Liverpool v Southampton 09.22.18

Liverpool v Southampton 09.22.18

10am ET, live in the US on NBC Sports Gold

Last four head-to-head:
2-0 Liverpool (h) 02.11.18
3-0 Liverpool (a) 11.18.17
0-0 (h) 05.07.17
0-1 Southampton (h; League Cup) 01.25.17

Last matches:
Liverpool: 3-2 PSG (h); 2-1 Tottenham (a); 2-1 Leicester (a)
Leicester: 2-2 Brighton (h); 2-0 Palace (a); 1-0 Brighton (a)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Mané 4; Firmino, Salah 2; Milner, Sturridge, Wijnaldum 1
Southampton: Ings 3; Højbjerg 2; Bertrand 1

Referee: Paul Tierney (LFC History) (WhoScored)

Guess at a line-up:
Alisson
Trent A-A Gomez van Dijk Robertson
Milner Henderson Keïta
Salah Firmino Mané

Normal service has resumed. First, I am deeply appreciative of all who responded to this Twitter thread.

Second, I see I didn’t miss much. Just a couple of routine wins. Yawn.

So, yeah, Liverpool have been pretty impressive. A 2-1 win at Tottenham that wouldn’t have looked odd had it finished 3-0 instead, a fixture that finished 1-4 last season. 3-2 against PSG’s millions, which wouldn’t have looked odd had it finished 3-1 or 4-1. And yet that one almost finished 2-2, if not for late Firmino heroics. A match that almost certainly would’ve finished 2-2 last season, just as it did in Liverpool’s first Champions League group game in 2017-18.

There’s been some steel added to Liverpool’s rock ‘em, sock ‘em robot gloves so far this season. And Liverpool, aside from the opening day, are yet to truly rock or sock opponents as we know they’re capable of.

Liverpool have won six games on the spin and Liverpool have still been nowhere near their best. That bodes well.

As per usual, I doubt there will be many line-up changes. The back five’s set. Firmino should come back in for Sturridge. There will probably be one change in midfield: Keïta will return, but whether it’s for Wijnaldum or Henderson or Milner is little more than a guess. Maybe Salah or Mané get a game off, but I suspect those changes and more will come midweek.

Meanwhile, Southampton will play 4-4-2. And, thankfully, Southampton’s best player won’t be available. Danny Ings; you may have heard of him. Ineligible due to the terms of his loan. See, there is actually a benefit to loan-now, sell-next-season.

Otherwise, Southampton have been very Southampton and very Mark Hughes. Only a little bit of turnover from last season, adding Ings up front because goals were last season's biggest issue, Elyounoussi in place of Tadic, Vestergaard as van Dijk’s replacement, and Gunn as back-up keeper, at least for now. Højbjerg and Lemina have cemented their midfield places ahead of Romeu, Davis, and Ward-Prowse. And, like last season, Southampton are sometimes competent and sometime lost.

Last week’s 2-2 against Brighton is a perfect example. They were, to be blunt, dominant for the first two-thirds of the match, even more than Liverpool were against the same side at Anfield. A first-half goal, then a penalty in the 65th minute. 2-0, 25 minutes to go, game over. Or not. Foot off the gas, Brighton immediately pull one back, Southampton fall apart, changes don’t help, Brighton win and score an injury time penalty to level matters. Incidentally, Brighton’s first goal came from a set play, the second came from a penalty following a set play. Three of Liverpool's 11 league goals this season have come from set plays.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Which is a microcosm of Southampton's season so far. A dreary 0-0 opener against Burnley – who’ve yet to win in the league and are already out of the EL – then 2-1 losses against Everton and Leicester, but then wins over Brighton (in the League Cup) and Palace, but then that last good then bad draw with Brighton.

To be fair, Southampton have given Liverpool issues recently. 2016-17 is stronger in the memory, four matches without for Liverpool, but that was under a different Southampton manager and against a different Liverpool. Last season was 3-0 and 2-0, but the 2-0 was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests. An early Liverpool goal, but then four Southampton shots on-target, including one clear-cut chance. It wouldn't have surprised had Southampton scored and had Southampton scored it's potentially a different game. But Karius saved all four, then a second Liverpool goal came just before halftime, then the second half was a formality.

So, just so you know, Southampton can actually attack at times.

Southampton’s XI is pretty well set, especially without Ings. McCarthy; Cedric, Vestergaard, Hoedt, Bertrand; Elyounoussi, Lemina, Højbjerg, Redmond; Austin, Long. Maybe Gabbiadini instead of Austin; Ward-Prowse instead of Elyounoussi.

4-4-2. Potentially dangerous, potentially secure. Potentially conceding four in an hour.

This is the game where past Liverpools – at least of recent vintage – would have failed. A deserved win at Tottenham, a ground and fixture where Liverpool were humbled last season. An exhilarating win over Paris St-Germain. Two fixtures against Chelsea, then Napoli, then Manchester City to come in the next two weeks.

This is the odd match out. This is the one that Liverpool can’t underestimate, because there’s no underestimating the others. This is the one that Liverpool can’t look past, the only one with the potential for looking past.

This is the one where Liverpool need to put lesser opposition to the sword they deserve.