Brighton & Hove Albion will host Liverpool at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, with both sides desperate to secure three points this weekend.
Liverpool have been inconsistent this season, and they are without a win in three of their last six Premier League matches ahead of the game vs Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday. The Reds are coming into this clash on the back of an impressive UEFA Champions League victory over Galatasaray, but this will be a difficult outing for them.
Liverpool are fighting for a place in the UEFA Champions League next season, and they need to win. The Premier League are fifth in the Premier League table, and they cannot afford to drop any further.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion will look to secure a place in the top half. The Seagulls have three wins from their last four Premier League matches, and it remains to be seen whether they can pile further misery on the defending champions.
Liverpool have five wins from their last six matches against Brighton, and they will look to extend that run here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
Fabian Hurzeler will be without Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas due to their respective knee injuries this weekend. Brighton & Hove Albion are likely to shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs Liverpool, with Bart Verbruggen in goal.
Joel Veltman and Ferdi Kadioglu will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and help out in the final third. Jan Paul van Hecke and Lewis Dunk will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, James Milner and the Liverpool-linked Carlos Baleba will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Georginio Rutter will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to help create opportunities in the final third.
Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma will start on the flanks. They will look to add pace and unpredictability to the attack. Finally, Danny Welbeck will lead the line for Brighton & Hove Albion vs Liverpool on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, van Hecke, Kadioglu; Baleba, Milner; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck
Liverpool
The away team will be without Giovanni Leoni (knee), Conor Bradley (knee), Wataru Endo (ankle), and Alexander Isak (leg) this week. Mohamed Salah picked up a knock against Galatasaray, and he will miss out. Joe Gomez has also missed training, and he is a major doubt.
Liverpool are likely to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Brighton & Hove Albion, with Alisson Becker in goal. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Gravenberch will start alongside Dominik Szoboszlai in the double pivot, and they will look to add control and composure to the team. Alexis Mac Allister will look to create opportunities for teammates from the attacking midfield role.
Finally, Hugo Ekitike will spearhead the Liverpool attack vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, with Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Gakpo, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Ekitike
Key Stats
- Liverpool have scored at least two goals in their last seven matches against Brighton & Hove Albion in all competitions. Brighton & Hove Albion have scored at least two goals in their last five home matches against Liverpool in all competitions.
- Meanwhile, Liverpool have won five of their last six matches against Brighton & Hove Albion.
- Both teams have won three of their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Brighton & Hove Albion are one of just three sides to have conceded more goals in the first half of games (19) than they have in the second half (17) in the Premier League this season along with Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur. Only league leaders Arsenal (14) have conceded fewer goals after half-time than the Seagulls.
- Liverpool have lost nine of their 30 Premier League games this season (30%), their highest loss rate in a single campaign since 2014/15 (32% – 12/38). They last lost ten games in a season in 2015/16 (10).
Player to Watch
Dominik Szoboszlai
The Hungarian international is undoubtedly the best player at the club right now, and he has carried Liverpool at times. The Premier League champions will depend on him to control the game from the middle of the park and create opportunities for his teammates.
No player has scored more goals from outside the box than Szoboszlai this season (4). All four of his strikes have been from direct free-kicks, with only David Beckham (2000/01) and Laurent Robert (2001/02) netting more in a single campaign (both 5).
The in-form playmaker is lethal from set pieces, and he has scored some very important goals for the team in recent months. It will be interesting to see if he can help Liverpool pick up all three points away from home here.
Prediction
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Liverpool
Both teams will be playing for a victory here, and this is likely to be an open game with plenty of chances on offer. Neither side is defensive in their approach. The two sides are likely to get on the score sheet, but it will be difficult to separate them. They could end up cancelling each other out in a draw. Brighton and Liverpool are likely to share the spoils here.
