpool 2/7, Draw 9/2, Southampton 10/1
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19 points clear, on the way to a 19th league title, with all other 19 Premier League teams defeated in the one season. Next up for Jurgen Klopp’s mighty Redmen is the visit of a much-improved Southampton side to Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
Form
Liverpool Form
Liverpool’s 2-0 win at West Ham on Wednesday means The Reds have now taken 70 points from 72 this season. It’s simply unheard of. Take this all in because you are never going to see the likes of this again. Not from Liverpool or from any other club.
Jurgen Klopp’s side has won 23 and drawn one of their 24 league games. Liverpool have not lost a Premier League fixture since they went down 2-1 at Manchester City in their first game of 2019, almost 13 months ago now. They haven’t lost a league game at Anfield since April 2017.
Southampton Form
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints have only lost once in their last 9 in all competitions. This run has seen them rise to 9th in the table.
Former Liverpool man, Danny Ings, is in red-hot form for Southampton this season with 14 goals in 24 league appearances. Ings is sure to receive a warm reception at Anfield on Saturday but let’s just hope Virgil van Dijk and co don’t allow him to get too comfortable.
Southampton have the fifth-best away record in the Premier League this season, winning six, drawing two and losing four on the road. They’ve won their lost four away games in a row – at Aston Villa, Chelsea, Leicester City and Crystal Palace.
Team news
Liverpool Team News
Divock Origi went off after 70 minutes against West Ham but it’s reported to have been just bad cramps the Belgian forward was suffering from. Origi should be fit and available for Saturday.
Sadio Mané is expected to miss the game against his former club while another Southampton old-boy, Nathaniel Clyne, is still a long-term injury absentee.
Jurgen Klopp will wait for further news on James Milner, Adam Lallana and Xherdan Shaqiri.
In Mane’s absence, Klopp could well opt to give Takumi Minamino a first-ever Premier League start on the left of the front three.
Fabinho will probably start in midfield with Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum ahead of him.
Southampton Team News
Cedric Soares is ruled out for the visitors. Yan Valery, Jannik Vestergaard, Shane Long and Stuart Armstrong are also doubtful and will face fitness tests later in the week.
Ralph Hasenhuttl seems to favour a 4-4-2 shape for his side in recent months and it has seen a great upturn in form and performances for Southampton.
Predicted lineups
Liverpool XI (4-3-3) – Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Minamino
Southampton XI (4-4-2) – McCarthy; Danso, Stephens, Vestergaard, Bertrand; Djenepo, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Boufal; Redmond, Ings
When they last met
Liverpool won 2-1 at St Mary’s back in August thanks to goals from Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino. Danny Ings scored The Saints’ late reply.
This fixture at Anfield last season finished in a 3-0 win for Jurgen Klopp’s men. A Wesley Hoedt own-goal gave The Reds an early lead before strikes from Joel Matip and Mohamed Salah finished the job in September 2018.
Prediction
LIVERPOOL 2 – 1 SOUTHAMPTON
This is going to be a tough one. Ralph Hasenhuttl has his side playing some excellent stuff in recent weeks and I can see Southampton nicking at least a goal. Yes, probably Danny Ings. However, Liverpool should have enough left in the tank to take all three points and continue on the road to a 19th league title success.
