Defensive consistency?
Although defeat at Liverpool was deflating, Benitez will be encouraged that his five-man defensive unit limited the Reds to just three shots on target during the entire 90 minutes at Anfield – although two of those were the goals scored by Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane either side of half-time.
Still, in the four defenders that have featured during the majority of the recent four-match unbeaten run – Deandre Yedlin, captain Jamaal Lascelles, Florian Lejeune and Paul Dummett – Benitez seems to have found a settled equilibrium at the back and should see no reason to disrupt that against a Southampton side whose ratio of one goal-a-game away from St Mary’s should persuade the United boss to make no unenforced changes to his backline.
Consistency is key for Newcastle during the final 10 matches of the season and Benitez, despite his penchant for rotation, will retain faith in a back-four that has performed well together in recent weeks despite a few lapses in concentration on Merseyside.
