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By HARRY BAMFORTH and LEWIS STEELE AT ST MARY'S STADIUM and AADAM PATEL AT ST MARY'S STADIUM Published: 05: 31 AEDT, 19 December 2024 | Updated: 08: 55 AEDT, 19 December 2024 66 View comments Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Southampton host Liverpool in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.   By Harry Bamforth Liverpool hold on. .. The Carabao Cup holders are through to the semi-finals. , but my word they were made to work for it. The Southampton players are clapped off the pitch after a superb second-half display. They showed real fight and may feel aggrieved they were not given a penalty late on. But once again, they end the night on the losing side. By Harry Bamforth The ironic cheers are back (I love them). This time they are for Harvey Elliott as he blasts the ball toward the roof of the stadium while going for goal. Not his finest strike. By Harry Bamforth Ohhhhhhhhh. .. Jarell Quansah will be relieved that there is no VAR tonight as he has just got away with one. Southampton go route one and Mateus Fernandes looks to have got away from Quansah and through on goal. But the centre-back shoves him to the ground and nothing is given. I can't believe it, he should be off. By Harry Bamforth Oh, hello. .. Southampton fans cheer as they see there will be six minutes of stoppage time. Can they find a late equaliser? By Harry Bamforth Federico Chiesa just has no luck in front of goal tonight. Once again, Taylor Harwood-Bellis foils him with a block, but this time on the line and his strike was heading in. He then gets the ball back and has a second bite at the cheery but sees his effort blocked once more. Chiesa's wait for his Liverpool goal continues. By Harry Bamforth Liverpool really are clinging on. .. Paul Onuachu is wreaking havoc again as he holds up play and starts a threatening counter. The move ends with a cross to Ben Brereton-Diaz at the back post and he is in acres of space. he gets his head to the ball but the effort is straight at Caomihin Kelleher. He was offside too. .. By Lewis Steele At St Mary's Stadium By Harry Bamforth Darwin Nunez, what are you doing? The striker blasts a ball miles behind him looking for Tyler Morton and it goes out of play. I have no idea what is going through his head, it's such a bizarre choice of pass. By Harry Bamforth One last throw of the dice for Southampton. Ben Brereton-Diaz and former Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana have been thrown on. They are really going for that equaliser now. Meanwhile, Jayden Danns is brought on for Liverpool and it spells the end of Trey Nyoni's full debut. By Harry Bamforth Ohhhh. .. Southampton are ramping up the pressure and Paul Onuachu just can't fire in an equaliser. The ball comes his way and he takes a huge swing at the ball, but he completely misses it. I mean, he simply has to do better there. Was that the moment? By Harry Bamforth Oh, Darwin Nunez. .. The Liverpool striker always likes to provide some entertainment and he has just tried an overhead kick. He completely misses the ball though, and hits the deck while ironic cheers come from the home crowd. By Harry Bamforth Liverpool have done diddly squat in this second half. The Reds have only mustered one shot since half-time compared to Southampton's three. Prret poor, right? By Harry Bamforth Paul Onuachu's introduction really has got these Southampton fans excited. He gets on the end of a free-kick and the Saints fans go bananas before he miskicks his finish and is flagged offside. Fair play to the lad, though, he has really got this ground going. By Harry Bamforth Simon Rusk turns to the bench again. It seems as though he is going for it as Paul Onuachu and Kamaldeen Sulemana have both come on. Goalscorer Cameron Archer makes way as well as Flynn Downes. Remember, Onuachu cause Liverpool so many problems in the Premier League fixture. By Harry Bamforth Liverpool have not found any rhythm in this second half, it's been quite bizarre really. I just have a feeling that Southampton may find an equaliser here, they are building a head of steam. By Harry Bamforth Taylor Harwood-Bellis to the rescue. Liverpool finally get their act together going forward and Diogo Jota slides through Federico Chiesa. Chiesa's arrows a low effort toward the bottom corner but Harwood-Bellis manages to clear. It actually looked like it was going wide anyway. .. By Harry Bamforth It really is mental how much one moment can change the momentum of a whole match. The Southampton players have been lifted, and so have their fans. Liverpool will want to calm the game back down because they were coasting before the Cameron Archer strike. They look like they are trying to take the sting out of the game. By Harry Bamforth Arne Slot decides to switch things up. Diogo Jota comes into the action after his goal at the weekend and replaces Cody Gakpo. James Mc Connell also enter the fray with Alexis Mac Allister making way. By Harry Bamforth Oh my word, that is a stunning save from Caoimhin Kelleher! Southampton have come to life and come so close to leveling the score almost instantly. Cameron ASrcherb gets on the end of a cross and looks set to secure his brace but Kelleher reacts brilliantly to deny him. Goals really do change games. By Harry Bamforth James Bree does eventually have to make way after pulling up earlier in the half. He is replaced by Yakinori Sugawara as the Sainst suddenly have a bit of momentum. By Harry Bamforth Out of nowhere! All of a sudden we have a cup tie on our hands as Cameron Archer bends a beautiful finish into the far corner. The hosts get a stroke of luck as a clearance is fired into the face of Wataru Endo to send Archer through. He cuts in off the left and then bends the ball past Caoimhin Kelleher. Game on! By Harry Bamforth Handbags, we have handbags! Flynn Downes decides to liven things up a bit as he gets into a tussle with Harvey Elliott. I mean, he literally holds Elliott back and doesn't let him join an attack, so it's easy to see why the Liverpool man gets angry. In the end, they both get booked. A bit harsh on Elliot that. By Harry Bamforth The start of this second half has been much like the first. Basically what that means is that nothing had really happened and Liverpool are just passing it about with ease. It's a pretty boring watch, I have to say. By Harry Bamforth Oh, now this is surprising. James Bree is back on and will continue. It looked like his groin had completely gone. I'm hoping that it was just a niggle and that he is not just being silly and playing through pain. If he is, then it will only get worse. By Harry Bamforth Oh dear. .. James Bree has just gone down holding his groin after chasing down Cody Gakpo. It looks like he has pulled it, which is a huge blow for Southampton. Yukinari Sugawara is now getting ready. .. and we know what happened when he last played Liverpool. By Harry Bamforth The early signs seem to suggest that Tyler Morton has gone to right-back for Liverpool. That is certainly new territory for him, although he will get to move inside when Liverpool are attacking. And I mean, they will be doing that a lot. By Harry Bamforth We have our answer! Federico Chiesa and Kosta Tsimikas both make their returns to action as they come on after the break. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez are the pair that make way after a good first 45. Anyway, we are back underway. By Harry Bamforth Are we set to see two changes at the break from Arne Slot? Both Federico Chiesa and Kostas Tsimikas have been seen warming up during the break. This seems like the perfect match for them to make their comeback after injury. By Harry Bamforth Liverpool just can't stop scoring this season. They have managed to find the back of the net in all but one of their matches this season. Can you guess which one? Yep, it was the now-famous defeat at home to Nottingham Forest back in September. That is long in the past now and they just seem to find the net at will these days. By Harry Bamforth Izzy Christiansen, former Man City midfielder, on Sky Sports: By Harry Bamforth It really has been all too easy for Liverpool down on the south coast. Just watch this goal, and it says everything. Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely move, and then finish from Harvey Elliot, but Southampton didn't really put up a fight. The story of their season, really. By Harry Bamforth I wasn't proved wrong. .. A couple of sub-par set-pieces and then the referee blows his whistle to signal the break. It's been more of the same for Southampton whose errors and lack of confidence have made this a walk in the park for Liverpool. Strikes form Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott have the Reds ahead and it's hard to see the Saints coming back from here. Football always likes to spring some surprises, though. .. By Harry Bamforth There will just be one minute of stoppage time at St Mary's. I highly doubt anything will happen in it, but I am open to being proved wrong. By Harry Bamforth Wataru Endo has just been absolutely rinsed by Mateus Fernandes. The Japanese international needs a ticket to get back into the stadium after he slips when Fernandes cuts back in the area. Luckily for him, it comes to nothing. By Harry Bamforth As soon as the first goal went in, you could just see all the Southampton's players' confidence drained. It feels like Liverpool could rattle off a few more here if they really want to, and they are not even up to speed yet. By Harry Bamforth This could get messy. .. really messy. Liverpool have well and truly found their groove and now Alexis Mac Allister comes close to a third. He gets on the end of a lovely low cross first time and hammers the ball toward the bottom corner. It looks set for the back of the net but Alex Mc Carthy does really well to get across and deny the Argentine. A third feels like it's coming. By Lewis Steele At St Mary's Stadium By Aadam Patel At St Mary's Stadium By Harry Bamforth What a lovely goal that is! Harvey Elliott bags his first goal of the season and it's football at its very best. Cody Gakpo combines with the midfielder yet again, sliding him through after a lovely move, and Elliott finishes off in style. That's two shots on target and two goals for the Reds. By Harry Bamforth Southampton simply can't get hold of the ball. Liverpool are just knocking it about with ease and then sliding one ball in behind to set up a chance. This time Cody Gakpo is slid through, he then finds Harvey Elliot who has a dig but his effort is blocked. This is like watching a training session. By Harry Bamforth The Liverpool fans seem to be loving life now. they are well and truly singing in the rain, going through their vast catalogue of chants. They are obviously feeling festive as they also break out 'O Come, All Ye Faithful'. By Harry Bamforth That is exactly what Darwin Nunez needed. He has not exactly been clinical this season and plenty of people have let him know about it, including me. But this time his technique of putting his heading down and smacking the ball actually worked. You could see the emotion in his celebration. By Harry Bamforth Darwin Nunez is back in the goals! The Southampton errors are back and Nunez capitalises to give Liverpool the lead. Trent Alexander-Arnold does brilliantly to drive into space before sending a poor pass in search of Nunez. But he gets a slice of luck as Jan Bednarek miskicks the ball into the path of the striker and he blasts past Alex Mc Carthy. The Southampton fans then goad Nunez and he just cups his ears before telling them to sing louder. He loves it. By Lewis Steele At St Mary's Stadium By Harry Bamforth Is this game finally opening up? I think it is as Southampton now produce a threatening counter-attack. It ends with Tyler Diblingas the St Mary's crowd get to their feet, but the youngster can only find the gloves of Caoimhin Kelleher. A promising opportunity. By Harry Bamforth That's a big tackle from Jan Bednarek. Liverpool finally manage to find some space and Cody Gakpo gets his gallop on. He charges toward the area before sliding in Darwin Nunez, but Bednarek slides in to deny the striker. A crucial tackle. By Harry Bamforth We have a shot. .. and it's rubbish. Darwin Nunez has a crack from the edge of the area and nearly fires it out of the stadium. The home fans then chant a rather mean song toward the forward, which I can't repeat on here. It has something to do with former Liverpool striker Andy Carroll. By Harry Bamforth Liverpool's final product has been rather pants so far. It's another overhit cross from the Reds this time from Cody Gakpo. We are still yet to even have a shot. By Harry Bamforth I bet Arne Slot is buzzing to be in the stands and not on the touchline. It's still raining cats and dogs out there and it seems to be affecting what's going on. Alexis Mac Allister has just seen a corner be caught by the wind and blow over everybody. Well, either that or it was a terrible set-piece. By Harry Bamforth Not much is really happening at the moment, I'm sad to say. James Bree has just been caught offside and the flag goes up straight away as there is no VAR tonight. We are back to the good ol' days. .. By Harry Bamforth Southampton are hoofing the ball! ! It's only been a few games but it seems they will not be faffing about at the back under Simon Rusk. The clearance brings a huge cheer from the St Mary's crowd. By Harry Bamforth Liverpool have a lot of the ball so far, but they look a little sloppy. Already there have been a handful of wayward passes and we are only four minutes in. Meanwhile, Southampton are just trying to stay compact and sit deep. By Harry Bamforth Southampton have survived the first minute, so that's a positive I guess. You may think I am messing about, but by this time on Sunday, they were already behind against Tottenham. Baby steps and all that. .. By Harry Bamforth Simon Rusk looks like he is having a blast in the dugout as he bops along to 'Saints Go Marching IN'. I mean, it's a bit of a bop. The teams then get into their huddles as the rain continues to come down before we get underway. Let's hope for a cracker! By Lewis Steele At St Mary's Stadium By Harry Bamforth It is noisy down on the south coast. I'm not talking about the rain lashing down, but rather the atmosphere at St Mary's as the two teams come out of the tunnel. The stadium is not full, but it hasn't stopped who is here making a fair amount of noise. The away fans are particularly loud, but then techno music comes on to try and drown them out. I love that type of music, so I am not complaining. By Harry Bamforth Do we have a shock on the cards? Arsenal's hunt for a trophy has already taken a hit tonight as Crystal Palace have taken an early lead. Jean-Phillipe Mateta opened the scoring for the visitors just three minutes in, stunning the Emirates. Can they hold on? I mean, there is still a very long way to go down in north London. By Harry Bamforth Arne Slot, Liverpool boss, speaking to Sky Sports: By Aadam Patel At St Mary's Stadium By Harry Bamforth It's time to get excited guys. .. The game is now just 15 minutes away from getting started and I for one am pumped up. It looks like the players are too as they just finish their warm-ups, or maybe they are grumpy. Fans will be hoping it's the former. By Harry Bamforth These are the nights I am glad to be sitting inside an office and not at the stadium. The weather is pretty terrible down on the south coast. .. If you are heading to St Mary's, I hope you have brought a brolly and lots of layers. If not, you will get drenched. By Harry Bamforth Right, I told you all earlier there was a lot of action on, and we have not forgotten about it. My brilliant colleague Lewis Browning is in the hot seat covering Arsenal's quarter-final with Crystal Palace at the Emirates. And Newcastle fans, you have not been left out. .. For updates from Newcastle's match with Brentford, go to the blog below too. Both games have just got underway. By Harry Bamforth Chris Sutton, It's All Kicking Off! co-host, on BBC Sport: By Harry Bamforth To say Cody Gakpo enjoys the Carabao Cup is a huge understatement. I wasn't really expecting him to start this evening, but I bet he was begging Arene Slot to let him play. Why, you ask? Well, pretty much every time the Dutchman plays in the competition, he scores. Since the start of last season, Gakpo has three more goals in the League Cup than any other player. He has already netted four goals in two Carabao Cup games this season. Can he add to that tally tonight? By Harry Bamforth By Harry Bamforth Tonight is what Trey Nyoni has been dreaming about for a long time. To be handed a full debut at just 17 years of age just shows how talented of a player he is. I have seen glimpses of the youngster, mainly in pre-season, and I must say, I was impressed. Now he has the chance to show everybody what he is all about. By Harry Bamforth I know things are bad right now if you're a Southampton fan, but I have a positive omen to make you feel better. When it comes to League Cup quarter-finals, the Saints have a pretty good record. Southampton have progressed from each of their last two games at this stage, Both were 2-0 wins. The first over Arsenal in 2016-17 and then Manchester City in 2022-23. The City game will certainly live long in the memory of Saints fans in what was a horrendous campaign. It was pretty much the only highlight of Nathan Jones' reign. By Harry Bamforth Right, it's time for us to hit the rewind button. .. We don't have to go back far to see the last time Southampton and Liverpool met at St Mary's. In fact, they only played each other less than a month ago. It was a cracker of a match in which Liverpool were really made to fight for three points. The Saints produced arguably their best performance of the season so far, coming from behind to lead the Reds early in the second half. But then they became victims of a certain player called Mo Salah. The Egyptian King produced one of his rescue missions on the south coast, scoring a brace which included a late penalty to earn Liverpool the victory. If we are treated to even an ounce of the drama we got that day, then we are in for one hell of a ride. Let's hope they can produce another cracker. By Lewis Steele At St Mary's Stadium By Harry Bamforth Well, this is stronger than I was expecting. .. Arne Slot had made eight changes, but he has still decided to go fairly strong considering the club's injury problems. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, and Cody Gakpo are the only survivors from the draw to Fulham. There is indeed a full debut for Trey Nyoni, while Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton get a runout. Can this team get the job done? By Harry Bamforth Simon Rusk is not holding back. The interim boss has gone for a rather strong line-up, making only three changes from the humbling at the hands of Tottenham. Nathan Wood, James Bree, and Cameron Archer are the trio that come into the side. It looks like Rusk will go back to three at the back. By Lewis Steele At St Mary's Stadium By Harry Bamforth Do you want some early team news? I mean, of course, you do. Don't worry we have you covered here. It is believed that 17-year-old Trey Nyoni will make his first-ever Liverpool start this evening. The youngster burst onto the scene against tonight's opposition when he made his debut in the FA Cup earlier in the year. He must be wishing Liverpool could play Southampton every week, and then he will always be involved. If he does indeed start, it will be a huge night for the wonderkid. By Harry Bamforth Southampton did not get the luxury of starting their journey in the third round like Liverpool. That means this post will be slightly longer than the last - it has to be done. Southampton started their cup campaign all the way back in August, which feels like forever ago, with a trip to Cardiff. What on paper was not the most enthralling of fixtures ended up being one of the best so far, with Sainst edging an eight-goal thriller that included two-stoppage time strikes and some bangers. In the next round, their match was not quite as exciting. They played out a 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park before getting the job done on penalties. Then, after a series of losses in the Premier League, they had the task of taking on Championship side Stoke and were desperate for a win. A win is what they got, edging yet another scorcher of a tie to book their place in the quarter-finals. Hopefully, they continue their knack of being involved in belting matches again tonight. I have my fingers and my toes crossed. By Harry Bamforth Oh, hello. .. Personally, I was not expecting Trent Alexander-Arnold to be involved in any shape or form tonight. I assumed he would be wrapped in cotton wool. It appears not, the Liverpool vice-captain has just arrived at St Mary's for tonight's clash. I wonder if he is starting. .. By Harry Bamforth Liverpool and the League Cup are just a match made in heaven. The Reds adore this competition and once again are looking likely to go far in it. After winning the trophy for a record-extending 10th time last season, Arne Slot's side started this campaign's cup run with a repeat of last year's quarter-final against West Ham at Anfield. And just like they did in 2023, the Reds hammered the Londoners. Then came a trip to the south coast to face Brighton, which is by no means an easy task. Liverpool had little problem dispatching the Seagulls though, coming out 3-2 victors before beating them in the league a few days later. Now we are here, back on the south coast once more. Will they be able to continue their fine run of form in the competition? By Harry Bamforth What did I say? Teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha, who is just 16 years old, has been spotted at St Mary's. Also, there appears to be no Mohamed Salah or Virgil van Dijk in Southampton. The question is, in what way will Ngumoha be involved tonight? By Harry Bamforth Don't expect to see a full-strength Liverpool side tonight, that's for sure. With a crucial run of games coming up for Arne Slot's side, starting with Tottenham on Sunday, he is likely to ring the changes. I mean, he even admitted it himself yesterday. Youngsters should be in the fold and players such as Federico Chiesa who has struggled for minutes due to injury this year. The changes could present a really good chance for Southampton to get through, but whatever side Slot starts will still be packed with quality. I'm interested to see who the Dutchman goes with. By Harry Bamforth Simon Rusk, Southampton interim boss, speaking on Tuesday: By Harry Bamforth Where to start with Southampton, eh? The club have not had a fun season in the slightest and on Sunday night it hit a new low. After conceding five first-half goals in a dreadful defeat at home to Tottenham, Russell Martin was sent packing. It leaves the Saints in no man's land as the problems continue to stack up, but they just have to get on with it. That's football. Under 21s boss Simon Rusk will be in caretaker charge tonight as the club continue their search for Martin's successor. It's fair to say, interim bosses have had easier starts. .. To face league leaders and current Carabao Cup holders Liverpool in your first game is about as tough a fixture as you can get. In some ways, though, it may be a perfect one. There is absolutely no pressure on Rusk and his players to beat the Reds tonight, meaning if they do it will be simply sensational. I wonder if we will see that new manager bounce in full effect tonight. .. By Harry Bamforth Oh, I blooming love the cup. A lot of people believe that the League Cup has lost its sparkle in the last few years, but I simply believe that to be untrue. Just take Liverpool winning it last year, for example. Watch the scenes following full-time after they beat Chelsea in February and try telling me it's a 'Mickey Mouse Cup'. There are eight teams left who are vying for the semi-finals, with three matches taking place tonight, and a big one tomorrow. While we are just covering the action on the south coast here, let's have a look at the schedule anyway: By Harry Bamforth Who's up for the cup? We are getting to that time in the Carabao Cup when Wembley becomes a real possibility for the eight teams left. However, there are still a few more hurdles to jump. Holders Liverpool will be confident of hopping over theirs tonight as they face managerless Southampton at St Mary's. The pair played out a thriller back in November, but it's fair to say a lot has changed since that day. With a semi-final spot on the line, it's sure to be a cracking encounter. Let's get this show on the road. Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group