Liverpool will host Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Saturday afternoon, looking to build on the win over Inter Milan.

After a disappointing run of form, Liverpool are now unbeaten in their last four matches in all competitions ahead of the game vs Brighton & Hove Albion. They will look to put together a winning run now.

The Reds are currently tenth in the Premier League table, and a club of their stature should be pushing for a place in the top three. They managed to win the league title last season, and the fans will expect a better performance from them.

Meanwhile, Brighton & Hove Albion are eighth in the league table, and they are coming into this game on the back of three wins and two draws from their last six matches. They will look to grind out a positive result against Liverpool away from home.

Brighton & Hove Albion managed to beat Liverpool in their last meeting, and they will look to take advantage of the home team’s vulnerabilities and pile further misery on them. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Liverpool

Arne Slot will be without Giovanni Leoni, Cody Gakpo, and Jeremie Frimpong this week. Liverpool are likely to shape up in a 4-3-1-2 formation vs Brighton & Hove Albion, with Alisson Becker taking his place in goal.

Joe Gomez and Andrew Robertson will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate will start alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, and Dominik Szoboszlai will start in the middle of the park. They will look to control the game from the deep and add defensive cover.

Florian Wirtz will start as the attacking midfielder here. He will look to add goals and creativity to the side. Finally, Alexander Isak will lead the line for Liverpool alongside Hugo Ekitike, with Mohamed Salah missing out again amid the ongoing bust-up with Slot.

Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Alisson; Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Wirtz; Isak, Ekitike

Brighton & Hove Albion

Fabian Hurzeler will be without Adam Webster and Solly March due to knee injuries. Stefanos Tzimas is also unavailable because of a knee issue. However, there is some good news, as Kaoru Mitoma, Tom Watson, Yasin Ayari, and James Milner should be fit and available.

Brighton & Hove Albion are likely to shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs Liverpool, with Bart Verbruggen in goal. Mats Wieffer and Ferdi Kadioglu will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit the Reds on the break. Jan Paul van Hecke and Lewis Dunk will form the central defensive partnership.

As for the midfield unit, Yasin Ayari and Carlos Baleba will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Georginio Rutter will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to help create opportunities in the final third.

Diego Gomez and Yankuba Minteh will start on the flanks. They will look to add pace and unpredictability to the Brighton attack. Finally, Danny Welbeck will lead the line for Brighton & Hove Albion vs Liverpool on Saturday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Wieffer, Dunk, van Hecke, Kadioglu; Ayari, Baleba; Minteh, Rutter, Gomez; Welbeck

Key Stats

• Liverpool have scored at least two goals in eight of their last ten matches vs Brighton & Hove Albion in all competitions.
• Brighton & Hove Albion have lost one of their last six matches in all competitions.
• Liverpool have lost two of their last six matches in all competitions.
• 23 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
• Liverpool have picked up three wins, and Brighton have picked up two wins from the last six meetings between them.

Player to Watch

Florian Wirtz

Embed from Getty Images

Even though the German international has not been at his best since joining Liverpool, this could be an interesting opportunity for him. Brighton & Hove Albion have looked quite vulnerable defensively, and Liverpool have used the attacking midfielder in his natural role in the last outing.

If they can deploy Wirtz in a similar position against Brighton, he could open up opportunities for his teammates and create problems for the visitors. Liverpool have lacked creativity this season, and they have not been able to find the back of the net regularly despite having two top-class strikers. The German midfielder could make a big difference in the final third for them, and he is our player to watch out for.

Prediction

Liverpool 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion

Both team teams will be desperate for a victory here, and they will fancy their chances against each other. Neither side is in particularly good form, and this will be a close contest. Liverpool and Brighton have been quite poor defensively, and they are unlikely to sit back here.

Both teams will look to attack and create opportunities in the final third. This will be an open game with plenty of chances, and both teams are likely to get on the score sheet. However, Liverpool have more quality in the final third, and they should be able to pick up all three points.