Liverpool return to Premier League action on Saturday when they face Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.
The Reds are looking to complete their first league double over the Seagulls since 2019-20 following their 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture at Anfield in December.
Following a miserable run of just one win in 13 Premier League matches from the beginning of December (D6 L6), Brighton have since turned a corner as they have celebrated three victories in their last four games.
Their only setback during this spell was at home to leaders Arsenal (1-0), with the Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel since revealing that the Seagulls were wrongly denied a penalty following a missed VAR intervention – the 18th VAR errors logged by the independent panel this season.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side quickly bounced back from that slender loss to the Gunners by beating Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light last weekend, moving the 12th-placed Seagulls onto 40 points and just five behind the top seven with eight games remaining.
Still harbouring aspirations of qualifying for Europe, Brighton head into Saturday’s clash with Liverpool having won two of their last three home league meetings with the Reds (D1) having previously prevailed in only one of their first 13 encounters (D6 L6). They secured a 3-2 win in this exact fixture at the Amex last season.
Keeping it tight at the back early doors could be key if Brighton wish to beat Liverpool one again this weekend; the Seagulls are one of only three Premier League teams - along with Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur - to have conceded more first-half goals (19) than goals in the second half of matches (17) this season.
Liverpool overturned a one-goal first-leg deficit to dismantle Galatasaray 4-0 at Anfield in Wednesday’s last-16 second leg, producing one of their best performances of the season to set up a Champions League quarter-final against reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain next month.
It was the “perfect game” in the eyes of head coach Arne Slot, who needed an important victory in this convincing fashion to ease the pressure on his shoulders following a frustrating 1-1 Premier League draw with relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
Just four wins have been posted by Liverpool across their last 12 Premier League games (D5 L3) and the reigning champions currently sit fifth in the table, one point above Chelsea in sixth and two points behind Aston Villa in fourth with eight games left to play.
Including Richarlison's equaliser for Spurs last time out, Liverpool have conceded eight goals from the 90th minute onwards in the Premier League this season, with only Leeds shipping more (nine). Crucially, all eight of those goals conceded by the Reds have resulted in them drawing (three) or losing (five), so seeing out games is an area of improvement for Slot and co.
Getting the better of Brighton this season has not been an issue for Liverpool, though, as they have already beaten the Seagulls twice by an aggregate score of 5-0, including last month’s 3-0 FA Cup fifth-round win at Anfield. Not since 2021-22 versus Arsenal have the Reds won three matches without conceding against an opponent in the same season.
Team News
For Liverpool, Alexander Isak (leg), Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni (both knee) and Wataru Endo (ankle) all remain out with injuries, while Mohamed Salah is also unavailable after coming off with an apparent muscle problem in the final 15 minutes against Galatasaray. As for Joe Gomez, he is a doubt with an unspecified issue.
In the absence of Salah, who is Liverpool’s top scorer (10) and top assister (seven) against Brighton in the Premier League, Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha and Jeremie Frimpong will all be viewed as alternative options to begin on the right flank.
Hugo Ekitike, who scored both goals in Liverpool’s 2-0 league win over Brighton three months ago, is expected to lead the line, while in-form Dominik Szoboszlai is set to continue in the number 10 role and will be looking to score for the third game in a row in all competitions.
Meanwhile, Brighton duo Stefanos Tzimas and Adam Webster remain long-term absentees with knee injuries, but Kaoru Mitoma (ankle) and Carlos Baleba (unspecified) are both ready to return to the matchday squad after missing the defeat at Sunderland.
Baleba could rival 40-year-old ex-Liverpool midfielder James Milner for a place in the first XI, with Yasin Ayari, Jack Hinshelwood and January arrival Pascal Gross also battling for a place in the middle of the pitch.
Danny Welbeck has scored just two goals in his previous nine games against Liverpool as a Brighton player, but he could retain his starting spot up front, while Diego Gomez and Yankuba Minteh may continue out wide, unless Mitoma is ready to start.
Brighton – Last 5 matches (All competitions)
Sunderland 0-1 Brighton and Hove Albion (Premier League)
Brighton and Hove Albion 0-1 Arsenal (Premier League)
Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
Brentford 0-2 Brighton and Hove Albion (Premier League)
Liverpool 3-0 Brighton and Hove Albion (FA Cup)
Liverpool – Last 5 matches (All competitions)
Liverpool 4-0 Galatasaray [AGG 4-1] (UEFA Champions League)
Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)
Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool (UEFA Champions League)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-3 Liverpool (FA Cup)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Liverpool (Premier League)
