Brighton vs Liverpool: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

Will the Seagulls be able to soar high above the Reds?

Brighton & Hove Albion recently earned their first point in European football and will now face Liverpool in the Premier League at the Amex Stadium on Sunday. Brighton came back from a 2-0 deficit to draw with Marseille, while Liverpool defeated Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 at home.

Brighton had a tough game against Aston Villa, losing 6-1, and then conceded early goals against Marseille. They managed to salvage a draw, but injuries hurt their chances. Brighton hasn't won in their last three games, including an EFL Cup loss to Chelsea.

Roberto De Zerbi's men currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League, but their defense has been a concern. They've allowed the most goals (20) among all Premier League teams this season and haven't kept a clean sheet.

On the other hand, Liverpool suffered their first Premier League loss of the season to Tottenham Hotspur, marred by controversial officiating decisions. The VAR decision, followed by PGMOL's admission of the 'human error' costing the Reds the game just intensifies the heat amongst the fans and the players.

However, they bounced back in the Europa League against Union SG, winning 2-0. Jurgen Klopp's men have budged the initial critics of a struggling defense after a few solid performances.

Kick-off

Sunday, 8th October 2023, 2 PM GMT (6:30 PM IST)

Location: Amex Stadium

Form

Brighton (in Premier League): W-L-W-W-W-L

Liverpool (in Premier League): W-W-W-W-W-L

Players to watch for

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Don't lose sight of Mohamed Salah when he's on the field. He's been a star for Liverpool since 2017 and currently boasts impressive stats in Europe's top five leagues. In the 9 games he's played for Liverpool this season, he's contributed 4 assists and scored 4 goals.

Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton)

Japanese International, Kaoru Mitoma has soon become Brighton and Hove Albion's cult hero. It is like watching a fully-developed player having a go about it. Mitoma already has registered 7 goal contributions in 10 games for Brighton, across all competitions, so far this season. So, the home crowd will be hoping for another memorable outing from their Samurai.

Match facts

• Liverpool had a tough time against Brighton last season, with two losses and a draw, including a memorable hat-trick by Leandro Trossard in a 3-3 draw.
• Brighton could not borrow a win against Liverpool from the 2017-18 season to the 2019-20 season. However, in the last 3 seasons, the tables have turned as Liverpool only has a win against the Seagulls. (W1 D3 L2)

Injury and team news

Brighton faces injury concerns as Pervis Estupinan, who recently scored an own goal, is sidelined with a thigh injury for about a month. Jakub Moder, Julio Enciso, James Milner, and Adam Lallana are also expected to miss the upcoming match due to various injuries. So, Tariq Lamptey will continue on the left flank, and Evan Ferguson may replace Danny Welbeck in the attack.

Liverpool is dealing with disciplinary issues as Curtis Jones is suspended for three domestic games due to a tackle on Yves Bissouma, and Diogo Jota will miss one game for two yellow cards in the same game. Additionally, Cody Gakpo suffered a knee injury after scoring against Tottenham. Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Caoimhin Kelleher (knee), and Thiago Alcantara (hip) are also unavailable.

So, Gravenberch may get his first Premier League start in Jones's absence, or Wataru Endo could provide a more defensive option against Brighton, who have scored 23 goals this season.

Head-to-head

Total matches: 38

Brighton wins: 7

Liverpool wins: 20

Draws: 11

Predicted lineup for Brighton vs Liverpool

Brighton Predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):

Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, Webster, Lamptey; Gilmour, Gross; March, Pedro, Mitoma; Ferguson

Liverpool Predicted lineup (4-3-3):

Alisson; Trent, Konate, VVD, Robertson; Endo, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Diaz, Nunez, Salah

Match prediction for Brighton vs Liverpool

Although, the recent past suggests that the Reds have struggled against Brighton, but it neglects the fact that Liverpool has had a massive upgrade in the Summer. Since then, it will be the first meeting between the two sides this season. So, based on the recent performances of the two clubs we say another Liverpool victory seems to be on the cards.

Prediction: Brighton 1 - 3 Liverpool

Telecast details

India – Star Sports, Disney+ Hotstar

UK – Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Amazon Prime Video

US –  NBC, USA Network, Peacock

Nigeria – SuperSport, NTA, Canal+ Afrique