Liverpool and Southampton will meet on September 23rd as the Reds will take the pitch for the first time in the 2025-26 Carabao Cup campaign. The Reds are 5-0 across all competitions to start this season, and they are looking to make another deep run in this competition.

Rest and Relax?

It will be interesting to see Arne Slot's philosophy for this game and the other early rounds of the Carabao Cup. Will he play the household names or give Rio Ngumoha and others a shot at glory? If history is any indication, some new stars will emerge at Anfield, but if things get tight, since this is a knockout competition, some frontline players could come on, despite having just played vs. Everton.

Sizing Up The Saints

Liverpool beat Southampton all three times the teams met a season ago, twice in the Premier League and once in the Carabao Cup. The Saints have since been relegated to The Championship and have only one win through six games. They do have momentum as the Saints most recently defeated Norwich City 3-0, but also lost to Hull City earlier in the season. The Saints are led by Ryan Manning's two goals, while six other players have a goal each on the season.

Facts & Figures

This is the ninth time the two teams have met in the Carabao Cup. The Reds have won eight matches in a row vs the Saints at Anfield. 39 years ago on matchday, Liverpool recorded their biggest win ever, a 10-0 victory over Southampton. Saints boss Adam Lallana played for Liverpool from 2014-2020, making 178 appearances and scoring 22 times.

LFC Globe Verdict

This should be an easy win, but this competition has a history of major upsets, so the Reds have to be careful. I'm looking forward to seeing what the young players can do with extended minutes to give Salah and others rest for the EPL games.

Where To Watch

Kickoff is set for 20:00 BST from Anfield and will air on ITV. In the United States, the action will stream on Paramount+ at 3 p.m. EST.