TEAM NEWS
James Milner has been cleared to play for Liverpool after concussion and could make his 600th Premier League appearance.
Naby Keita may return from a thigh injury but Joel Matip is unlikely to be fit for Saturday’s match.
Juan Larios will be assessed ahead of Southampton manager Nathan Jones’ first game in charge of the club.
Fellow defenders Kyle Walker-Peters and Tino Livramento are long-term absentees.
CHRIS SUTTON’S PREDICTION
Nathan Jones takes charge of Southampton for the first time here but how much difference can he make in a couple of days? Saints just don’t score enough goals but Anfield is not exactly the ideal place to go for a club to get a managerial bounce.
Admittedly my record of predicting Liverpool’s results this season has been a bit hit and miss, but I didn’t just call their win at Tottenham last week, I nailed the exact result.
I’m still not absolutely sure the Reds will win this one, just because of their inconsistency, but given their season so far, I think Jurgen Klopp will be absolutely desperate to go into this winter break on a high.
Prediction: 3-0
Sutton’s full predictions v Jamie Johnson stars Jessica McHale and Olivia Chomczuk
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Liverpool have earned five straight league wins against Southampton at Anfield, scoring a combined 16 goals without reply. It’s Saints’ longest run of top-flight away games without scoring against a particular team.
- Southampton have lost nine of the past 10 league meetings, with the exception being a 1-0 home victory in January last year.
Liverpool
- The Reds will be outside the top four on Christmas Day for the first time since 2015, when Jurgen Klopp had been manager for only two months.
- They have already dropped 20 points this season, only two fewer than in the whole of 2021-22.
- Liverpool’s 29-match unbeaten home league run was ended by Leeds in their most recent outing at Anfield.
- They could lose four consecutive Premier League games against sides in the relegation zone for the first time, having already been beaten by Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Leeds this season.
- Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 19 goals in 20 appearances for Liverpool this season, scoring 14 and providing five assists.
Southampton
- If Southampton lose, it will be the first time they have been in the bottom three at Christmas since 2004-05, which ended with their only relegation from the Premier League.
- Saints suffered 68 defeats and conceded 255 goals – both league highs – during Ralph Hasenhuttl’s 151 league games in charge.
- They have only won four of their past 26 league matches, conceding 54 goals.
- The most recent Southampton manager to win his first Premier League fixture in charge was Paul Sturrock at home to Liverpool in March 2004.
Predict Liverpool’s starting XI for their next fixture – remember you can change the formation!
Predict Southampton’s starting XI for their next fixture – remember you can change the formation!
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