The English premier league approaches the final stages of another exhilarating campaign this Sunday (May 7th), with only three matches left to play, as league adversaries Liverpool FC and Southampton FC do battle at the Anfield Stadium, with the kick-off due to start at (18:30 CET/17:30 GMT). These two sides have already met this season when Southampton FC welcomed Liverpool at the St. Mary’s Stadium. In the first encounter, both teams came away with a well earned point, in what was a tightly contested, goalless affair. This time around, the stakes for each side has never been higher, and we can expect a fiery, end to end encounter, between these two league rivals, this Sunday.
LIVERPOOL FC vs. SOUTHAMPTON FC
3-Way: 1: Liverpool FC -159; X: +333 Draw; Southampton FC +550
Spread -15: Liverpool FC +106 ; Southampton FC -109
Total +2.5 : Over -137; Under +131
LIVERPOOL FC
Liverpool FC is having an excellent season in the English Premier League, under their charismatic manager Jurgen Klopp. The side is performing consistently, and is keeping sustained pressure on their fellow title chasers Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, in a bid to hunt down the leaders of the pack, Chelsea FC.
The club is currently eight points behind the Tottenham Hotspur, sittng at the 4th place of the English Premier League. However their rivals have two games in hand, and the Liverpool FC cannot afford to drop any more points, if they wish to close the gap on the two London teams occupying the top two places in the league table. A win on Sunday would see the Reds further extend the gap between themselves and the two chasing Manchester clubs. Most importantly, if the side could claim victory this Sunday, they could all but guarantee Champions league football next season.
At home, the Liverpool FC has won eleven of their seventeen matches, and has only lost two games on home soil this season. The Reds have accumulated 42 goals this season at home, only the Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur, have scored more throughout this campaign. The Liverpool FC has scored over 2.5 goals in twelve of their seventeen home appearances, so we can expect the manager Jurgen Klopp, and his team to find the net this Sunday, in front of their army of loyal fans at Anfield.
The Liverpool FC has scored more goals at home, than any other side in the league this season, thanks to their prolific, attacking might in the final third of the pitch. Three players in the starting eleven have notched up ten goals or more this season. The clubs top goal scorer is Senegalese forward Sadio Mane with a total of thirteen goals, whilst fellow striker Roberto Firmino has found the net eleven times, scoring twelve in all competitions. In addition, the midfield magician Philippe Coutinho, has netted eleven times in all competitions, and has rediscovered his form, after his absence from injury, earlier on in the season.
The midfield maestro Philippe Coutinho is set to return to the starting eleven, after the player prematurely left the field, in his club’s away win against Watford, the Spaniard left the field inside the first fifteen minutes, but is expected to start this Saturday. The clubs defensive talisman Jordan Henderson is almost back to full fitness, and could return to the bench for Sunday’s dual against the Saints.
SOUTHAMPTON FC
Southampton FC is currently sitting at mid table in the English Premier league, currently occupying the tenth position, with three games to go, as we reach this captivating conclusion, to another exhilarating campaign. The club finished the last season ranked 9th, and will be hoping to go one better this time around. If the Saints can collect all three points on their away trip to Anfield this Sunday, they will go joint level with West Brom in the league, who are sitting at the 8th spot.
Away from home, the Saints have won five of their seventeen matches, losing nine of these, and drawing on three occasions on their travels this season. The Southampton FC is experiencing a barren spell of late, and is without a win in their last three competitive matches. The club will be hoping to get back to winning ways against the high flying Liverpool FC this weekend, but it will not be a walk in the park, as the Reds will want to exact revenge, after the side was sent crashing out of the league cup semi finals against the Saints, earlier this year.
The ex-Reading striker Charlie Austin is the clubs top goal scorer, with a total of six goals domestically, with nine in all competitions, but an injury suffered in a European fixture, prevented the striker from adding to his collection. The twenty three year old midfielder Nathan Redmond, has netted seven times in all competitions, the players last goal came against Crystal Palace, in a (3:1) victory at the St. Mary’s Stadium.
The clubs manager Claude Puel, will have to make do with Virgil Van Dyke, who is still recovering from injury, and is not expected to start again this season. The Dutchmen may have played his last game for the Saints, as the player has sparked great interest from the likes of Chelsea FC, and Arsenal FC. It would not be a surprise if this talented player, was involved in a big money move at the end of this season.
Liverpool FC vs. Southampton FC Match Prediction
The Liverpool FC will want to take revenge against the Saints, for their humiliating League cup defeat earlier this season. The Reds cannot afford to drop any more points, if they wish to keep their title hopes of playing Champions League next season alive, and three points at Anfield this Sunday, would keep the pressure on their fellow title chasing side, Tottenham Hotspur.
The Saints are without a win in the last three competitive matches of the English Premier League, and the club will come out second best, if they cannot rediscover their winning form this Sunday, against a side that is firing on all cylinders.
Liverpool FC is in a much better form over the last five games, as opposed to their Sunday rivals and considering that there are not too many points left to win, the Reds will certainly go for the full prey in front of their home crowd. Therefore I expect nothing less than a win from the home side.
MY PICK: Liverpool FC (-159)
