It’s your classic both ends of the table match, as first place Liverpool hosts dead last place Southampton FC. The Reds are nearing the point of Premier League “champions-elect” status.
As for Saints, they are the only side that is pretty much etched in stone to be relegated from the Premier League this season.
Liverpool vs Southampton FC FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. March 8, 3pm, Anfield, Liverpool, UK
Google Result Probability: Southampton FC 6% Liverpool 86% Draw 9%
PL Form, Position: Southampton FC LWLLL, 9 pts, 20th Liverpool DWDWD, 67 pts, 1st
The other two clubs in the relegation zone with them, Ipswich Town and Leicester City, are eight points up on Saints.
And they are five points adrift from safety themselves, meaning the south coast club are wedged 13 points into the drop zone.
Their return to the Championship is just a mere formality now.
Reds Team News vs Southampton FC
Only real change here relates to Cody Gakpo. The Dutch striker was not a part of the squad that achieved a total heist of a win at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Reds boss Arne Slot said the night before the game:
“He was close to being ready to play again, but unfortunately yesterday I think it was, he had to block a shot, so he felt a bit of pain again. We took him with us to judge how he is tomorrow, if he can be part of the squad, yes or no. But it will be a close call.”
He’s a doubt, at the very least, for the weekend. And of course, Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez remain out.
Liverpool Starting XI Prediction vs Southampton FC
Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Mo Salah, Curtis Jones, Darwin Nunez; Luis Diaz
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.