Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Liverpool and Brighton are set to face off against each other twice in the next three days. The first match of their back-to-back is their EFL Cup Round of 16 tie at the AMEX Stadium tomorrow, and after that, they’ll go to Anfield for their next Premier League showdown on Saturday.
My SBOTOP colleague James has already covered the preview of their EFL Cup matchup, so this time, it’s my turn for their upcoming Premier League encounter.
Reds fans may argue that this Premier League contest is more important than the EFL Cup one because they’ll need every point in order to keep up in the intensifying Premier League title race.
A 2-2 draw against Arsenal caused them to cede the top spot to Manchester City, so Arne Slot’s side is eager to return to winning ways as soon as possible.
Talking Points
Heavy rotations for Liverpool
Arne Slot will be forced to rotate his lineup because of the short turnaround between games, and we’re assuming he’ll put out a stronger lineup in their Premier League contest against Brighton.
Don’t be surprised if Slot starts Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Joe Gomez, Jarell Quansah, and Konstantinos Tsimikas later to give the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Luis Diaz, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Andy Robertson the day off.
Wataru Endo is the one to watch in the EFL Cup Round of 16 since this is his chance to return to Slot’s good graces. The Japanese midfielder has yet to open his account this season, so he has fallen out of favour amid Ryan Gravenberch’s solid performances at the No. 6 role.
Meanwhile, Caoimhin Kelleher will continue to man between the sticks for the Reds since Alisson Becker is still dealing with a hamstring injury. Harvey Elliott (foot), Diogo Jota (abdominal), Conor Bradley (unspecified), and Federico Chiesa (fitness) join the Brazilian goalie in the medical room.
Mohamed Salah is the only non-negotiable for Liverpool because he is their most consistent player. With six Premier League goals under his belt, the Egyptian forward is in the running in the Premier League Golden Boot race.
Brighton’s captain is the latest casualty
The Seagulls are the underdogs in this contest because of the injury crisis they’re facing right now, so much so that they’re expected to miss at least six players both for later and this weekend at Anfield.
And their latest injury casualty comes from their backline, as Lewis Dunk is estimated to miss at least three weeks of action due to a calf injury he sustained while warming up against the Wolves.
Jan Paul van Hecke will likely replace Dunk, and the Dutchman will have Igor as his partner at centre-half. Pervis Estupinan and Tariq Lamptey will make up for the rest of their back four defencive setup.
The skipper would’ve already made his 250th appearance for Brighton, but he may have to wait before achieving his personal milestone.
History
After winning each of their first six Premier League matches against Brighton, Liverpool have now won only two of their last eight (D4, L2), including a 2-1 result at this exact fixture last season (March 2024).
In the said game, Danny Welbeck found the back of the net first for the Seagulls in the second minute, but Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah sparked the comeback for the Reds.
Brighton have claimed five points from their last four league games at Anfield (W1, D2, L1), which is more than they managed in their first 11 visits (W1, D1, L9).
The Seagulls have opened the scoring in each of their last four Premier League encounters with the Reds, but they have only gone on to win one of these matches (D2, L1).
Betting Tip
There’s a larger gap between Liverpool and Brighton, as far as the updated Premier League 2024 odds are concerned.
Compared to the odds of their upcoming EFL Cup tie, the Reds are 1.36 favourites this time, while the Seagulls are 6.20 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.79 in the 1X2 market.
We won’t be surprised if Arne Slot’s side win both of those matches. But, either way, football fans can expect goals and new Premier League 2024 highlights from this Saturday’s fixture.
Total Goals 2-3 at 2.23 is another safe bet, but bettors may also consider going for alternatives like Total Goals 4-6 at 2.26, Over 3.00 at 1.63, Over 3.25 at 1.86, or even Over 3.50 at 2.11.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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