That’s according to Shaka Hislop, who thinks Southampton will be more relaxed in their clash with the Reds tonight after Cardiff’s loss at City in mid-week.
The Bluebirds – cruelly denied a point against Chelsea in their previous match – had the chance to narrow the gap to the Saints to two points at the Etihad.
But Man City were comfortable winners after taking a 6th-minute lead through Kevin de Bruyne and Cardiff, with six games remaining, are now five points clear of safety.
Southampton – who host Liverpool at St Mary’s this evening (8pm) – are one of three teams on 33 points alongside Burnley and Brighton.
Neil Warnock’s men face both of those teams in their next two matches, as well as already-relegated Fulham, but also have to contend with clashes against Liverpool and Manchester United, on the final day of the season.
And having lost five of their last six outings, ex-West Ham and Portsmouth goalkeeper Hislop believes Cardiff’s fate is all-but confirmed already – which gives Southampton the breathing space to play with less pressure on the south coast tonight.
Asked if Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton could trip Liverpool up, Hislop told ESPN FC: “I mean there’s a chance, but no.
“I just think Liverpool are too strong at the back.
“Though they aren’t their free-flowing selves at the back, I just think they get at least a goal they need to win this.
“I think it [this fixture] would have been trickier a couple of weeks ago.
“But now all of a sudden, you’ve got two teams down and a third [in Cardiff] – let’s be honest – ready to be pronounced dead.
“I think Southampton given where they’ve been all season can all of a sudden let out a sigh of relief and their guard drops just a little bit.”
Southampton are on a good run of form having claimed three wins in their last four matches to clamber clear of danger.
But they have failed to score in five consecutive league meetings with Liverpool, losing the last three by a combined 8-0 aggregate scoreline.
The Saints are seeking a third straight victory to pull them level on the same amount of points they managed last season, with 36, but Liverpool have lost just a single game all year – away at title rivals City in January.
The Merseyside outfit also boast the best record away from home in the league, having claimed 10 wins and five draws from 16 total matches on the road.