Liverpool begin their Carabao Cup journey on home soil in midweek, as Southampton visit Anfield in the third round of the competition.
These two teams met three times last season amid the Saints’ dire 2024–25 campaign, facing off in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals in addition to their two Premier League meetings. Oddly, Southampton played the eventual champions tough in all three games but were beaten in each.
They’ve since hired Will Still to help them return to the top flight on a stronger footing, but the impressive former Reims and Lens coach has endured a tough start to life on the south coast. A 3–1 defeat to Hull City at the weekend leaves Southampton 19th in the Championship and without a league win since Gameweek 1.
Liverpool, on the contrary, have exclusively tasted victory at the start of the new season, although Arne Slot’s side are yet to produce a convincing 90 minutes. It looked like they’d buck that trend in Saturday’s Merseyside Derby, racing into a 2–0 lead, but they allowed Everton a route back into the contest and were forced to cling on to three points.
The Reds were beaten Carabao Cup finalists last time out, losing to Newcastle United at Wembley to conclude one of their very few disappointing weeks in 2024–25. However, no team has lifted this trophy more than Liverpool (ten times). Southampton, meanwhile, are two-time runners-up but have never got their hands on the silverware.
Here is guide to the Merseyside derby.
