Liverpool are enjoying a stunning run of form at the moment and will look to keep it going when they host Brighton this weekend.
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds put five past a woeful Manchester United last weekend as Mohamed Salah ran riot at Old Trafford.
Now Brighton, who have enjoyed a fine season so far as well, will head to Anfield looking to keep the Egyptian King quiet.
The Seagulls do have a good recent record against Liverpool having taken four points off them last season including a 1-0 win on Merseyside.
Liverpool v Brighton: Team news
Naby Keita is set to be available for the visit of Brighton after being forced off during the 5-0 victory over Manchester United last week.
Thiago Alcantara is also closing in on a return to action following a calf problem.
However Fabinho continues to miss out with a troublesome knee injury and joins James Milner and Harvey Elliott on the sidelines.
It remains to be seen is Sadio Mane will return to the starting line-up having been dropped to the bench at Old Trafford.
Brighton will be without Dan Burn following a knee injury picked up during the Carabao Cup clash with Leicester midweek.
Danny Welbeck and Steven Alzate are long-term absentees.
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Liverpool v Brighton: Match facts
- Having won their first six Premier League meetings with Brighton, Liverpool picked up just one point in their two meetings with the Seagulls last season, losing 1-0 in this exact fixture in February.
- Following their 1-0 win at Anfield in February, Brighton are looking to secure back-to-back victories against Liverpool in all competitions for the first time. Indeed, the Seagulls have won just five of their previous 33 meetings in total against the Reds (D9 L19).
- Liverpool have won 5-0 in their last two Premier League games, beating Watford and Man Utd. They are looking to become the fourth side to win three top-flight games in a row by 5+ goals, after Aston Villa in 1899, Chelsea in 2010 and Manchester City in 2017.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 19 Premier League matches (W14 D5). They’ve had two previous runs of 20+ unbeaten games in the Premier League under manager Jürgen Klopp (21 games between May and December 2018 & 44 games between January 2019 and February 2020) and Klopp could become the third manager to have three separate such runs, after Sir Alex Ferguson (six) and Arsène Wenger (four).
- Brighton conceded four goals for the first time in 43 Premier League matches against Man City last time out, shipping as many goals in that 4-1 loss as they had in their previous seven league matches combined.
- Liverpool have scored 27 goals in their nine Premier League matches this season, their best tally at this stage of a top-flight season since 1987-88 when they’d scored 28 and went on to win the title.
- Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in nine goals in his eight Premier League games against Brighton (5 goals, 4 assists), only failing to score or assist against the Seagulls twice (2-1 in November 2019, 0-1 in February last season).
- Liverpool forward Sadio Mané has never scored in six Premier League meetings with Brighton – the Seagulls are the only side he’s faced more than once in the competition without ever finding the net.
- Mohamed Salah’s hat-trick at Old Trafford last week took the Liverpool forward to 10 Premier League goals after just nine games this season, only the third player to reach double figures before their side’s 10th game of a campaign after Les Ferdinand (Newcastle) in 1995-96 and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) last season.
- Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister has scored two goals in his seven Premier League games this season, having netted just once in his first 30 appearances in the competition. All three of the Argentine’s Premier League goals have been scored as a substitute.
Jurgen Klopp said:
“I am not sure if you saw Brighton v City. It looks from scoreline it’s a clear win but two goals counter-attacks, possession, it was 52-48.
Brighton play football, a real threat, try to create and defend well. Not scored a lot but don’t concede a lot.
“To keep the ball and pass the ball the way they did v City is an incredible thing.
But we’re not City. We lose the game here v Brighton but the difference is Anfield will be packed to help.
We have to be really good and we need people with the right understanding.
“We have to bring ourselves to the game as best we can and be ourselves.
Try and learn from the game, be competitive, try and win. But ultimately enjoy the challenge of facing the best.”
