Anfield plays host to an intriguing match this weekend as Premier League leaders Liverpool take on bottom-of-the-table Southampton.
By Sam McGuire
At a glance, it might not seem like the case, but this has the potential to be a season-defining clash, for both sides.
What is at stake
Liverpool, the best team in the world right now having beaten the champions of England, Spain, Germany and France, find themselves 13 points clear at the top of the table. They put in a remarkable shit on Wednesday night at the Parc des Princes to claim a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain.
The second-leg is at Anfield next week. The temptation might be to focus on that tie, but Arne Slot will be determined to keep his players focused on the Premier League.
A win for the Reds here would move them 16 points clear at the summit, albeit having played two more games than their nearest rivals Arsenal. Psychologically though, this could be massive.
It heaps all of the pressure onto the Gunners ahead of their match against Manchester United.
Three points for Liverpool might not win them the league on Saturday afternoon, but it could play a huge role in Arsenal throwing in the towel.
For Southampton, a loss would all but guarantee their return to the Championship. They are the worst team in the Premier League with nine points from 27 games. They will probably get more points than that infamous Derby County team (11) but not by too much.
A win could breathe life into their flailing campaign. And prolong the belief that they can avoid the drop.
Salah farewell tour continues
If this is to be Mohamed Salah’s final season with Liverpool, he’s going out in style.
The three-time Golden Boot winner leads the way in the Premier League for goals (25) and assists (17). He’s on course to shatter the record for most goal involvements. The current record for a 38-game season is 44 while Alan Shearer and Andy Cole finished their 42-game campaigns with 47 goal involvements.
If Salah chips in with six more goal involvements, he steals their crown and becomes the most productive player in Premier League history. The scene is set for him to do it against the worst team in the league too.
Clean sheets
The modern day game is filled with data. One metric that is often overlooked is clean sheets.
Liverpool lead the way with 12 and they’re top of the Premier League table. Southampton have managed just two this season and they’re rooted to the bottom. Only Leicester City (one) have kept fewer shutouts.
It sounds simple, but the more clean sheets you keep, the easier it is to pick up points. Southampton need to find some resiliency, sooner rather than later, if they’re to get anything from this season. Across their last three outings, they have conceded 11 goals. They have conceded the most goals in the entire Premier League (65). They’re up against the team with the most goals (66).
Injuries for both sides
Liverpool could well be without Cody Gakpo again. The Dutchman missed the game against PSG despite travelling with the squad. The Reds are still without Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez, meaning Slot can’t rotate his defence much. This is something that will likely be playing on his mind ahead of the game against PSG.
Southampton, meanwhile, are without former Liverpool player Adam Lallana. Jan Bednarek, Lesley Ugochukwu and Ryan Fraser are also expected to miss out.
Prediction
If Liverpool are serious about getting this Premier League title wrapped up, three points should be a formality against Southampton. So we’re going with a 3-0 win.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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