English Premier
2024-11-02 - Liverpool vs Brighton
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 2nd November 2024 - Kick Off 3pm
Liverpool
The little things seem to be going Arne Slot's way right now, but the players still need to put up the performances that can keep the momentum behind Liverpool. Everyone seems to be on the same page at Anfield and Liverpool continue to progress in all three competitions that have begun this season with the FA Cup to get going in early January.
Fighting back twice at the Emirates Stadium will mean fans and players will believe it was a point gained, rather than two dropped, last weekend, even if it means Liverpool have fallen behind Manchester City in the Premier League standings. Keeping the pressure on the injury-hit Champions is the plan and Liverpool have a 3-0-1 record at Anfield in the top flight having scored 7 goals and conceded 2.
Liverpool conceded two more goals during the week in the League Cup Fourth Round tie at the Amex Stadium, but they earned a place in the Quarter Final and have won 9 of their last 10 games in all competitions since surprisingly losing to Nottingham Forest. In 4 games at Anfield after that upset, Liverpool have won all and have scored 12 goals and conceded twice.
Alisson, Harvey Elliot and Diogo Jota have all been ruled out until after the next international break, while Federico Chiesa's return is a bit more uncertain. A number of changes were made to the starting eleven on Wednesday in the League Cup and key players will be restored.
Brighton
Some managers will choose to rotate their first eleven for domestic Cup competitions because they are prioritising the League, while others may want to rest key players after a busy run of games. With that in mind, it was perhaps surprising to see Fabian Hurzeler ring the changes for the League Cup Fourth Round tie at home against Liverpool with his Brighton team playing well in the League and having no European commitments to distract them.
Perhaps the significant injury list was a factor in the thinking, but it will have surprised fans too as Brighton look to make amends when facing the team that dumped them out of the Cup a few days ago. The Seagulls are flying high in 6th place in the Premier League table and just 2 points behind Arsenal in 3rd, but sustaining this push will be challenging. They head to the North West with a 2-1-1 away record in the Premier League this season.
Brighton were beaten 4-2 at Chelsea thanks to Cole Palmer's memorable day, but they could have been arriving at Anfield having won 3 Premier League games in a row if not throwing away a 2-0 home lead against Wolves last weekend. Credit has to be given to the players for picking up 7 points from 12 away from home considering Brighton have played at Goodison Park, Emirates Stadium, Stamford Bridge and St James' Park.
Matt O'Riley and Joao Pedro are back working on the training ground, but this game may be too soon for either. Lewis Dunk and Yankuba Minteh are other doubts, while Adam Webster and James Milner are set to return after the November international break. The manager will restore some of the first team players that were rested on Wednesday.
Head to Head
Liverpool led 0-2 and 1-3 at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday in the League Cup Fourth Round and held on for the 2-3 victory.
The Reds had not won any of 3 home games against Brighton before beating them 2-1 at Anfield in March.
Prediction
All credit has to be given to Fabian Hurzeler and his staff for the early job put together at Brighton, although there is a feeling that he missed a trick by not selecting a stronger team for the visit of Liverpool in the League Cup.
Both teams made changes and a much more familiar lineup will be picked by Hurzeler and Arne Slot with the Premier League clearly the priority for the two clubs.
They are both sitting in the top six after strong starts to the season for two managers that have been in charge for a little over a couple of months. It was going to be a challenge considering the successes their predecessors were able to have in charge of Liverpool and Brighton respectively and so this has the makings of another tough battle after what was seen in the League Cup.
Defensively Liverpool will feel they can be stronger with a more familiar back four taking to the field.
Individual errors were costly for Brighton too in the 2-3 home loss, but we have seen more of those errors from The Seagulls through the course of the season than we have from Liverpool. Fabian Hurzeler's style will mean risks are taken, but Chelsea showed what can happen when the passing is even slightly awry.
On Saturday Brighton could be without a number of players that would help and containing this Liverpool attack looks like it may be beyond them. Fans will point out the successful trips Brighton have had to Merseyside in recent years, but they were beaten 2-1 here in March and Liverpool's momentum can take them past the visitors.
A Brighton goal really would not surprise, but they have been conceding too many at the moment and without Lewis Dunk, the home team may capitalise on the weaknesses at the back by putting together a relatively comfortable win when all is said and done.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Liverpool 3-1 Brighton
