Liverpool team news vs Southampton and predicted lineup
Liverpool will be looking to go 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League when they host Southampton on Saturday at 3pm.
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Southampton
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Jones, Diaz; Nunez
The Reds are edging closer to the Premier League title and have the benefit of playing before their rivals this weekend. Not to mention the fact that second-placed Arsenal travel to face Manchester United, while Liverpool host relegation-battlers Southampton.
Liverpool team news vs Southampton
In terms of injuries, things are pretty straight forward for Liverpool. Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley are both out, with the latter expected to return just after the international break. Gomez has a little longer to wait, having undergone surgery on a hamstring injury.
Cody Gakpo is a doubt after missing the win over Paris Saint-Germain in midweek. He was touch-and-go ahead of that game, but suffered a minor setback in training. If he is involved this weekend, it won’t be from the start.
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Jones, Diaz; Nunez
But we may see some changes from the win over PSG. With the second leg just a few days away, Liverpool will be thankful that they have a relegation-battling side as opposition at Anfield this weekend. It’s the best chance to rotate from the start, and potentially rest more players as the game goes on.
Unfortunately there is no real replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold due to Bradley’s injury, but on the left Kostas Tsimikas may come in to replace Andrew Robertson.
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We could also see a couple of changes to the attack. Dominik Szoboszlai has made the No.10 role his own, but Curtis Jones provides another option if Arne Slot wants to rest the Hungarian.
Darwin Nunez will also be pushing for a start after his impact from the bench against PSG. He’s unlikely to start the second leg, so Southampton are the ideal opponents to let him stretch his legs.
Best attack vs worst defence
On paper, this game promises goals. We’ve got the best attack in the Premier League this season against the worst defence. It should be obvious who is who.
Liverpool lead the Premier League with 66 goals across their 28 games. Although they’ve played one match more than most, their 2.36 per game is still top of the league. Naturally, they also sit top for shots (16.57) and shots on target (6.29) in the Premier League this season.
By comparison, Southampton are the lowest scorers in the Premier League, averaging 0.7 goals per 90. They are second-lowest for shots (9.44) and shots on target (3.07). They’re also bottom of the league with their 1.26 big chances created, compared to Liverpool’s league-high 2.89.
On the other side of the coin, Southampton have conceded 12.33 shots per game from inside the box, more than any other Premier League club. They rank low for possessions won across all three thirds, with their worst showing being 16.37 possessions won in the middle third (18th).
Southampton have conceded 2.41 goals per 90, made 0.7 errors leading to goals and 0.89 errors leading to shots (excluding goals) — all the worst in the Premier League. They also sit bottom for xG conceded (65.15) and xG on Target conceded (64.51), despite their goalkeepers being the busiest in the league with 4.56 saves per 90.
