Southampton travel to Anfield to face Liverpool for the third and final time in 2017.
The last two games against the Reds, which were both at Anfield, saw the dramatic EFL semi-final win with Shane Long scoring in stoppage time in a 1-0 dramatic win for the Saints and the other saw a 0-0 draw which saw a heroic penalty save from Fraser Forster back in May.
The Saints come out of the international break trying to recover from a late 1-0 home defeat to Burnley. This result along with a very sloppy and slow start to the new season has arisen concerns amongst Saints fans about new manager Mauricio Pellegrino.
Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp come back off the international break following an emphatic 4-1 win away at West Ham which saw Slaven Bilic lose his job. As well as this, Liverpool are heading into the game with their key players coming back to full fitness, including ex-Saints Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana.
Going away to Anfield has never been an easy task and it is set to be Mauricio Pellegrino’s hardest fixture so far as Saints boss as he enters a very tough fixture schedule leading up to the New Year.
As preparations get underway for the game, we look at three Saints who will be vital if Saints are to claim a victory or a positive result.
Oriol Romeu
Romeu is still yet to recapture the form that saw him named as last season’s player of the year and he will have to find that form again if Saints are to get a positive result at Anfield.
Romeu will have to remain sharp and focused as he will have to offer the Saints defence extra protection against the frightening Liverpool attacking line.
Sofiane Boufal
Boufal finally seems to be getting a run in the side and is starting to show a lot more of the qualities that the club paid £16 million for.
The Moroccan will be key to any of Saints’ attacking intent as his direct style and ability to dribble past players with ease could prove vital against a shaky Liverpool back four.
Virgil van Dijk
The defender was desperate to leave Southampton for a switch to Merseyside back in the summer and made no secret about it. He handed in a transfer request in a saga that saw Liverpool issue a public apology to the Saints and the club’s faithful for the way they went around tapping up and showing their interest in the Dutch centre back.
Van Dijk is now claiming to be “happy” and a 100% committed to being successful for Saints, so he will have to walk the walk against Liverpool as he will be a key member of the Saints’ defence.
He’ll have to brush memories and feelings of the summer aside if Saints are to get a positive result.
