Overview
Southampton suffered another heavy defeat as they were thrashed 5-0 by Tottenham in the Premier League. It was the St Mary’s side’s third consecutive defeat and their sixth game without a win. This disappointing run of results led to the sacking of manager Russell Martin and his replacement, Simon Rusk.
Liverpool also had a difficult match against Fulham in the 16th round of the Premier League and struggled to get 1 point. However, coach Arne Slot's team still extended their unbeaten streak in all competitions to 19 matches and led both the Premier League and the Champions League.
The "Red Brigade" will aim to defeat the underdog Southampton to regain the joy of victory, as well as gain the right to enter the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup this season.
In particular, The Saints are considered the favorite opponent of the Anfield team because they have won 6 and drawn 1 in the last 7 meetings. In fact, The Kop even scored a total of 21 goals during that time.
Recent matches between Southampton and Liverpool have often had many goals. Therefore, fans can expect an open and dedicated game from both teams.
As with the round of 16 clash with Brighton, Arne Slot is likely to rotate his squad, giving chances to players who have had little playing time. Even so, victory should still be within Liverpool's grasp.
Human resources situation
Liverpool will be without Andy Robertson after the Scot picked up a red card at the weekend. However, Alexis Mac Allister returns from suspension, while Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson are likely to be rested.
On the other side of the front line, Southampton will be without Jack Stephens due to suspension. In addition, the home team almost has the strongest force before this match.
Expected lineup:
Southampton: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Aribo, Ugochukwu, Mateus Fernandes, Dibling, Onuachu, Armstrong.
Liverpool: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez, Mac Allister, Endo, Jones, Elliott, Jota, Nunez.
The match between Southampton and Liverpool takes place at 3:00 a.m. on December 19 (Vietnam time).
