Liverpool comes into this match fresh off a thrilling 1-0 extra-time victory over Chelsea in the EFL Cup final, whereas Southampton suffered a 2-1 defeat to Millwall in their recent Championship fixture. The EFL Cup triumph marked Liverpool's tenth success in the competition and was particularly special for departing manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds, already plagued by injuries and seeing more players leaving the field on crutches, are still basking in the euphoria of their Wembley triumph. However, they must quickly refocus as they aim to progress beyond the fifth round of the FA Cup for only the second time in the last nine seasons.
Having already dispatched Arsenal and Norwich City in the FA Cup this season, Liverpool aims to extend their winning streak across all competitions. Southampton, on the other hand, is struggling in the Championship, suffering their third defeat in four matches, including a recent loss to Millwall.
Despite their Championship woes, Southampton is determined to put up a fight in the FA Cup, having progressed from the fifth round in recent seasons. However, they face a daunting task against a Liverpool side that has emerged victorious in their last six encounters at Anfield.
The clash between Liverpool and Southampton in the FA Cup hasn't happened since 1989-90, but Southampton famously held Liverpool to a thrilling 4-4 draw in the Premier League in 2022-23. Nevertheless, Liverpool has been dominant in recent meetings between the two teams at Anfield.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Securing the first domestic trophy of the season proved costly for Liverpool, as Ryan Gravenberch was stretchered off the Wembley field due to a severe challenge from Moises Caicedo. Additionally, Wataru Endo left the game on crutches after the final whistle.Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Darwin Nunez, who was seen celebrating energetically, all failed last-minute fitness tests and were absent from the matchday squad on Sunday. This leaves Klopp facing the challenge of potentially fielding an incomplete XI for the midweek fixture following the intense effort at Wembley.
Liverpool's injury list includes Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara, Ben Doak, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Alisson Becker, and Curtis Jones. Among them, only Curtis Jones might return before the international break next month.
On the Southampton side, Ryan Fraser, on loan from Newcastle, left the field on crutches due to a knee injury during the loss to Millwall. Fraser joins Ross Stewart and Juan Larios in the injury list for Southampton. David Brooks, who is on loan from Bournemouth, is ineligible to play as he represented Bournemouth earlier in the tournament.
Samuel Edozie and Kamaldeen Sulemana are expected to fill in the wide attacking positions, while Joe Rothwell, also on loan from Bournemouth, could provide fresh legs in the midfield in the absence of Flynn Downes.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Liverpool possible starting lineup:Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Clark, Mac Allister, McConnell; Elliott, Danns, Gakpo
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Lumley; Bree, Stephens, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Rothwell, Smallbone, Aribo; Edozie, Adams, Sulemana
EXPERT PREDICTION
Liverpool 1-0 Southampton
Despite Southampton not coming to Anfield with a strong recent performance, we believe in Klopp's determined Reds to persist in their pursuit of the quadruple dream, even if the upcoming match might be a challenging battle.
