Match Pack: Saints vs Liverpool
Southampton will be looking to dent Liverpool’s title hopes as they play their final home game of the season at St Mary’s on Tuesday. This and more in today’s Match Pack …
Saints vs Liverpool
Premier League
St Mary’s Stadium
Tuesday 17th May, 7.45pm GMT
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Richard West
Fourth official: David Coote
VAR: Stuart Attwell
Assistant VAR: Adam Nunn
Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men will be looking to finish their season on a high as they host Liverpool at St Mary’s on Tuesday.
It’s been a difficult few weeks for Saints, who last picked up three points a little over a month ago against Arsenal.
Jürgen Klopp’s men enter the midweek clash full of confidence after claiming FA Cup victory in a dramatic penalty shootout with Chelsea on Saturday.
With title rivals Manchester City only managing a point on the road at West Ham on Sunday, Liverpool’s title hopes are still very much alive with just two games left to play.
Fraser Forster and Stuart Armstrong are both a doubt for the showdown at St Mary’s, with Hasenhüttl confirming they are to be assessed ahead of the tie.
Tino Livramento remains a long-term absentee for Saints as he recovers from surgery after sustaining an ACL injury against Brighton.
With an action-packed calendar finally taking its toll on Klopp’s men, there are plenty of question marks surrounding their squad heading into Tuesday.
Fabinho remains absent, while Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk were forced off the field in the FA Cup Final on Saturday and could be a doubt for their trip to the south coast.
“For me it’s even harder to be over 38 games in the Premier League consistently on the top than to win the Champions League sometimes. Even if he (Klopp) says it’s tough for him to go for all four, I know he will do everything to win this game on Tuesday to give himself a chance on the last day.”
“This is game 60. When did Southampton have their last game? 10-12 days? They might lack rhythm but we lose that advantage if we make changes. They are completely fresh. Last home game, what would you do?"
With a notoriously hard-to-break Liverpool defence to contend with, Saints’ best opportunities could come from the set-piece, with captain James Ward-Prowse’ prowess potentially proving vital if Saints are to take down the title contenders.
The Senegalise international has had a hugely impressive season for both club and country so far, and continues to impress in a Liverpool shirt. Scoring 22 times already this season, Saints’ defence will be under pressure to prevent the former Saint from finding the back of the net.
James Ward-Prowse 10
Armando Broja 9
Adams, Elyounoussi 8
James Ward-Prowse 8
Nathan Redmond 6
Elyounoussi, Walker-Peters 4
Mo Salah 30
Sadio Mané 22
Diogo Jota 21
Trent Alexander-Arnold 18
Salah, Robertson 15
Henderson, Tsimikas 6
Played: 115
Liverpool: 59
Draws: 25
Saints: 31
November 2021: Liverpool 4-0 Saints
May 2021: Liverpool 2-0 Saints
January 2021: Saints 1-0 Liverpool (Ings)
February 2020: Liverpool 4-0 Saints
August 2019: Saints 1-2 Liverpool (Ings)
- Southampton’s eight home Premier League wins over Liverpool have been won by eight different managers (Branfoot, Ball, Strachan, Sturrock, Redknapp, Pochettino, Koeman & Hasenhüttl). The last Saints manager to win consecutive home league games against Liverpool was Chris Nicholl, in 1989-90 and 1990-91.
- Southampton won this exact fixture 1-0 last season, with Saints last winning consecutive home league games against Liverpool between March 2004 and March 2013 (three in a row).
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