MatchThe opposition lowdown: Southampton

Season so far

After beating Wrexham on the opening day of the season, Southampton have endured a difficult start to life back in the Championship.

Under manager Will Still, who arrived at St Mary’s in the summer and has former Red Adam Lallana as a first-team coach, Saints are winless in five league games since that victory and lost 3-1 at Hull City on Saturday.

They have, though, progressed to this stage of the Carabao Cup in impressive fashion by winning away ties at Northampton Town (1-0 in round one) and Norwich City (3-0 in round two).

Key players

Such was the turnover of players at St Mary’s following the club’s relegation from the Premier League, just three of Southampton’s starting XI from their last visit to Anfield – a 3-1 Liverpool victory in March – remain at the club.

Their goalscorer that day, Will Smallbone, is on loan at Millwall, but centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis and left-back Ryan Manning are still regular fixtures in Saints’ team.

Indeed, Harwood-Bellis and Manning are, along with striker Cameron Archer, the club’s joint-top scorers so far this season with two goals apiece.

Among the players to join Southampton over the summer were midfielders Finn Azaz and Caspar Jander, and forward Tom Fellows.

Previous meetings

Liverpool have won each of their last four games against Southampton, including all three of the sides’ meetings last season.

The Reds claimed a 3-2 victory at St Mary’s in the Premier League last November, and a few weeks later made the trip again for a Carabao Cup quarter-final that they won 2-1.

In the aforementioned top-flight clash at Anfield in March, Arne Slot’s side were 1-0 down at the break but mounted a second-half comeback to win 3-1 thanks to Darwin Nunez’s equaliser and a double from Mohamed Salah.

What they said

Southampton manager Still

On the challenge awaiting his side…

“I think it’s a good thing that we are playing again and we get an opportunity to erase the mistakes that we made on Saturday. But I think no-one is stupid, no-one is blind to what the challenge is. [Liverpool are] the best team in England, probably one of the best teams in Europe, and we have to go there with the belief we can play football and that we’re good at doing certain things in our register.

“We expect it to be a challenge, we expect it to be tough, but it’s a cup [tie], it’s a one-off [which] I think all cup games are. I think we just have to show a bit of personality, a bit of bravery to stand back up, get back up, and it will also present opportunities for other players. So, just go for it and don’t overthink it. Don’t overanalyse it and stand up and be counted.”

On his plans in terms of team selection…

“I think we’ve got a massive squad and some players need to play, some players need an opportunity as well, so that’s what will happen. But we’re never going to completely disregard it and put a load of U21s in. We’ve got a lot of good players and some good players that deserve this opportunity, but also some players that have done really well considering the results of the past few weeks.

“So, again, it’s [about] getting the right mix between those players that need to play and those that probably deserve to play as well. But whatever team will start will be the team that we think is the best team to play that game at this moment in time and have a right go.”

Pre-match stats

Liverpool have won each of the last eight Anfield clashes between the clubs in all competitions, since a 0-0 draw in May 2017.

This is the ninth time the teams have been drawn together in the League Cup, which includes the semi-finals of 1987 and 2017.

The Reds will attempt to win this trophy for a record-extending 11th time, having already appeared in 15 finals.

They require one goal to reach the landmark of 200 in all games against Southampton.

Rio Ngumoha could become the youngest Liverpool player ever to score in the League Cup. He would be 17 years and 25 days, eclipsing Ben Woodburn’s current record by 20 days.