Liverpool Treats Southampton Match As First Of Three Crucial Finals This Week

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Liverpool are gearing up for a crucial week, starting with a Premier League match against Southampton. Despite the gap between the teams, Arne Slot wants his players to treat this as the first of three finals. Liverpool will also face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final. A win over Southampton could extend their lead at the top of the table.

Southampton, on the other hand, are struggling at the bottom of the league with just nine points. They have only one win in their last 17 matches and have lost their last three games. Manager Ivan Juric is under pressure but remains focused on improving performances. He acknowledged that recent games against Brighton and Chelsea were disappointing.

Mohamed Salah has been instrumental for Liverpool at Anfield this season. He has scored or assisted in 12 out of 13 home games, maintaining a streak since their loss to Nottingham Forest. Only Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry have had longer runs of goal involvements in a single season.

In contrast, Southampton's Paul Onuachu has been notable for his hold-up play. With 44 attempts this season, he ranks third in the league for this skill. Most of these efforts have come in 2025, showcasing his importance to the team.

Liverpool have dominated recent encounters with Southampton, winning 11 of their last 13 meetings. The exceptions were a loss in January 2021 and a draw in May 2023. In their previous match this season, Liverpool won 3-2 while sitting at the top of the table.

The points gap between Liverpool (67) and Southampton (nine) is significant, marking one of the largest differences before a Premier League match since July 2020 when Liverpool faced Aston Villa. Slot's team is unbeaten in their last 24 league games.

Southampton have struggled at Anfield, failing to win any of their last nine visits. They lost their previous six matches there by an aggregate score of 19-1. The probability of a Liverpool win stands at 78.9%, with a draw at 12.5% and a Southampton victory at just 8.6%.

Slot emphasised that despite past successes against PSG, his team must focus on each game as it comes. "It's definitely something you take into account because you can only look at the data," he said about managing player fatigue across competitions.

Juric remains hopeful for improvement despite rumours about his future with Southampton. When asked about expectations for upcoming games, he stated: "That we are much better than in the past two games." He aims to avoid repeating poor performances like those against Brighton.