Liverpool wants to pick up back-to-back wins in the Premier League to stand a place near the top four spots in the last game before the World Cup against a Southampton team looking at a new era under Nathan Jones.
The Reds picked up a nervy yet a much needed 2-1 victory at the Tottenham Hotspurs stadium against Spurs whereas the Saint’s 4-1 loss to Newcastle United last weekend in the Premier League cost Ralph Hasenhuttl’s job at the club.
LIV vs SOU Match Details
Date: Saturday, 12 November 2022
Time: 16:00 (BST) / 20:30 (IST)
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
LIV vs SOU Match Preview
Jurgen Klopp’s men sucked up the pressure thrown by Tottenham in the second half holding on to their two goals advantage before the break curving out the victory they badly needed after two disastrous losses in the Premier League. The 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest and then a 2-1 loss at home to Leeds United threatened Red’s chances to even make the top four with the title charge long gone but when Mohamed Salah tucked away his 6th goal of the season and his fifth from his last four games in all competition inside 11 minutes, hopes went high and jubilation was confirmed when he capitalized on a huge error by Spurs center-half Eric Dier heading into the Egyptian’s path to score his second on the evening. The home side hit the bar in between through Ivan Perisic who also smashed the crossbar in the second half as Spurs upped the tempo to get back into the game. Even though Harry Kane pulled one back late in the period, Liverpool managed to obtain the win amid some near misses from the opposition and excellency from Alisson to thwart other efforts on goal. It was also a panicky ending in the midweek EFL Cup tie with Derby County requiring penalties to decide the game which the Anfield club won 3-2, Harvey Elliot with the decisive spot-kick after the score remained 0-0 at full-time. The Germans will not mind taking scrappy victories in this period as long as they take suitable points before the league halts due to the World Cup in Qatar next week. Liverpool have gathered 19 points from 13 games staying at the eighth position but is now only four points below a European Football spot although still a seven points gap with the last Champions League spot, currently held by Antonio Conte’s side. Another victory will take them a bit closer to the top four and the Reds will not be happy to slip off again facing a side currently looking for a manager for the hot seat.
Ralph Hasenhuttl knew his time will be up if Southampton failed to beat or grab a point against Newcastle United at the St Mary’s yet they were thrashed by Eddie Howe’s men 4-1 taking full advantage of their fragility at the back. The home side did not collapse completely and created some decent chances at the other end just missing the clinical edge with Mohamed Elyounoussi and Che Adams spurning glorious chances. Perraud’s 89th-minute solo goal was more of a consolation 3-1 down as Bruno Guimaraes only minutes later planted the last one into Saint’s net. The Austrian manager was sacked a day after a five-year stay at the club pulling out some historic wins as well as equally damaging defeats a tenure which can be described as a mixed one. Only 48 hours after his sacking, Nathan Jones was selected as the new boss after putting Luton Town in the mix of promotion battles from the championship in the most unlike way in his two-year stint. Jones’s first test was an EFL Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday which despite a win on penalties after it ended 1-1 was not the ideal for the manager to show his tactical nous. Making his strategy pay in his first Premier League game against an opposition of such a high magnitude as Liverpool irrespective of the shortcomings faced by the Reds this season will be quite a sight. For that, the Welsh had to guide Southampton to their first win at Anfield since a 1-0 win in 2013 knowing Klopp’s men have struggled against teams in relegation spots this season. The Saints are only a point away from safety in a tight race in the bottom half of the table with only seven points separating them from the top half. Jones has quite a task in hand to recover the side’s downfall with only three wins and eight losses from 14 games till now in 18th place and a move out of the drop zone before the World Cup could be the start of something special.
LIV vs SOU Team News
Liverpool did not endure any more injury problems albeit a much more changed squad in the EFL Cup tie against Derby County. Instead, they have a boost with James Milner returning to the fold after concussion protocol that kept him out for the last two games. Center-back Joel Matip is a big doubt for the clash as he continues his recovery from a calf injury to get into the Cameroon squad for the World Cup just a week away. Naby Keita is out till the end of the month with a muscle injury whereas Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are sidelined till the end of this year. Arthur Melo is also struggling with a muscle injury. The first-teamers got the necessary rest from the midweek game with Harvey Elliot, Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez coming on as substitutes. All will be back for the last Premier League before the World Cup this weekend.
Southampton had 18-year-old right back Juan Larios returning from an adductor injury in the midweek EFL clash against Sheffield Wednesday which is a boost. Kyle Walker-Peters with a thigh injury until late December and Tino Livramento unavailable until January for a cruciate ligament tear remain the only absentees for the side. Like Liverpool, the Saints too rotated their squad in the EFL Cup tie but most of the regulars were there and will like to keep their place at Anfield including James Ward-Prowse who was left out for the 26-man World Cup squad list for England by manager Gareth Southgate.
LIV vs SOU Predicted Lineups
LIV: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Fabinho, Harvey Elliott, Thiago; Roberto Firmino; Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez
SOU: Gavin Bazunu; Lyanco, Bella-Kotchap, Mohammed Salisu; Mohamed Elyounoussi, Ward-Prowse, Romeo Lavia, Stuart Armstrong, Romain Perraud; Joe Aribo, Che Adams
LIV vs SOU Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Alisson (7.5)
DEF: Trent (8), Bella-Kotchap (7), Van Dijk (8.5), Robertson (7)
MID: Thiago (7.5), Ward-Prowse (8), S Armstrong (8),
FW: Salah (9), Adams (9), Nunez (9)
Vice-captain: Darwin Nunez
Captain: Mohamed Salah
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