Match Pack: Liverpool vs Saints
Get game-ready for Southampton's trip to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup third round with our detailed Match Pack…
THE MATCH
Liverpool vs Southampton
Carabao Cup third round
Anfield
Tuesday 23rd September, 8pm BST
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Thomas Bramall
Assistants: Simon Bennett, Andrew Dallison
Fourth official: Lewis Smith
THE KITS
Saints will wear the yellow and blue away kit at Anfield, paired with blue shorts and yellow socks. Liverpool will play in their traditional home colours of red shirts, red shorts and red socks.
TICKETS
Away tickets are no longer on sale, with the travelling Saints fans snapping up just over 2,000 tickets.
LIVE COVERAGE
For those without a ticket, the tie will be broadcast live on ITV1 and Sky Sports Main Event, while Saints Play audio passes are available to purchase.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
A place in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup. Saints have reached this stage with two clean sheets in two games, seeing off Northampton (1-0) in the first round and Norwich (3-0) in the second round, both away from home.
Still searching for a first league victory since the opening weekend of the Championship campaign, Will Still will be hoping to spring a surprise at Anfield and give his players a significant injection of confidence.
For Liverpool, this is their first step into the competition. Beaten in the final last year, Arne Slot's side will hope to go one better this time around.
The Reds have won all five of their Premier League games so far this season, as well as their Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid in dramatic fashion, 3-2 at Anfield.
TEAM NEWS
Will Still suggested he would be picking from a similar squad to Saturday, reporting no fresh absentees in his pre-match press conference.
The manager hinted he would shuffle his pack again, having made multiple changes in the previous rounds at Northampton and Norwich, saying "it’s about getting the right mix between those players that need to play and the ones that deserve to play".
Arne Slot revealed following Liverpool's Merseyside derby triumph over Everton that Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Mohamed Salah, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai won't be involved against Saints after the quintet played three lots of 90 minutes in the space of seven days.
THE MANAGERS
Arne Slot: "This is the reason why teams like us, Chelsea, all the ones that are playing in Europe, need a squad like this, because you need to play so many games. It's not an excuse, we have to accept it as it is, but we have had some issues, with Alexander Isak not training for four months, [Alexis] Mac Allister missing out a lot – I can go on and on and on.
"But the good thing is I do have the options to rotate throughout the week and the ones that played three times 90 are Virgil [van Dijk], Ibou [Konaté], Mo [Salah], Ryan [Gravenberch] and Dom [Szoboszlai], the ones that are used to this intensity at this level. I can tell you now you won't be seeing them on Tuesday. If that's any help for Southampton then they will know."
Will Still: “They’re the best team in England, probably one of the best teams in Europe, and we have to go there with the belief that we can play football and that we’re good at doing certain things in our register. We just have to show a bit of personality, a bit of bravery to stand back up, to get back up.
“I just want us to have a go, to be brave and show a bit of what we’re about, not just go there and fold over and crumple. We need to be strong, we need to be good at what we do. Just go there and have a go.”
ONES TO WATCH
Alexander Isak: With so much talk about whether or not Isak would complete his summer switch from Newcastle, it's been a low-key start to his Liverpool career.
Hugo Ekitike has hit the ground running for the Reds, allowing Isak to gradually build his fitness in the background. He started against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and was back on the bench against Everton, but with wholesale Liverpool changes expected, it makes sense for the Swede to return to Arne Slot's line-up against Saints.
Leo Scienza: After two substitute appearances since signing on transfer deadline day, Scienza could be a contender to come into the starting line-up, given Will Still hinted there would be changes to his side.
The winger played back-to-back 90 minutes in the Bundesliga prior to his arrival, so should be in good shape to add to his eight-minute cameo against Portsmouth and near half-hour appearance at Hull.
TOP PERFORMERS
Liverpool
Goals:
Ekitike 4
Salah 3
Gravenberch 2
Assists:
Salah 3
Gakpo, Gravenberch 2
Ekitike, Endo, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai 1
Saints
Goals:
Archer, Manning 2
Armstrong, Fraser, Harwood-Bellis, Matsuki, Robinson, Stephens 1
Assists:
Fraser 2
Archer, Downs, Manning, Roerslev, Stewart, Wood 1
FORM GUIDE
Liverpool
Everton (h) PL: W 2-1 (Gravenberch, Ekitike)
Atletico (h) CL: W 3-2 (Robertson, Salah, van Dijk)
Burnley (a) PL: W 1-0 (Salah pen)
Arsenal (h) PL: W 1-0 Szoboszlai
Newcastle (a) PL: W 3-2 (Gravenberch, Ekitike, Ngumoha)
Saints
Hull (a) SBC: L 1-3 (Armstrong)
Portsmouth (h) SBC: D 0-0
Watford (a) SBC: D 2-2 (Archer, Manning)
Norwich (a) CC2: W 3-0 (Archer, Fraser, Matsuki)
Stoke (h) SBC: L 1-2 (Harwood-Bellis)
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 120
Liverpool wins: 64
Draws: 25
Saints wins: 31
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Mar 2025: Liverpool 3-0 Saints Premier League
Dec 2024: Saints 1-2 Liverpool Carabao Cup quarter-final (Archer)
Nov 2024: Saints 2-3 Liverpool Premier League (A. Armstrong, Fernandes)
Feb 2024: Liverpool 3-0 Saints FA Cup fifth round
May 2023: Saints 4-4 Liverpool Premier League (Ward-Prowse, Kamaldeen 2, A. Armstrong)
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