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Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo expressed his delight in seeing compatriot Ryan Gravenberch exhibit his qualities ‘to the entire world’ after a tremendous begin to the Premier League season.
Although the Netherlands pair didn’t change into teammates at Liverpool till late summer season of 2023, Gakpo knew nicely Gravenberch’s abilities from their respective Eredivisie spells with PSV Eindhoven and Ajax.
Now in his second season at Anfield, Gravenberch has drawn widespread plaudits for his kind in a brand new deeper-lying midfield function below new head coach Arne Slot, having largely been used as an alternative below Jurgen Klopp.
Gravenberch is the one midfielder in Europe’s big-five leagues to each make 30+ tackles (30) and 30+ interceptions (33) in all competitions this season, and Gakpo insisted that his Netherlands team-mate can proceed to go from energy to energy, beginning in opposition to Southampton this Sunday.
“We [the Dutchmen at Liverpool] knew Ryan already from the Eredivisie when he performed at Ajax, and I feel everyone knew already that he’s this good,” Gakpo just lately informed Males in Blazers.
“After that, he made a transfer to Bayern Munich, and possibly he didn’t play that a lot over there, however nonetheless everyone in Holland knew how good he may very well be when he was taking part in.
“And I feel possibly the supervisor [Slot] additionally knew this. In the beginning of the season, he put him in a barely completely different place, however he gave him the boldness to play there.
“Ryan confirmed his high quality in that place, grabbed his probability as nicely and turned out to be match. He’s taking part in outstandingly for us this season.
“I’m very blissful that we will see Ryan, as we Dutchmen already knew, however now he can present it to the entire world. I’m very pleased with him.”
30 – Ryan Gravenberch is the one midfielder in Europe’s big-five leagues to each make 30+ tackles (30) and 30+ interceptions (33) in all competitions this season. Busy. pic.twitter.com/9XyrsEtAmf
— OptaPlay (@OptaPlay) November 21, 2024
Southampton, in the meantime, welcome the Reds to St. Mary’s on the again of a 2-0 defeat to Wolves forward of the worldwide break, leaving them backside of the desk after 11 video games of the season.
The Saints are the bottom scorers within the Premier League this season (seven), whereas solely Crystal Palace (5.1%) have a decrease shot conversion price than Russell Martin’s facet (6.2%). Simply 30.1% of Southampton’s photographs have been on the right track this time period (34/113), a league-low ratio.
Nonetheless, the Southampton head coach is relishing the chance of going through Liverpool, together with his gamers performing nicely in opposition to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis already this time period.
“I’m actually enthusiastic about Sunday. We’re taking part in the most effective group within the nation in the intervening time, on their present kind and what they’ve been doing with their supervisor, constructed on an unimaginable basis from the earlier supervisor, so I’m actually wanting ahead to it,” Martin mentioned.
“I feel we confirmed the fellows the Premier League desk final season and the way a lot it modified by the top and by the top of December. But it surely’s truthfully such an thrilling month.
“Individuals discuss concerning the issue of the sport and each competitors we face within the subsequent 4 or 5 video games, however it’s what all of us labored so exhausting for. We needs to be excited concerning the problem.
“I feel groups have proven in the previous few weeks that you could choose up huge outcomes in opposition to huge groups, good opposition, and we’re going to must. Our degree of efficiency in opposition to groups on the high finish of the desk has been good on the entire.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Southampton – Mateus Fernandes
Fernandes has change into a mainstay within the Southampton group, beginning the final eight Premier League video games in a row, and has been one in all Martin’s standout performers in a lacklustre begin to the marketing campaign.
Within the Saints’ 2-0 defeat to Wolves final day out, the Portuguese contributed a team-high anticipated targets (xG) tally of 0.22 from his three photographs, whereas solely Yukinari Sugawara (10) and Flynn Downes (12) have created extra possibilities within the top-flight than Fernandes (eight) this season.
Liverpool – Mohamed Salah
Salah has each scored and assisted in the identical match 35 instances within the Premier League (together with 4 already this time period), only one shy of Wayne Rooney’s report of 36 video games with each a purpose and an help within the competitors. The Egyptian has been instantly concerned in 11 targets (seven targets, 4 assists) in 11 Premier League appearances in opposition to Southampton.
He has additionally been instantly concerned in 67% of Liverpool’s Premier League targets this season (14/21 – eight targets, six assists), the best ratio by a participant for any facet within the division in 2024-25. Certainly, solely Matt Le Tissier for Southampton in 1993-94 (69% – 34/49) has scored or assisted the next proportion of a facet’s targets in a single season within the competitors.
Mo pic.twitter.com/7sNiPZkYEX
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 19, 2024
MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN
Liverpool have received 9 of their 11 Premier League video games below new head coach Slot (D1 L1). A win over Southampton will see the Dutchman change into the joint-fastest supervisor to succeed in 10 wins from the beginning of a Premier League profession (12 video games), alongside Guus Hiddink in Might 2009 and Carlo Ancelotti in November 2009 (each with Chelsea).
The Reds’ final Premier League sport in opposition to the Saints was a 4-4 away attract Might 2023 – they conceded as many targets in that sport as that they had of their earlier six visits to St Mary’s mixed.
Southampton have received simply one in all their final 14 Premier League video games in opposition to Liverpool (D3 L10), a 1-0 house victory in January 2021.
This can even be the primary Premier League match between the facet beginning the day backside of the desk and the facet beginning the day high since April 2023, and Southampton’s 3-3 draw away to Arsenal. The league leaders are unbeaten in 14 such matches (W12 D2) since Wolves received 2-1 in opposition to Manchester United in February 2011.
Nonetheless, Southampton have solely misplaced one in all their final eight Premier League house video games in opposition to sides beginning the day on the summit (W2 D5) and are unbeaten of their final 4 (W2 D2 – together with a 1-0 win over Liverpool in January 2021) since a 0-1 defeat to Man Metropolis in Might 2018.
However Martin’s facet have misplaced 9 of their 11 Premier League video games this season (W1 D1). Solely seven sides in English top-flight historical past have reached 10 defeats in 12 or fewer matches from the beginning of a marketing campaign, with all seven occurring to be relegated.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Southampton – 9.7%
Draw – 12.6%
Liverpool – 77.7%
