LIVERPOOL PREDICTED XI: SOUTHAMPTON (H)

Liverpool will be looking to get back to the top of the league on Saturday as they host Southampton, buoyed by their dramatic late win against Paris Saint Germain on Tuesday...

Liverpool are riding a wave of momentum after winning 5/5 in the league so far and coming off a morale boosting last minute victory against PSG during the week.

This will be the easiest match on their schedule for the next several weeks so expect a few changes as Klopp begins using his depth to rotate and keep fresh legs.

GK – Alisson Becker – With a League Cup match against Chelsea coming on Tuesday, I could see Mignolet getting the start in that fixture. Alisson should expect to get the majority of the starts across all competitions and he’s certainly getting the call in this one.

LB – Andy Roberston – Much like in goal, Tuesday seems like a good opportunity to get Alberto Moreno into the action. Robertson’s fitness levels are high so there’s no reason to rest him in this one.

CB – Virgil van Dijk – Why mess a good thing up when the central defensive partnership has been clicking so well? It would be incredibly surprising if van Dijk wasn’t dressed for this match.

CB – Joe Gomez – News broke this week that Dejan Lovren’s back in training and Joel Matip will probably see his first start on Tuesday against Chelsea, but for the time being Joe Gomez is automatic as the partner for van Dijk in the center of defense.

RB – Trent Alexander-Arnold – Just like Moreno in the opposite fullback position, I think we could see Clyne earn a start on Tuesday in the League Cup. Trent’s looking superb at the moment and keeping a consistent back four makes the most sense in order to pick up another three points in the Premier League.

MF – Fabinho – Here’s where I think things might get interesting. We finally got a taste of Fabinho in a Liverpool shirt on Tuesday, even if it was only for about a minute. Gini Wijnaldum has looked remarkable in the holding midfield role, but he’s deserving of a rest and this is a perfect fixture to see if Fabinho’s up to speed in Klopp’s high octane system.

MF – Jordan Henderson – Henderson was my Man of the Match on Tuesday against PSG and that performance alone should earn him a consecutive start. I know James Milner is ageless at this point, but it couldn’t hurt to give him a match off to rest the legs. He’ll be crucial in the run of games coming up.

MF – Naby Keita – You get the sense that Keita’s still coming to grips with the style of play and pace of the league and he’s shown flashes of brilliance with his flair and creativity. Southampton is the type of side where we might see Keita’s influence grow in midfield and maybe even grab a goal.

FW – Sadio Mane – Mane’s been the best, most consistent forward for Liverpool this season and I’d keep him in the starting lineup since he’s in such great form currently.

FW – Xherdan Shaqiri – This week has seen an overblown reaction to Mo Salah’s body language after being subbed off against PSG, but it is fair to say that he’s not been anywhere near his best up to this point in the season. Shaqiri brought great energy and drive when he came on in the Champions League and has earned a chance to show what he’s capable of from the start.

ST – Daniel Sturridge – Firmino is still the clear number one forward for Liverpool, but with his eye injury and Sturridge grabbing a goal and playing well on Tuesday I’d pick Sturridge here. You only need about an hour out of him and then let Firmino come on, hopefully with the game already out of reach at that point.