Liverpool will aim to kick-start a positive run of results when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Anfield on Saturday.
The Premier League resumes this weekend after a gap of two weeks, with Gameweek 9 of the 2022/23 season set to get underway this weekend. The action begins with the much-awaited North London Derby, and Liverpool will follow that up with a game at Anfield, with Brighton & Hove Albion paying them a visit.
The 2022/23 season has been a trial by fire thus far for Liverpool, as they have struggled to stitch together a run of positive results. The Reds had to wait until Gameweek to register their first win in the Premier League, and they have only managed to emerge victorious in three of their eight matches across all competitions. But Jurgen Klopp will hope the 15-day break will have done his troops a world of good.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion have been one of the in-form teams in the early days of the 2022/23 Premier League season. The Seagulls are currently fourth on the table, losing just one of their opening six top-flight games. But Graham Potter’s departure might be a hammer blow to their European aspirations, with the trip to Liverpool their first outing since Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment as the new Chelsea manager’s replacement.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Brighton come from two goals down to hold Liverpool to a 2-2 draw, with Enock Mwepu and Leandro Trossard finding the back of the net for the Seagulls. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
We’re LIVE with Jürgen Klopp ahead of tomorrow afternoon’s fixture against Brighton! ?️ #LIVBHA https://t.co/4upqIexT0i
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 30, 2022
Jurgen Klopp has seen his squad’s fitness woes ease considerably during the international break. Against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, the Liverpool manager will likely be bereft of the services of six first-team players.
The positive update is that Ibrahima Konate has resumed training after recovering from a knee injury and will be in contention to start games soon. In addition, Jordan Henderson has regained full fitness, with the Liverpool captain featuring for England against Germany earlier this week. And while Andrew Robertson (knee) remains unavailable, he will be at Klopp’s disposal in a week or two.
Apart from Robertson, Caoimhin Kelleher (groin), Calvin Ramsay (back), Naby Keita (thigh), and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (hamstring) remain on the sidelines. So the biggest takeaway from the latest update is that Klopp has nearly all his first-choice players at his disposal again.
Liverpool will line up in the usual 4-3-3 formation against Brighton, with Alisson Becker picking himself between the sticks. Despite Konate’s potential availability, Joel Matip should pair up with Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the Liverpool defence. Trent Alexander-Arnold is an automatic selection at right-back, while Kostas Tsimikas will continue deputising for Robertson on the left flank.
Up ahead in midfield, the fit-again Henderson will likely return to the starting eleven against Brighton. The Liverpool captain will line up alongside Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara in the middle of the park, with Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho options on the bench.
As for the offensive unit, with Klopp having all his attackers at his disposal, he can pick his strongest group in the final third. So Diogo Jota should be the central striker for Liverpool, with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah being the two wide men against Brighton.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Tsimikas; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Jota, Diaz
Brighton & Hove Albion
Unlike his counterpart in the Liverpool dugout, Roberto De Zerbi barely has a fitness concern to deal with ahead of the trip to Anfield. But like Jurgen Klopp, the Brighton & Hove Albion manager has received a largely positive update after the international break, with only one player on the sidelines.
Jakub Moder is the only player unavailable to take on Liverpool, with the Polish international recovering from a long-term knee injury. The good news is that Adam Lallana is fit and available to take on his former side after taking part in training sessions ahead of the De Zerbi’s first game in charge of Brighton.
De Zerbi has used several formations in his managerial career but should stick with Brighton’s tried and tested setup with a few tweaks to make the system his own. So Brighton will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation against Liverpool, with Robert Sanchez picking himself between the sticks.
Prep: complete. ☑️ Next stop: Liverpool! ? pic.twitter.com/Cp3GUOCFIe
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) September 30, 2022
Joel Veltman, Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster are automatic picks in the central defensive unit, with Tariq Lamptey having a bright opportunity to start as the right wing-back. Solly March should take his place on the left flank, with Pervis Estupinan being his deputy.
Alexis Mac Allister has been a revelation for Brighton thus far this season and will have the task of keeping things tight in the middle of the park alongside Moises Caicedo, reportedly a target for Liverpool.
Pascal Gross is another Brighton player who has started the 2022/23 season strongly, and he should line up behind the central striker alongside the in-form Leandro Trossard. Finally, Danny Welbeck will spearhead the Brighton attack against Liverpool.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Webster; Lamptey, Mac Allister, Caicedo, March; Gross, Trossard; Welbeck
Key Stats
- Liverpool have lost just one of their ten Premier League meetings with Brighton & Hove Albion (W7 D2), a 1-0 home defeat in February 2021. Having avoided a loss in just two of their first 11 away league games against Liverpool (W1 D1 L9), the Seagulls are unbeaten in their last two such visits to Anfield (W1 D1).
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 26 Premier League games at Anfield (W20 D6), keeping 15 clean sheets in this run. In the 11 games in which they have conceded, they have conceded the first goal eight times, including each of the last six.
- Brighton have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League games (W7 D3), going down 2-1 at Fulham in August. Taking into account each current side’s last 10 Premier League games, only Tottenham (26) and Manchester City (24) have earned more points than Brighton (23).
- Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 11 goals in his ten Premier League games against Brighton, scoring six and assisting five. But the only two occasions he has failed to register a goal involvement against the Seagulls have come in games at Anfield (November 2019, February 2021).
- Alexis Mac Allister has scored four goals in his last four Premier League games, as many as he had in his previous 34 in the competition.
Player to Watch
Mohamed Salah
Salah has endured a stop-start 2022/23 campaign thus far, thanks in large part to Jurgen Klopp modifying his role. But the Egyptian attacker showed some positive signs in Liverpool’s last game before the international break, making a solid impression against Ajax.
Salah will now aim to rediscover his best form in the period leading up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Considering he will not be featuring in Qatar, the 30-year-old will be determined to play for Liverpool in every game in the next six weeks, hoping to bring his team back to the upper echelons of English and European football.
The Liverpool talisman has a solid record against Brighton & Hove Albion, directly contributing to 11 goals in ten outings versus the Seagulls. And Salah will hope to add to his tally with a top-notch showing this weekend at Anfield.
Prediction
Liverpool 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion seemed to have cracked the code to leave Liverpool frustrated at Anfield in the last two seasons. But things might change under new management, with Roberto De Zerbi taking charge of his first game as the Brighton manager this weekend.
While the Seagulls should be typically resolute throughout the ninety minutes, De Zerbi might take some time to stamp his authority at the club. That will give Liverpool the opportunity to strike and get away from a tricky game with three points. The Hard Tackle thus predicts a hard-fought contest, with Liverpool beating Brighton 2-1.
