![Ben Smith](/wp-content/uploads/ben-headshot-updated.jpeg.webp)
Southampton and Liverpool could not have had more opposite starts to the season. The Saints are four points adrift of safety, while their visitors on Sunday have a five-point cushion at the top.
Russell Martin is the co-favourite along with West Ham’s Julen Lopetegui to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post. Needing a turnaround in form as soon as possible, the last thing the former Scotland defender needs is a fixture against Liverpool.
The 1-0 victory over Everton at the start of the month bought him some time, but the joy didn’t last long as the Saints lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers the following week.
To make matters worse, Aaron Ramsdale broke his finger at Molineux, and Jan Bednarek injured his knee on international duty.
Gavin Bazunu, Will Smallbone, and Ross Stewart will also miss out on Sunday.
Liverpool passed two tough tests before the break, scoring six without reply in triumphs over Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa.
With two more massive games to come at Anfield against Real Madrid and Manchester City, the Reds must be careful not to look past the Saints, who did give Arsenal a scare and only lost 1-0 to Manchester City last month.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was withdrawn 25 minutes into the win over Villa and did not feature for England, but he may be available at St Mary’s. Virgil van Dijk was sent home early by the Netherlands, but his issue isn’t thought to be serious.
There was nothing to play for when Southampton last played Liverpool in the Premier League, as the hosts were guaranteed to finish bottom and the Reds were locked into a disappointing fifth place.
With the shackles off, the sides played out a remarkable game on the final day of the campaign, as 45 shots were recorded in a 4-4 draw which saw both teams come back from two goals down.
Jurgen Klopp didn’t always have his own way against the Saints when he was in charge at Anfield. A late Sadio Mane strike earned Southampton a 3-2 win on the South Coast in 2016, and the Reds also lost at St Mary’s in 2021 courtesy of a Danny Ings strike.
The form guide doesn’t offer much encouragement to Saints fans but while Liverpool have dominated the match-up for the most part, Southampton have played their part down the years.
Keeping the Reds out will be a tall order for Martin’s side, whose only clean sheet in 2024-25 came against the league’s other Merseyside outfit.
There is no need to overcomplicate things in this betting heat. The best bet is for Liverpool to win, Mohamed Salah to score or assist, and the Reds’ goalkeeper to make a save.
Unsurprisingly, the Reds are overwhelming favourites and far too short to back in the match odds without some significant additions.
Thankfully, Salah’s odds to score or assist look a touch too big, considering he has done that in all but three of his 15 Liverpool starts in 2024-25. One of those failures was in the defeat by Nottingham Forest, and the others came at AC Milan and in a tight affair at Crystal Palace.
Generally, when Arne Slot’s side have won well, Salah has got in on the act. The Egyptian has reached double figures in goals and assists across all competitions, and with the league leaders’ goal line set at 2.5, their main man will surely get plenty of opportunities.
Those two selections alone don’t quite create a palatable enough price, but by adding in a Caoimhin Kelleher save, we get close to an even-money punt.
Southampton have registered a shot on target in each of their fixtures this season, and Kelleher has made at least one stop in all of his appearances under Slot.
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