Struggling Liverpool will travel to the Amex Stadium this Saturday to face Brighton in the 20th round of the 2022/23 Premier League season.
Venue: Amex Stadium (Brighton)
Key Statistics
Brighton have won four of their last six games (L2).
They have scored nine goals in their last two competitive games.
The hosts have lost their last two league games at home, winning just once in the last five (D1, L3).
There’s been goals scored during both halves in ten of Brighton’s last 12 league matches.
Liverpool are winless in their last two games of 2023.
The Reds have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight competitive games.
They have lost half of their PL away games this campaign (W2, D2, L4).
Head to head
Brighton has just one win in eleven Premier League meetings between both sides, while Liverpool has seven wins (D3).
But the Reds are unbeaten in five Premier League away meetings against Brighton (W4, D1).
Latest performances in all competitions
Brighton: W-W-L-W-L
Liverpool: D-L-W–W-L
Brighton
Brighton and Hove Albion will look to make it back-to-back league wins when they welcome Liverpool to the American Express Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts have gotten off to the hottest possible start to the new year after their 5-1 spanking of Middlesbrough in the FA Cup consolidated their 4-1 routing of Everton in their 2023 Premier League (PL) opener.
That victory against the Toffees leaves Roberto De Zerbi’s men with the chance of opening the calendar year with two consecutive league wins for the first time since 2013. They now sit in a very comfortable eighth position in the league table, one point behind their illustrious visitors.
Their red-hot form will make them confident they can break their home PL duck against Liverpool at the sixth time of asking (D1, L4), with the added incentive of knowing a win will see Brighton leapfrog their visitors in the table.
With his side winning four of their last six league games (L2), De Zerbi will fancy his side’s chances here. He will be backed by the Amex Stadium faithful, who are now behind him and his boys after a poor start saw him fail to oversee victory in any of his first five (D2, L3).
Possible Brighton starting line-up
Robert Sanchez, Joel Veltman, Lewis Dunk, Levi Cowell, Pervis Estupinan, Pascal Gross, Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo, Leandro Trossard, Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck.
Injured: Jakub Moder
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Liverpool
Liverpool’s struggles this season continued into the FA Cup as they were held to a 2-2 draw against Wolves, compounding problems for Jurgen Klopp, who is already complaining about a tight fixture schedule.
The explosive German will have to face Wolves in the tie replay after failing to win on the first try, much to his frustration.
He will now hope his boys can turn things around here and get back on the winning trail following a shock 3-1 loss to Brentford in their last league outing.
The defeat in West London halted a four-game winning PL streak for Klopp’s men, who are now staring down the barrel of starting the calendar year with two league defeats for the first time since 1993. However, they cannot afford to fall to such a fate as they already find themselves seven points off the top four.
However, having already lost half of their PL away games this campaign (W2, D2, L4), there’s no guarantee that revival starts on the road. Fuelling doubts over their credentials, Liverpool must do so without injured talisman Virgil van Dijk who is ruled out of this tie because of a groin injury. But this could be a blessing, considering the Reds have avoided defeat in the last 14 league matches he’s failed to start (W11, D3).
Possible Liverpool starting line-up
Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Núñez, Cody Gakpo.
Injured: Virgil van Dijk, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Arthur
Doubtful: Roberto Firmimo, James Milner
Suspended: None
Odds
Prediction
Brighton 1-2 Liverpool
