Liverpool FC were not at their most absolute world-beating best yesterday, but it was still enough to claim the Merseyside derby. Liverpool bested Everton 2-1, and emerged unscathed from injury. With midfielder Curtis Jones coming back into the mix, and featuring off the bench, Arne Slot’s side is nearing full fitness right now. Perfect time, as fixture congestion season is now about to commence, with the Reds begin their EFL Cup campaign. They’ll open on Tuesday, in the competition’s third round, when they welcome in Southampton FC.
EFL Cup 3rd Round FYIs
Kickoff: Tue. Sept 23rd, 8pm, Anfield, Liverpool, UK
Head-to-Head Series: Matches 42 Liverpool wins 24, Southampton wins 10 Draws 8
Liverpool Team News vs Southampton FC
The only fitness concern here is Stefan Bajcetic, who is still building up his match fitness while recovering from a hamstring injury. Liverpool are fully ready to face the team that basically served as their farm club for much of last decade.
This is most certainly the perfect kind of game for Federico Chiesa, Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez and Giorgi Mamardashvili. Those are the first four names we’re putting on the team sheet.
Liverpool Team News, Starting XI Prediction vs Southampton FC
Giorgi Mamardashvili; Jereme Frimpong, Ibrahima Konaté, Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson; Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones; Federico Chiesa, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo; Hugo Ekitike
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. 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