Liverpool are once more in movement as quickly as as soon as extra on Wednesday night time, welcoming Championship side Southampton to Anfield for an FA Cup fifth spherical battle.
Liverpool vs. Southampton
FA Cup Fifth Spherical | AnfieldFebruary 28, 2024 | 8pm (GMT)
The Reds are nonetheless on cloud 9 after Sunday’s astonishing League Cup win, as Jurgen Klopp added yet another trophy to his assortment.
It’s Southampton up subsequent for Liverpool, with a spot inside the FA Cup quarter-finals up for grabs, nonetheless it’s a sport that arrives at a foul time for both facet.
Proper right here’s all it’s important know ahead of the match.
1. Reds looking out for further dwelling cup glory
What Liverpool achieved closing weekend was explicit, with harm woes and VAR controversy not stopping them from a well known trophy win.
It retains the Reds’ hopes of profitable an unprecedented quadruple alive, with consideration now turning to the FA Cup this week.
In all honesty, that’s now bottom of Liverpool’s itemizing of priorities, and Klopp finds himself prepared the place he may should take a risk with group alternative.
On the plus side, their opponents aren’t exactly primed for FA Cup obligation each…
2. How are Southampton faring this season?
Southampton suffered relegation from the Premier League closing season, nonetheless they’ve made an excellent fist of making a speedy return on the primary strive.
Russell Martin’s side for the time being sit fourth inside the Championship desk, although three defeats of their closing 4 league video video games suggest they’re on the slide.
Very like Liverpool, accidents have started to hurt Saints, with key males similar to Ross Stewart, Juan Larios and Che Adams each nonetheless out or missing movement not too way back.
Promotion takes precedence for Martin and his players and this match won’t be good timing for them, with the supervisor admitting as loads:
“We would do with out that correct now if I’m being honest, Nevertheless, we may have 5,000 supporters going there who’ve been great on the road this season.
“We need to guarantee we go there and supplies an excellent account of ourselves and make it worthwhile for these of us.”
3. Who’s out injured for Liverpool?
Extraordinarily, Liverpool suffered however further harm woes inside the win over Chelsea, with the well being curse turning into laughable at this degree.
Ryan Gravenberch was stretchered off after a poor cope with by Moises Caicedo, and he now appears to be set for a spell on the sidelines with ankle ligament hurt – though Klopp conceded it “would possibly’ve been loads worse.”
The Dutchman joins a heap of absent players, along with Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota, amongst others.
Wataru Endo is a doubt after deciding on up a knock in the direction of Chelsea, and Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez are all “contact and go” to be obtainable, following some fairly vigorous celebrations at Wembley!
Klopp has moreover admitted that Thiago might not return this season – he may have carried out his closing sport for Liverpool – nonetheless Stefan Bajcetic is pain-free and slowly edging in route of a comeback.
4. Potential Liverpool starting XI
Predicting Klopp’s starting XI is never easy, nonetheless this one feels notably onerous, given the toll Sunday’s sport may have taken.
It could be an unlimited shock if positive senior figures had been picked, along with Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson and Luis Diaz, with Klopp having to play a variety of youngsters.
Caoimhin Kelleher will proceed in goal after further League Cup closing heroics, whereas Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez would possibly start, too.
Alexis Mac Allister may play after solely that features for 87 minutes at Wembley, whereas weekend heroes Bobby Clark, James McConnell and Jayden Danns would possibly all attribute.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Gomez, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, McConnell, Clark; Gordon, Danns, Gakpo
5. Players to watch for Saints
Southampton misplaced a scorching of key players as soon as they’d been relegated closing Might, along with James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia, nonetheless there are nonetheless individuals who can trouble Liverpool.
Adam Armstrong has arguably been the select of his side’s players this season, scoring 16 targets and registering 11 assists inside the Championship, together with end product to his searing tempo.
Adams is once more from harm and is extra prone to attribute prominently at Anfield, scoring as quickly as in the direction of the Reds before now.
Saints did correctly to take care of keep of Kyle Walker-Peters closing 12 months, with the full-back in a position to having fun with inside the Premier League, offering defensive solidity and attacking prime quality.
Stuart Armstrong will also be an expert head in the midst of the park, whereas Jan Bednarek stays a key decide on the coronary coronary heart of the defence.
Former Newcastle and Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser is out injured.
6. A parade, you say? Klopp could be there!
Chatting with the media on Tuesday, Klopp admitted he wish to be part of one different parade on the end of the season:
“That’s the one half this isn’t so cool, that it might very nicely be seen as [a farewell], I don’t suppose that’s smart.
“Nevertheless furthermore that, I’m the biggest supporter of trophy parades. I don’t decide that, of us is prone to be shocked, and all these points have to be prepared from completely various factors of view.
“However when there’s a parade, I could be on the bus, little query about that!”
How emotional is that going to be, assuming it happens!
7. Southampton’s file at Anfield
Southampton have found life sturdy at Anfield in current occasions, with their closing victory there coming inside the League Cup semi-final second leg in 2017.
Since then, Liverpool have obtained six of the seven conferences with Saints, all of which received right here inside the Premier League.
The combination ranking in that time was 19-1 to the Reds, with Southampton‘s solely worthwhile consequence a goalless draw late inside the 2016/17 season, when James Milner had a penalty saved.
A positive Van Dijk was even powerless to do one thing in a 3-0 win for Liverpool in 2017/18, merely sooner than his switch north.
The ultimate meeting between the Reds and Saints was on the last word day of ultimate season, as the two teams shared a 4-4 draw at St Mary’s, in what was Roberto Firmino‘s last-ever sport for the membership.
8. Did You Know?
Liverpool have been a pleasure to watch ever since Klopp arrived in 2015, with among the many soccer on current unrivalled all through Europe.
The Reds have now scored 994 targets beneath the German, highlighting their free-flowing brilliance, as they shut in on the large 1000-goal landmark.
The question is: when will they attain that milestone?
Wednesday’s match positively acts as an excellent likelihood in order so as to add to their tally, whatever the accidents, and the an identical applies to the journeys to Nottingham Forest and Sparta Prague arising.
If not, how about that one thousandth goal being a Salah stunner in entrance of the Kop in the direction of Man Metropolis subsequent month!
9. Craig Pawson beneath the spotlight
Craig Pawson will referee Wednesday’s sport, as he appears to be to fare increased than Chris Kavanagh did at Wembley.
It’s sincere to say Kavanagh obtained’t be receiving a Christmas card from Klopp later this 12 months!
This will likely solely be the second Liverpool sport that Pawson has taken value of this season – the other being the 2-0 win at home to Everton inside the Premier League.
That match observed him ship off Ashley Youthful for two yellow enjoying playing cards sooner than half-time, along with award the Reds a penalty inside the second half.
10. Adjust to the match with TIA
Liverpool vs. Southampton is keep on ITV One from 7.30pm (UK) on Wednesday, with kickoff at 8pm.
The draw for the next spherical moreover takes place sooner than kickoff at Anfield so one to manage!
In its place, Henry Jackson could be accountable for TIA’s keep weblog matchday from 7.15pm, providing frequent, biased, updates from Anfield.
Keep that quadruple dream alive, Reds! Ideally in common time, we don’t want to bear extra-time as soon as extra!
