Since Liverpool won at the Dell on the opening day of the 1998/99 season, their record when visiting our fair City has been appalling, well from their viewpoint at least.

Since that victory we have hosted them in 7 League fixtures plus a League Cup tie, in those 8 games Liverpool have managed just a solitary victory, that being a 1-0 win in January 2003 when Emile Heskey scored the only goal of the game.

Apart from our win in the League cup, that has meant that in the other 6 league games, Liverpool have left the South Coast having been beaten on four occasions and drawing in another two, both of those all square games being at the Dell.

So Liverpool's record in their 5 visits to St Mary's has not been good, 4 defeats and only that solitary victory 11 games ago to their credit, indeed they come here on Saturday looking to break a run of three straight defeats.

As mentioned in a previous article this week, usually the games in Southampton are pulsating affairs and in the past four decades or so more often than not its been Saints who have come out victor's.

Comparison's can be drawn against both sides ahead of this weekend's game, both rely on scoring more than they concede, and both have suffered defensive lapses of late that have cost them dearly.

Perhaps what will decide this fixture is just which side wants it the most, on one hand you have Saints who are buoyed by four members of the side being called up for England, but on the other you have a Liverpool team who stand on the cusp of a return to the Champions League and indeed an outside chance of nicking in from the back of the pack and winning the Premier.

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