da bet7： Southampton recorded a goalless draw against high-flying Liverpool at St Mary’s last Saturday, and they would have certainly considered themselves fortunate not to lose their third successive Premier League encounter.
da dobrowin： The visitors had 15 efforts on goal compared to just three for the hosts, and a number of defensive actions – as well as some questionable finishing from Jurgen Klopp’s men – meant that the south coast outfit picked up a clean sheet and a valuable point, securing them 11th spot in the Premier League.
The performance certainly wasn’t perfect though and manager Claude Puel could already be thinking of making some changes in midfield and upfront for the return of former Saints boss Ronald Koeman with his Everton side next Sunday – especially after a shock defeat to Sparta Prague in midweek Europa League action.
Here are three alterations that Puel must make from the starting XI that drew with Liverpool for the visit of their Merseyside rivals.
Shane Long for Nathan Redmond
Redmond has made 18 appearances for Southampton this term following a summer move from Norwich City, and it seemed as though the amount of playing time might have been catching up on him during the goalless draw against Liverpool.
The England Under-21 international struggled to support Charlie Austin in attack and things just didn’t go his way when he did go forward. Perhaps it is time he is rested for the visit of the Toffees, with Shane Long taking his place as the support striker.
Dusan Tadic for Sofiane Boufal
Boufal was handed his full Premier League debut against Liverpool after Tadic was ruled out with a broken nose that he picked up on international duty with Serbia.
However, it didn’t go to plan for the club’s record signing and he struggled to make an impact at St Mary’s, failing to create the chances that Tadic had in previous matches this season, and Puel may decide to bring the 28-year-old back into the starting line-up for Saturday’s clash if he is fully fit.
James Ward-Prowse for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Another player that was missing against Liverpool because of a slight injury problem was midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
Summer signing Hojbjerg took his place but after a successive match in the Czech capital, the Denmark international, who is seemingly being eased into life in the Premier League, is likely to be rested with Ward-Prowse getting the nod instead.
The England Under-21 captain’s excellent set pieces could be crucial at a time when Saints are struggling to create and convert chances in open play.