Liverpool, who have picked up where they left last season under popular manager Jurgen Klopp, have welcomed the incoming Arne Slot with the same warmth.
The Reds have been in fine form this season, and their displays in the attacking third have warmed the hearts of even those supporters who felt that the going would have been tough for them after the German’s departure. Liverpool, however, have constantly showcased why they are among the best teams in Europe at the moment.
New manager Slot has breathed a new lease of life into the side, and the exciting play on the wings while bringing the fullbacks into action has made them stand out this season.
Mohamed Salah continues to dominate the right wing, but the vibrancy of Diaz, Núñez and Gakpo has lessened the load on the veritable elderly statesman of the Kop. However, Liverpool’s greatness also lies in the way they hold their defensive shape and the speed with which they transition from defence to attack.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahim Konate have marked their opponents with ease and barely given them any room to breathe. On the wings, Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold do what they do best – breathing fire with their accurate passing and lightning-quick runs to assist their more attack-minded colleagues.
Slot’s willingness to play Gravenberch and MacAllister in slightly deeper roles has also freed up some space for their wingers and fullbacks to interchange their positions and help in building play from the back.
All in all, the Reds seem to have ticked all the boxes to aim for a Premier League title. The minor hiccup of a 2-2 draw against Chelsea last weekend has dislodged them from their pole position at the moment, now in 2nd spot with 22 points while Manchester City are first with 23 points.
| Recent Form | W, D, W, W, W |
| Key Players to Watch | Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo |
| Team Strengths | High defensive line, attacking fullbacks. |
| Team Weaknesses | Losing the ball in midfield. |
| Injuries and Suspensions | Allison Becker, Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa. |
Brighton & Hove Albion are one of the great outliers in the Premier League owing to their ability to match and perhaps even outclass some of their more favourable opponents over the years.
The same will be expected of them in this game against Liverpool, although they have not been known to take kindly to travel, especially to Anfield. It goes without saying that the Kop is a dangerous place to be if you are not a Liverpool player, but Brighton will be keen on disrupting that and creating a story of their own.
If Danny Welbeck’s good form while leading the forward line (6 goals in 9 EPL games) has done all the talking for them this season, one must not forget the amount of creative output that is sent forth by Kaoru Mitoma and Carlos Baleba from midfield.
Manager Fabian Hürzeler will remember the recent 2-3 defeat they were handed by the Reds midweek in the EFL Cup, and hope that his wards prepare better for another showdown against their opponents.
Hürzeler has brought a wind of change to the club, and one can expect them to play some long balls from deep, targeting Welbeck.
The former Arsenal and Manchester United player, is known to receive long balls well and set himself up in one-on-one situations with opposition centre-backs, will have a tidy challenge against Van Dijk and co, who know better than anyone else how to mark their opponents.
The Liverpool faithful expected James Milner’s return to Anfield, albeit in Brighton colours, but unfortunately, he has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Hürzeler has also been hamstrung with the ankle injury striker João Pedro suffered, which has added a lot of burden to the ageing Welbeck to contribute up front.
Solly March, Adam Webster and Lewis Dunk, who have all flown the Brighton flag high for several years, too have been ruled out, making it challenging for Hürzeler to select his squad for this game.
What will not change, however, is the attitude that the Seagulls show whenever they are put under duress and pushed out of their comfort zone. Brighton seem to play their best football when their backs are against the wall and when facing challenges of the highest order.
There is no denying that Liverpool will prove to be one of the toughest challenges they have faced this season, and Brighton will need every bit of energy they can get to put their best foot forward in this game.
| Recent Form | L, D, W, W, D |
| Key Players to Watch | Danny Welbeck, Kaoru Mitoma |
| Team Strengths | Attacking through the wings. |
| Team Weaknesses | Defensive lapses in midfield, lack of quick transitions, lack of attacking options. |
| Injuries and Suspensions | Solly March, Adam Webster, James Milner, Lewis Dunk |
Liverpool and Brighton have played 18 recorded games against each other. Both teams will remember the last time they clashed, last Wednesday in the EFL Cup. Liverpool won with a tight 3-2 scoreline at the Amex, and the result has been more or less the same in the past.
Brighton have won just 3 out of the 18 games played, with Liverpool winning 11 and 4 matches ending in a draw.
Both teams have won two games in the last five matches they have played against each other, with a stellar 2-2 draw at the Amex Stadium separating these victories to either side.
In the same fixture last season, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz helped Liverpool come back to get a 2-1 win at Anfield, while Danny Welbeck had given the Seagulls an early lead in the 2nd minute.
Considering the overall statistics, Liverpool have a big advantage, and it will be exciting to see if they can repeat the same performance in this game on Saturday.
Perhaps the biggest player on show in this game is Mohamed Salah. The legendary Egyptian has showcased his skill over the years in the Premier League and deserves to aim for a title this season. Brighton will have to keep him quiet if they intend to win this game, but that is a task almost as difficult as it sounds. Additionally, Salah has Núñez and Diaz to help him out. Liverpool have a fairly aggressive looking side, and this is bound to frighten Brighton a tad.
For the Seagulls, Danny Welbeck is a threat that will have to be dealt with carefully. The 33-year-old is getting better with age, continueing to impress with every game he plays.
With João Pedro’s injury, Brighton’s attack has fallen upon the shoulders of Welbeck, and he has put his hand up to say that he will gladly take the responsibility.
Brighton need to make sure that they feed him good balls from midfield and allow him to weave his magic by taking on the Liverpool defenders one after the other. What Welbeck may lack in pace he makes up with skill and grace on the ball.
Bet hereLiverpool, who are among the pioneers of the high line defensive technique in the Premier League, will wish to bring this tactic to play in this game as well.
Brighton too like to play their football that way, and this means that we will see a game in which both these teams will like to breach their opposition defensive line as quickly as possible.
However, what most teams forget is that to play a high line, you have to mark your opponents extremely well and not give them much time on the ball. If you lose the ball in midfield, it gets extremely challenging to turn the ball into your advantage and that is when playing a high defensive line becomes a disadvantage.
Liverpool, however, have almost perfected this technique by sending their fullbacks Robertson and Alexander-Arnold up while retaining possession.
Brighton, for their part, will rely on Pervis Estupiñán’s experience on the left-hand side while the astute Joel Veltman tries to keep Núñez quiet. It will be a challenge for both these players given the kind of pressure Liverpool put on opposition fullbacks, but it is going to be exciting all the same.
Liverpool are expected to have a massive advantage over their opponents in this game, although they will not take Brighton lightly at all. If Liverpool keep possession well and feed their attackers with dangerous balls in the final third, Brighton can only sit back and wait for an opportunity to come their way.
The Reds, however, do not like to lose the ball easily and try to get it back as quickly as possible with their high intensity pressing tactics.
Brighton, for their part, know how to keep their defensive shape well, and Liverpool will have to work hard to breach it. The Reds, spurred on by the home crowd, will hope to shortchange Brighton through the wings, but this is much easier said than done.
Brighton will fancy themselves on the wings, and Liverpool might have to build play through the middle after all. It will not be an easy task, but the Reds are known to take up challenges on a regular basis.
As Liverpool are known to counter-attack whenever they find themselves picking the ball up from their opponents in dangerous positions, Brighton will have to be aware of not losing it.
The visitors have a habit of quick and short passes in midfield, and this is where the hosts’ defensive midfielders might try to come in and change the tempo. With Slot asking Gravenberch and MacAllister to play in deep-lying roles, Brighton will have an even bigger challenge to pass the ball comfortably without being heckled.
Liverpool, however, will have an advantage given that their pace has not quite been matched by others in the Premier League.
This means that they will try to speed up quickly whenever they have the ball and try to close the gates whenever they lose it. Their central midfielders like changing shape when out of possession – a tactic most supporters will want to keep their eye on.
Brighton will not want to give away any advantage to their opponents in this game and hope to keep possession for as long as possible.
Whether they create any opportunities or not is secondary, they have to keep the ball and pass it to their more attack-minded players, who can rise high and pull down the Liverpool players a peg or two.
Still, our free football predictions suggests Liverpool’s attacking class will be enough to open the score in the first half.
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