Liverpool vs. Southampton: Premier League 2022-23 Preview & Team News

LIVERPOOL VS. SOUTHAMPTON

| Saturday, November 12th |
Premier League | Anfield
3PM GMT/10AM EST

Southampton have...not been in good form this season. They come into this match in 18th, with 12 points and a goal differential of -12. They last won against Bournemouth in the league (1-0 on October 19th), and this was their first win since a 2-1 against Chelsea at the end of August. They progressed through the League Cup this midweek via penalties against Sheffield Wednesday.

They have a new manager, with Ralph Hassenhuttl having failed to turn the squad’s form around. New manager Nathan Jones thus comes to Anfield at the helm for the first time.

His injury issues are not too great, with defenders Kyle Walker-Peters and Tino Livramento absent for the long term, and Juan Larios to be assessed pre-kick-off. Under Hassenuhttl, Southampton conceded a record 255 goals in 151 league games; Jones will hope to stem this tide.

It’s hard to know what to expect from the new boss, but it’s worth noting that his managerial style has been compared to...Jürgen Klopp’s.

Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Firmino, Núñez

The Reds come into this one having just allowed their unprecedented winning streak at Anfield come to an end; that said, the inconsistencies in form has been a glaring issue already. Liverpool, who cannot mathematically finish in the top four for Christmas this season, will nonetheless hope to go into the World Cup break trending in the right direction.

No new injuries were reported following the midweek game, and many players are trickling back into first team training — though whether they will be rushed back ahead of the break is uncertain.

James Milner is back in training, as is Joël Matip, but while Naby Keïta and Luis Díaz are “running,” per Jürgen Klopp, this match should come too soon for them.

Klopp is in a situation where the staff and squad have a bit of uncertainty around what the new Saints manager will do tactically, buut the Reds will hope to have enough to secure three points going into the break.

What the Managers Had to Say

Jurgen Klopp: “I thought Hasenhuttl did an exceptional job [at Southampton]. If they showed anything it was attitude, they were highly motivated. We always expect a motivated opponent but there’s not a lot of time [for Jones] to change a lot. We have analysed them half Saints/Luton.”

Nathan Jones: “There’s a young hungry athletic team here. That’s my track record: working with young hungry players, develop them into even better individuals and mould the team while you do that. The metrics that they, Sport Republic and Rasmus look for, I score very high on. That’s the calculated gamble they’ve taken. I’m not hiding from anything, it’s a gamble.”

The Officials

Referee: Simon Hooper Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Mark Scholes Fourth Official: Dean Whitestone VAR: Andre Marriner Assistant VAR: Timothy Wood.

Kickoff is set for 3PM GMT/10AM EST tomorrow. Stick with The Liverpool Offside team to keep yourself up to date with team news and match buildup, live updates, and post-match reaction. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account and have your say on the action as it happens.