Liverpool tackle Southampton within the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, with a number of modifications anticipated for the Reds.
Southampton vs. Liverpool
Carabao Cup Quarter-Ultimate | St Mary’sDecember 18, 2024 | 8pm (GMT)
Arne Slot‘s facet have stumbled a little bit in latest weeks, drawing back-to-back video games within the Premier League.
Carabao Cup commitments are up subsequent for Liverpool, as they go to a beleaguered Southampton facet.
Right here’s all you must know forward of the sport.
1. Each managers lacking!
Southampton‘s 5-0 defeat to residence to Tottenham on Sunday made for painful viewing – that was the rating at half-time! – and it proved deadly for Russell Martin.
There have been deafening boos from the house crowd and the writing was on the wall for the Englishman, who was sacked after the sport.
Saints under-21s supervisor Simon Rusk will take Martin’s place within the dugout towards Liverpool, taking non permanent cost.
Liverpool can even be with out Slot within the dugout, with the Dutchman serving a one-match suspension after a 3rd yellow card on Saturday towards Fulham.
Sipke Hulshoff shall be in his spot.
2. Slot should take a look at greater image
Liverpool ought to all the time be trying to win each competitors, however there’s no ignoring the truth that Premier League commitments take priority this season.
Lengthy home cup runs in recent times have seen the Reds run out of steam within the spring, so key gamers can’t afford to be overplayed.
These two ultimate wins towards Chelsea in 2021/22 had been thrilling, however did Liverpool miss out on league glory due to the bodily toll of each runs?
This isn’t to say that Liverpool ought to be sacrificing the Carabao Cup, however there are greater fish to fry within the coming months.
3. Who’s out?
Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate are essentially the most noticeable longer-term absentees for Liverpool, with pair nonetheless not again in coaching.
Diogo Jota ought to be within the squad however won’t begin, as a result of he didn’t really feel one hundred pc match after scoring in final weekend’s 2-2 draw at residence to Fulham.
Kostas Tsimikas has been stepping up his restoration from an ankle harm, nonetheless, and he’s “shut” to returning to the fold, says Slot.
Andy Robertson is suspended after his crimson card at residence to Fulham.
4. Attainable Liverpool XI
As talked about, we should always anticipate to see a much-changed Liverpool XI on Wednesday night.
Amaro Nallo and James Norris might come into the crew at centre-back and left-back, respectively, with Caoimhin Kelleher behind them in purpose.
Alexis Mac Allister is again after lacking Liverpool’s final two video games with European and home bans and may begin alongside Wataru Endo and Tyler Morton.
This may very well be a good time to offer Federico Chiesa much-needed minutes, whereas Jayden Danns will hope to characteristic after his latest harm return.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Nallo, Norris; Endo, Morton, Mac Allister; Elliott, Diaz, Nunez
5. How robust will Southampton go?
Southampton are caught between a rock and a tough place, with a response wanted after their humiliation towards Spurs, however gamers needing a relaxation.
For that motive, it is going to be attention-grabbing to see how robust Rusk’s beginning lineup is.
Key man Aaron Ramsdale appears to be like prone to return in purpose, following an harm absence, however Jack Stephens is serving the final of a three-match ban.
Martin picked a robust facet within the final spherical at residence to Stoke, with the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Mateus Fernandes and Adam Armstrong all beginning.
6. Chiesa in line to earn minutes
Talking to the media on Tuesday, Slot defined his potential use of Chiesa:
“It’s undoubtedly a second the place he can get minutes. The quantity of minutes is a query mark
“You can’t anticipate for him to play 90, I feel, particularly not at this degree the place the depth is so excessive, as a result of he’s been out for 5, six months now.
“However he’ll, if he has a great coaching session, make minutes.”
7. St Mary’s dominance to proceed?
Liverpool know that victory over Saints will make it 5 wins in a row at St Mary’s in entrance of supporters.
The Reds misplaced 1-0 there again in January 2021, however did soccer behind closed doorways actually even depend?!
The highlights from the final time we confronted Southampton at St Mary’s within the quarter-finals of the @Carabao_Cup ??? pic.twitter.com/kQ9PrCKzUf
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 16, 2024
The final time Liverpool had been overwhelmed at St Mary’s in a ‘correct’ sport was in January 2017, when Nathan Redmond’s purpose earned the hosts a 1-0 win within the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
In the meantime, the Reds gained 6-1 at St Mary’s on this competitors in December 2015, despite the fact that Sadio Mane opened the scoring for Saints.
8. Do you know?
Liverpool are aiming to achieve a twentieth League Cup semi-final on Wednesday, which might be a file within the competitors.
That is the Reds’ twenty sixth quarter-final within the event’s historical past, too.
In the meantime, that is the eighth time that Liverpool and Southampton have been drawn collectively within the League Cup, which incorporates the semi-finals in 1987 and 2017.
Virgil van Dijk began for Saints within the first leg of the latter.
9. Not Simon Hooper once more!
Simon Hooper will take cost of Wednesday’s sport.
He was the referee for final season’s heartbreaking 2-1 defeat at Tottenham when Curtis Jones was harshly despatched off and Luis Diaz noticed a purpose improper disallowed.
Hooper’s solely Liverpool sport up to now this time period was the 1-0 win away to Crystal Palace again in October.
His assistants at St Mary’s shall be Adrian Holmes and Simon Lengthy, whereas Josh Smith is the fourth official.
10. Observe the sport with TIA
Southampton vs. Liverpool is reside on Sky Sports activities Soccer from 7pm (GMT), with kickoff at 8pm.
This Is Anfield‘s matchday reside weblog shall be in full swing as traditional, with Sam Millne conserving you updated with the motion from 7.15pm.
Come on you Reds!
