Liverpool will take on Brighton at the Amex Stadium, an encounter that the Reds will hope to win.
Liverpool vs Brighton: Preview
Brighton & Hove Albion host Liverpool to the Amex Stadium on Sunday afternoon, hoping to overtake their revered visitors in the Premier League rankings.
Last time out, the Seagulls thrashed Middlesbrough 5-1 to go to the fourth round of the FA Cup. While Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool were forced to accept a replay after drawing 2-2 with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Brighton scored an additional goal in an impressive victory at Boro’s Riverside Stadium on Saturday. Nearly replicating their eye-catching 4-1 triumph away at Everton, as returning World Cup hero Alexis Mac Allister exchanged international glory for an FA Cup brace off the bench.
Adam Lallana, Deniz Undav, and Pascal Gross were also on target for the goal-happy Seagulls. Who quickly recovered from Chuba Akpom’s equalizer in the first half to set up a fourth-round clash with, coincidentally, Liverpool or Wolves.
Prior to their victorious trip to Middlesbrough, De Zerbi’s men hushed Goodison Park and then some with a sensational Premier League triumph last Tuesday. Keeping them within striking distance of the European slots in eighth place.
Tottenham Hotspur, who have played one more game, still have an unassailable six-point lead over Brighton in fifth place. But a victory for the Seagulls on their own turf would be enough to push them into the top seven ahead of Liverpool. As the positives in life after Graham Potter continues to outweigh the negatives.
Despite their goal-scoring talents, both teams have scored in each of Brighton’s previous seven Premier League games, and their lone top-flight win at the Amex since October was the 4-1 destruction of Chelsea, but Liverpool are no longer the powerhouse they once were.
Team News
Long-term absentees Diogo Jota, Arthur, Luis Diaz, and Virgil van Dijk remain out of contention for Liverpool, while Roberto Firmino has suffered a setback in his recovery from a calf injury, but James Milner (hamstring) could be available.
On the negative side, Klopp is doubtful whether Darwin Nunez will be able to play after suffering an undisclosed injury. Thus, Cody Gakpo’s maiden Premier League start appears to be a foregone conclusion.
The 23-year-old, who acknowledged to having “good and sloppy” moments in his debut, should start at the top of the attack tonight, with Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate filling in for Van Dijk.
Predicted Line-up
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Konate, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gakpo
What Anfield Home Predicts?
In recent weeks, both Brighton and Liverpool have shown a proclivity for scoring and a proclivity for surrendering. Which should make for an intriguing duel between two European contenders.
Some have the Seagulls as favorites for this game due to the re-emergence of the Dunk-Webster pair. But Liverpool’s excursions to the Amex usually finish with the visitors claiming at least a point. However, we believe De Zerbi’s prolific charges will keep the Reds without a victory. Liverpool have a lot of issues to fix and realistically, needs a signing. The absence of this will lead to Klopp’s men falling further.
Our prediction: Liverpool 2-2 Brighton
