"I don’t think it will be an absolute walloping" - Chris Sutton makes prediction for Southampton vs Liverpool clash
Pundit Chris Sutton has backed Liverpool to continue their brilliant run in the Premier League this season against Southampton. The two sides will face off at the St. Mary's Stadium on Sunday, November 24.
The Reds have had an exceptional start to the 2024-25 campaign under new manager Arne Slot. They have won nine, lost one, and drawn one of their 11 league fixtures so far. They sit atop the table, five points clear of second-placed Manchester City.
Southampton, meanwhile, have struggled on their return to the Premier League this season. They sit at the bottom of the table with just one win, one draw and nine defeats.
Sharing his prediction in his column for BBC Sport, Chris Sutton wrote:
"Liverpool could not have wished for a better start under Arne Slot, whose side are five points clear at the top. This is a game where everyone is expecting them to easily beat bottom side Southampton, and understandably so.
"I am expecting Liverpool to win too, but I don’t think it will be an absolute walloping. Saints are scrapping and they proved they can be resilient when they lost narrowly to Manchester City at the end of last month, so they can make it hard for Slot's side too."
Predicted Score: 0-2
Arne Slot opens up on Liverpool's upcoming 'incredible' fixture list
Following the clash against Southampton, the Reds have two tough fixtures up next. They will Real Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday, November 27, in the UEFA Champions League league stage. They will then host Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday, December 1.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of the Southampton clash, Arne Slot said about their upcoming fixtures (via Liverpoolfc.com):
"We do indeed have an incredible fixture list coming up - starting with Southampton. That is always by far the most important game and if you want to enjoy, or go into the games, against the other two mentioned [Real Madrid and City], the best thing you can do is always [go into them] with a win.
"It has no effect at all to my team selections for the other two games, but what does have an affect is the playing style of Southampton, the players coming back from South America [and] how fit they are, the injuries we have and the players coming back. That is the only thing that has something to do with the team selection [and] not at all the games that come afterwards."
Liverpool have won all four of their Champions League games so far, being the only team in the competition to do so this season. They sit atop the table after wins over AC Milan, Bologna, RB Leipzig, and Bayer Leverkusen.
