Southampton vs Liverpool
A new year begins and, for the first time in 30 years, Liverpool are the champions of England.
What’s more, they are firm favourites to retain the Premier League title they sauntered to last term.
So, as a visit to the south coast awaits, the league leaders and reigning champions begin 2021 as the team to beat.
Talking Points
Sadio Mane celebrates with teammates after scoring Liverpool’s first goal against West Bromwich Albion
Despite a week which they dropped points, poor by their own recent standards, Liverpool are playing well and their squad remains the best in the land.
With most key players – with the exception of centre-back Virgil van Dijk – now back or nearing full fitness, no wonder boss Jurgen Klopp is not concerned by his team’s back-to-back draws in the past week.
The German manager was also quick to insist there is no need for the league to take a ‘circuit break’ due to an increased number of Covid cases among top-flight clubs.
Presumably, he will also be aware of results in encounters like this can often prove key on any road to success.
One suspects Monday night’s hosts Southampton will also be keen to avoid any disruption as they currently sit ninth in the table, just three points off third place.
Although they have regularly sold their best players to other clubs over the past seven years or so – the latest saw them lose the services of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Spurs in the summer – Southampton continue to punch above their weight.
They may have failed to win any of their past four matches, but they can still prove stubborn opposition and in Austrian manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, who will return to the Saints’ dugout for this one following a period of self-isolation, have a popular figure considered largely responsible for their upturn.
Here is a coach who, like Klopp, has improved a number of players since his arrival, and you don’t need to look far to see where his impact lies.
There is Danny Ings, whose remarkable scoring return of 27 goals in his last 43 games has rendered him the side’s star. Hasenhuttl has helped rejuvenate Theo Walcott, prompt better performances from the likes of Oriol Romeu and seen James Ward-Prowse continue to grow from strength to strength.
Remember, this is largely the same squad he inherited two years ago when the likes of van Dijk, Toby Alderweireld, Dejan Lovren, Luke Shaw, Victor Wanyama, Sadio Mane and Dusan Tadic were among the high-class personnel long since departed.
For this game, defender Jannik Vestergaard and winger Nathan Redmond will be out for the home side, with long-term absentees van Dijk and Joe Gomez, along with £45 million striker Diogo Jota, missing out for the visitors.
Southampton have already shown they can give the top teams a real scare on the south coast, going down to narrow and slightly harsh defeats at home to both Manchester clubs. Now the question is can they take something off one of the big boys?
Premier League 2021 highlights could well follow.
History
Southampton have beaten the Merseysiders 30 times, most recently in the 2017 League Cup semi-finals when Redmond and Shane Long scored the goals in a 2-0 aggregate win.
Since then, Liverpool have beaten the Saints on all but one of their seven meetings, including the past six on the bounce.
Last season, this fixture was edged 2-1 by the visitors after Mane (against his former club) and Roberto Firmino netted before Ings pulled one back against his one-time employers.
Liverpool, who have beaten Southampton 57 times in history, won the return fixture 4-0.
There have also been 25 draws.
The last time Southampton beat Liverpool in the league was in this fixture in March 2016 when Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge put Liverpool in front before the hosts launched a stirring comeback to triumph 3-2.
Mane was the hero with a double, Graziano Pelle grabbed the other, and Liverpool duly signed Mane that summer.
Betting Tip
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Southampton vs Liverpool | Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.05 |
| January 5, 04:00 (GMT+8) |
It’s clear with the SBOTOP Premier League 2021 betting odds that Liverpool are big favourites for this match.
They can be backed 1X2 @ 1.65 or Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 2.21, in contrast to the hosts who are available 1X2 @ 4.80 and Asian Handicap +0.50 @ 2.38.
The draw is on offer @ 3.90, while a re-run of the corresponding fixture last term – correct score 1-2 – will earn you a payday @ 7.00.
Goalless draws are rare in meetings between these sides and I am certainly expecting a few goals which is why my prediction is for 2-3 total goals between the two sides.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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The post Premier League: Saints Take on Scousers on South Coast appeared first on SBOTOP.