Southampton v Liverpool predictions, free betting tips and where to watch

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Southampton v Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League, 8pm Monday

Best bet

Southampton or draw double chance
1pt 13-10 Hills

Team news

Southampton
Jannik Vestergaard (knee) and Nathan Redmond (groin) will be out for the Saints. Alex McCarthy has tested positive for Covid-19 and Fraser Forster is set to keep goal for Saints.

Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are long-term absentees and Joel Matip is sidelined with a groin problem. Konstantinos Tsimikas, Naby Keita and Diogo Jota are out.

Match preview

Liverpool's remarkable 2020 went out with a whimper rather than a bang and they could make a stuttering start to the new year when they travel to St Mary's to take on Southampton.

Since they put seven past Crystal Palace before Christmas, Jurgen Klopp's side have fallen flat, drawing with mediocre West Brom and Newcastle outfits in the Premier League.

They scored only once and managed a total six shots on target in those two games and given how miserable their away record has been in the top flight this term, it is hard to justify backing the Reds at odds-on on the south coast.

Klopp's men have drawn five of their eight matches on the road this season, having been held to stalemates by Fulham, Brighton, Manchester City, Everton and the Magpies.

And while they have not looked themselves in the final third, they are also not helped by a catalogue of defensive injuries.

Long-term injury victims Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez have been joined on the sidelines by Joel Matip, meaning midfielder Fabinho and youngster Nathaniel Phillips have had to form a makeshift centre-back partnership.

And while they kept Newcastle at bay, it could be a lot tougher for them to keep tabs on the Saints.

Southampton will be boosted by the return of Ralph Hasenhuttl to the dugout after a period of self-isolation and although they have gone four matches without a win, their recent performances have not been bad.

They lost only one of those four contests, a 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City in a tight encounter, and drew with Arsenal, Fulham and West Ham in the other three.

Saints have lost only four league matches in 2020-21 - fewer than Leicester and Everton (both five) and the same number as Chelsea.

In Danny Ings, who has six Premier League goals this season, they have a forward who can cause plenty of problems and the Englishman will be hoping to up his game against his former club.

With Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino likely to lead the charge for the champions, Liverpool always have a chance but their patchwork rearguard could cost them against an adventurous Saints unit.

The Merseysiders have kept only five clean sheets in 16 top-flight assignments this term and with big games against Manchester United and Tottenham to come this month, they may not go out all guns blazing at St Mary's.

Liverpool deserve obvious respect - they have lost only once in the league this campaign - and the best betting angle could be to back Southampton or draw in the double-chance market.

Key stat

Liverpool have drawn four of their last six matches in all competitions.

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