Premier League: Can Brighton Rock the Reds? 

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Liverpool

Sixth plays fourth in the Super Sunday match by the seaside, where Premier League: Brighton vs Liverpool is the main attraction at 2 p.m. local time.

It’s a fascinating clash between two top-four-chasing sides who are both in the 2023-24 Europa League. But, while Brighton are relative newcomers to the higher reaches of the English top flight, Liverpool are elder statesmen, and a season without Champions League football is indeed a rarity.   

The Amex Stadium will be bouncing when the teams take the field, and both are in desperate need of a boost after suffering, in very different ways, last week.

Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton come into the game on the back of a right royal thumping at the hands of Aston Villa, while Jurgen Klopp is still smarting after his side lost a controversial match away to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Premier League 2023 betting odds predict a close encounter with plenty of goals, so it’s a brilliant prospect for the neutrals and maybe a nail-biter for the Seagulls and the Reds.

Talking Points

Fati’s chance to show how good he is

Brighton hit the headlines in the summer transfer window with one of the most eye-catching signings in Europe, as Barcelona star Ansu Fati joined the Seagulls on a season-long loan.

The Spain international is a real talent, given the Barca Number Ten shirt worn by Lionel Messi, and, still only 20, he has scored 22 goals in 80 games for the Blaugrana.

Reports in Spain suggest Fati was set to join Spurs before De Zerbi made his audacious swoop, and it shows just how far the Seagulls have come to say they are a more attractive option that Tottenham.

Over at Camp Nou, it seemed that Xavi was unlikely to play Fati as a key member of his team in their title defence, but he could be a huge player for Brighton. He scored his team’s only goal when the Seagulls entered the Villain’s lair last week, striking the consolation just five minutes after coming on as sub, and Ansu looks set to start against Liverpool.    

Another young Brighton star sure to feature in the Premier League 2023 highlights is 18-year-old wonderkid Evan Ferguson. He is the Seagulls’ top scorer with four goals and has attracted the interest of big sending Chelsea in recent weeks.

But De Zerbi has worries in midfield, where Pascal Gross and James Milner are in a race to be fit, and he has just suffered a blow in defence as Ecuadorian fullback Pervis Estupian limped off after scoring an own goal against Villa.

Van Dijk rallies the Reds

There will be a fair amount of pressure on referee Antony Taylor, who needs to manage the VAR intervention carefully on Sunday after the technology was blamed for Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Tottenham last week. Coach Klopp has even suggested the game should be replayed, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Captain Virgil Van Dijk prefers to take the positives from the nightmare in North London and has praised his club’s togetherness, saying: “I was proud to be captain of this club and proud of the supporters who backed us to the hilt.

There is nothing stopping us from using the positives and the biggest one for me was definitely the way we all stuck together.”

Fine words, but the Reds need to get back to winning ways, and they will be without the red-carded Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota for the trip to the South Coast. Prior to the loss at Spurs, Liverpool won four games on the bounce, all by a 3-1 score line.

Uruguayan hit-man Darwin Nunez has scored three goals and is looking more comfortable in his second season at Anfield, while the fit again Luis Diaz will be desperate to score after his strike at Spurs was wrongfully wiped off.

History

Of the last 15 meetings between these two teams, Liverpool have won nine, drawn three, and lost three. But the Seagulls have beaten the Reds twice in this calendar year, winning 3-0 in the league and 2-1 in the fourth round of the FA Cup in quick succession back in January.       

Brighton have won three and lost three of the last six games, while Liverpool were on a five-match winning run before the reversal at Spurs.

Betting Tip

At SBOTOP odds of 2.52 to win, the hosts are slight underdogs, with Liverpool at 2.18 and the draw at 3.64. Both teams are in Europa League action on Thursday, so there is no advantage to either team in preparation, and, while Liverpool are without two suspended stars, the Seagulls have injury worries to  be content with.

But both teams have talented forwards who are in fine form, and I expect goals, so I’m going out on a limb with a four-goal draw.

 

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