LONDON - Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren left Southampton hoping for bigger things at Liverpool but when they return to their former club in the Premier League on Sunday they will look enviously at their former teammates.

Southampton are fourth in the table while Liverpool have endured an indifferent season and lie seventh, four points adrift of Ronald Koeman's side.

After six months and 25 games, the weekend brings the reverse fixtures of the first matches of the campaign. When Koeman lost his first competitive game in charge of Southampton 2-1 at Anfield it looked as though the season might unfold as most pundits had predicted.

The south-coast club looked destined to struggle after an exodus of leading players and the loss of manager Mauricio Pochettino. But Southampton have defied the doom-mongers, coping admirably with the loss of Lallana, Lambert and Lovren to Liverpool as well as Luke Shaw to Manchester United and Calum Chambers to Arsenal.

Brendan Rodgers's side have struggled to recapture their scintillating form of last season but are unbeaten in nine league games ahead of the trip to St Mary's.

Arsenal, one point behind Southampton in fifth, visit London rivals Crystal Palace tomorrow, while sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur host West Ham United at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Leaders Chelsea held on for a 1-1 draw at Paris St Germain in their Champions League last-16 first-leg tie on Tuesday and will hope for an easier ride at home to second-bottom Burnley.

Champions Manchester City, trailing Chelsea by seven points in second, host Newcastle United. Louis Van Gaal tasted defeat in the first competitive game of his managerial reign at Manchester United and will want to avenge the Old Trafford loss when his third-placed team go to Swansea City tomorrow.