Liverpool host Southampton in the FA Cup on Wednesday and will be keen to build on recent Wembley success.
The Other Cup
After Liverpool’s injury list has added more names to it, the spotlight will be on their younger players once again.
Playing The Kids
Lifting the Carabao Cup on Sunday, aiming to progress in the FA Cup on Wednesday. That is the breathless schedule that Liverpool have to now contend with and after playing two hours of competitive football at Wembley, they will hope for just 90 minutes at Anfield.
That may be the hope for Jurgen Klopp and his group of players that now resembling the walking wounded and opponents Southampton will look to facilitate those hopes – even if it is for a far differing reason.
The Saints will look to not only arrive on Merseyside but march on to the last eight of this season’s FA Cup and although they have suffered successive defeats in the Championship, this could be the best time to play the current Premier League leaders.
Not only because of the potential of tiring legs from Sunday but also due to the potential of a League Cup hangover that carries through to midweek. Not a hangover in the truest sense, more of a dip in performance after such a herculean effort in the capital.
None more so than Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and with a litany of Chelsea efforts being saved by Alisson’s understudy, he was instrumental in helping Liverpool win a 10th League Cup in their history.
One of four trophies that manager Klopp is looking to hoover up on his farewell tour and with success in the Carabao Cup usually serving as a springboard to win further trophies that same season, these positive signs could also counteract any potential lethargy in Liverpool’s legs.
As for visiting Southampton, they can look at this game as either a hindrance or a neat distraction. A hindrance because of their Championship season being an arduous one and that is before you even factor in the potential drama of the playoffs.
At the same time, it could also be viewed as a neat distraction from those same exploits and after slipping up against both Hull and Millwall, a test against one of the Premier League’s most elite outfit will allow to park will park their second tier exploits until the weekend.
They may come into this game with a slight cooling of form, but they have recently gone on a 25-match unbeaten run in all competitions – including their cup wins over Walsall and Watford in the previous round and this is not something that should simply be forgotten.
But now it is time for the first of my two tips and because of Liverpool’s cup exploits 72 hours ago, I think there will be a level of malaise. One that sees the two teams plunged into extra-time and maybe beyond. Therefore, I am backing the draw at odds of 7/2.
In addition to this, I think Southampton opening the deadlock would really make things interesting and my interest will pique with Che Adams scoring the opening goal. An outcome you can also back at odds of 17/2.
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