Liverpool v Southampton: Back teen titan to sparkle in home romp

• Liverpool winning but not keeping clean sheets

• Saints struggling but have scored in seven of eight games

• Rio Ngumoha can net at 7/52.40

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Liverpool v Southampton
Tuesday 23 September, 20:00
Live on Sky Sports Main Event

It's really quite something to have gone five points clear at the top of the Premier League, to have won your Champions League opener, and to have done all of this without playing at your top level. Liverpool have a 100% record since the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace, and their star-studded squad still has some gelling to do.

Some summer recruits have hit the ground running, with Hugo Ekitike scoring his fourth goal in seven LFC appearances against Everton on Saturday. Others, like playmaker Florian Wirtz, have shown glimpses of their sky-high potential, but are still adjusting to the helter-skelter nature of English football. Some of course took a while to arrive, and Alexander Isak could make his first Liverpool start in this game.

While Liverpool have an irresistible attack, the balance between attack and defence is something that have proven elusive for coach Arne Slot so far. The Reds have managed just two clean sheets so far, one against as Arsenal side that was trying to stay in the game, and another against Burnley, who were purely playing on the counter-attack at Turf Moor.

Liverpool are the 5.69/2 favourites to win the League Cup on the Betfair Exchange, and with their strength in depth you can see why. The Merseyside giants were beaten finalists last season, and they won the cup the year before. They have depth in every position (except maybe centre-back), and players who are desperate to impress.

Slot has already confirmed that a raft of players will be benched or left out entirely tonight. Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah will drop out from the starting XI. Terrific teenager Rio Ngumoha, who became Liverpool's youngest ever scorer when he netted a late winner against Newcastle as a 16-year-old, is expected to start on the left wing, while there will be a first start for Georgian international goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The Ryder Cup starts on Friday. Get Dave Tindall's best bets for the action at Bethpage Black here! 

Still's Saints yet to get going

Southampton suffered a miserable campaign in the Premier League last term, tumbling out of the division as one of the worst teams the top flight has ever witnessed. Manager Will Still was a progressive and eye-catching appointment, a young man who impressed at Reims and Lens in France's Ligue 1.

However, Saints have won just one of their opening six matches in the Championship, and they lost 3-1 at Hull City last time out. They have won at Northampton and Norwich to get to this round, but Still rotated heavily for those games, and is expected to do so again. He has asked whichever team he picks to "stand up and be counted".

Liverpool v Southampton Bets: Home win and star to shine

Liverpool's recent League Cup record at Anfield is very strong. If you look at the last five home ties the scorelines have been 3-1, 5-1, 2-1, 5-1 and 4-0. Given the absence of Van Dijk and Konate, I think Saints can score here in a heavy defeat, and we can back Liverpool to win and BTTS on the Sportsbook at 13/102.30.

I'll also back the exciting Ngumoha to score at 7/52.40. He has been sensational from pre-season onwards, he scored a winner at Newcastle under incredible pressure, and he should get plenty of chances tonight.

Now read:  Jack Critchley's Tuesday night EFL Cup tipsheet