With Liverpool and Spurs facing cup overload Saints can profit

There is a lot going on in January, not least the buying and purchasing of players for Premier League clubs to occupy their time, while all three domestic competitions also have fixtures penned in.

Great news for football fans, who can feast on a menu of transfer gossip, washed down with plenty of live games to bet on.

However, it can put a strain on certain clubs still involved in both the FA Cup and crucially the Capital One Cup, especially after a gruelling festive programme.

Tottenham and Liverpool, currently labelled as 4/1 and 7/1 chances to make the top four respectively, fall into that category.

Thanks to reaching the last four of the League Cup, both clubs will have faced eight separate fixtures by the time January has elapsed, with six still to come.

It’s the two-legged semi-finals towards the end of the month that will crank up the pressure on both club’s squads and the benefactors in this situation look almost certain to be Southampton.

The Saints’ price of 13/5 to infiltrate the Champions League berths is beginning to look mightily attractive, particularly if Ronald Koeman’s side can get a positive result at Old Trafford in the league next.

The stats showed Southampton were by far the better side when the two teams faced off at St Mary’s in December and revenge could yet be sweet.

And the south coast club’s top-four credentials have been greatly enhanced by picking up 10 of the last 12 points available after a slump, which critically included holding Chelsea and soundly beating Arsenal.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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