Liverpool vs. Southampton: Team News, Preview, Live Stream and TV Info

Liverpool will look to keep up pressure on the Premier League's elite when they host Southampton at Anfield on Sunday, where a win is needed if the Reds are to guarantee they remain third beyond Week 36.

The Saints held manager Jurgen Klopp's side to a 0-0 draw when these two teams met at St Mary's Stadium earlier in the campaign, but the Merseysiders are in far greater need of all three points this time around.

As things stand, Liverpool boast a four-point advantage over City and have a better goal difference, but the fact they've played two games more means they must take the initiative in snatching every point they can between now and season's end.

Southampton are unable to climb higher than eighth before the end of the season, but that shouldn't stop manager Claude Puel from attempting to muster the best possible end to the term.

Read on for a preview of Sunday's encounter, complete with all the vital viewing information and team news ahead of what promises to be a feisty affair.

Date: Sunday, May 7

Time: 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET

Venue: Anfield, Liverpool

Live Stream: Sky Go app (UK), NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S.)

TV Info: Sky Sports 1 (UK), NBCSN (U.S.)

Liverpool	Southampton
Watford 0-1 Liverpool	Southampton 0-0 Hull City
Liverpool 1-2 Crystal Palace	Chelsea 4-2 Southampton
West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Liverpool	Southampton 0-3 Manchester City
Stoke City 1-2 Liverpool	West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Southampton
Liverpool 2-2 Bournemouth	Southampton 3-1 Crystal Palace

Team News

Liverpool have received a positive update on the fitness of star midfielder Philippe Coutinho ahead of Sunday's showdown with the Saints, with the Brazilian looking likely to return from the injury he suffered at Watford on Monday.

Coutinho was withdrawn just 13 minutes into the fixture after suffering a dead leg, but he told Liverpool's official website he's improved since then:

"The injury is much better. It was a hard tackle and what happened was a dead leg. It caused a lot of pain in the area I was hit, but the pain has reduced now. At the moment, I am feeling very well—the first couple of days were the most painful."

Injury analyst Ben Dinnery provided a further update on Coutinho's condition, and while Liverpool's maestro may be on the mend, he's not yet back to his best:

Klopp has no other fresh concerns aside from that blow, with no return date yet apparent for captain Jordan Henderson, while Sadio Mane and Danny Ings have been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Meanwhile, Southampton striker Charlie Austin looks unlikely to feature against Liverpool unless he's made any meteoric strides since Saints boss Puel gave an update on his fitness last week, per Physio Room:

Preview

In the first of Liverpool's two remaining home games this season, the Reds face a Southampton side still fighting to finish in the Premier League's top half, although they come to Anfield without a win in their last three games.

Nevertheless, Klopp spoke of the fixture as a big occasion when talking to the media in midweek, per Anfield HQ:

And just as the Reds are banding together for their end-of-season run-in, reports have emerged saying Puel is "fighting to save his job" at St Mary's amid speculation of bust-ups between the players, per Tim Gray of the Daily Star.

That kind of disruption would appear to correlate with Southampton's recent drop in form, losing to Manchester City and Chelsea before drawing 0-0 with Hull City. However, Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore has insisted upon the contrary:

Whatever the truth may be in regards to Southampton's dressing room balance, Klopp need only be concerned with his men and how they perform as they hope to continue waging war on their Manchester rivals.

The Saints did manage to stifle their Merseyside foes on the south coast back in November, although attempting to stop the Reds from scoring at Anfield—Manchester United are the only club to do so this season—will be a far greater task.