Brighton vs Liverpool – News and Probable Lineups

After an impressive Champions League victory earlier this week, Liverpool will be back in Premier League action on Saturday as they take on Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.

The Reds aim to achieve their first league double over the Seagulls since the 2019-20 season, having secured a 2-0 win in the earlier encounter at Anfield last December.

Match overview

Following a difficult stretch of one win in 13 Premier League matches since early December (D6 L6), Brighton seems to have turned their fortunes around, celebrating three victories in their last four outings.

Brighton’s only stumble in this recent upturn came at home against league leaders Arsenal, where they lost 1-0. The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has since revealed that the Seagulls were unfairly denied a penalty due to a VAR oversight – marking the 18th VAR error acknowledged by the independent panel this season.

Fabian Hurzeler’s squad quickly recovered from that narrow defeat by triumphing 1-0 over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last weekend, bringing the 12th-placed Seagulls to 40 points, just five shy of the top seven with eight games left to play.

Still maintaining hopes of qualifying for Europe, Brighton will enter Saturday’s match against Liverpool confident, having won two of their last three home league clashes with the Reds (D1), after previously only managing one win in their first 13 meetings (D6 L6). They secured a thrilling 3-2 victory at the Amex in this fixture last season.

Focusing on a solid defensive strategy early on could be crucial if Brighton hopes to triumph against Liverpool once again this weekend; the Seagulls rank among only three Premier League teams – alongside Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur – to have conceded more goals in the first half (19) than in the second half (17) this season.

Liverpool overturned a one-goal deficit from the first leg to decisively beat Galatasaray 4-0 at Anfield in Wednesday’s last-16 second leg, showcasing one of their best performances this season to set up a Champions League quarter-final against defending champions Paris Saint-Germain next month.

It was viewed as the “perfect game” by head coach Arne Slot, who needed such a convincing win to relieve some pressure following a frustrating 1-1 Premier League draw with relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Liverpool has only managed four wins across their last 12 Premier League fixtures (D5 L3) and currently occupy fifth place in the standings, just one point ahead of Chelsea in sixth, while trailing Aston Villa in fourth by two points with eight matches remaining.

Including Richarlison’s equalizer for Tottenham last time out, Liverpool has conceded eight goals in the Premier League after the 90th minute this season, with only Leeds allowing more (nine). Notably, all eight of those goals conceded by the Reds have led to draws (three) or defeats (five), pointing to a need for improvement in closing out matches for Slot and his team.

Finding success against Brighton this season has not been a challenge for Liverpool, as they have already defeated the Seagulls twice with an aggregate score of 5-0, including a 3-0 win at Anfield in last month’s FA Cup fifth round. The Reds have not won three matches without conceding against any opponent in the same season since facing Arsenal in 2021-22.

Team News

Brighton’s Stefanos Tzimas and Adam Webster are still sidelined due to knee injuries, while Kaoru Mitoma (ankle) and Carlos Baleba (undisclosed) are doubts and will need to be assessed prior to kickoff.

Should he be fit, Baleba could vie with 40-year-old former Liverpool midfielder James Milner for a position in the starting XI, along with Yasin Ayari, Jack Hinshelwood, and recent arrival Pascal Gross also competing for midfield roles.

Danny Welbeck has netted just two goals in his last nine appearances against Liverpool while with Brighton, but he may keep his spot in attack, while Diego Gomez and Yankuba Minteh could continue on the flanks unless Mitoma is ready to play again.

For Liverpool, Alexander Isak (leg), Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni (both knee), and Wataru Endo (ankle) are all ruled out due to injuries, while Mohamed Salah will be evaluated after reporting discomfort against Galatasaray and being substituted in the final 15 minutes.

The Egyptian, Liverpool’s top scorer (10) and leading assister (seven) against Brighton in the Premier League, is now regarded as a doubt, with Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha, and Jeremie Frimpong all seen as potential alternatives to start on the right wing.

Hugo Ekitike, who scored both goals in Liverpool’s 2-0 league victory over Brighton three months ago, is anticipated to spearhead the attack, while in-form Dominik Szoboszlai is expected to continue in the number 10 role, aiming to score for the third consecutive match across all competitions.

Brighton & Hove Albion probable starting XI:

Verbruggen; Wieffer, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu; Ayari, Baleba; Gomez, Gross, Minteh; Welbeck

Liverpool probable starting XI:

Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Ekiti

Brighton heads into Saturday’s match with boosted confidence after recent positive results, and a notable home victory over Liverpool would significantly enhance their chances of European qualification, despite being the underdogs in this matchup.

Although the Reds have lost six away league matches this season, they are expected to build on their midweek success and outscore the Seagulls to maintain their pursuit of a top-four finish, even if Salah is unfit to participate.