We are officially into the business end of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign. There are only eight games left until the campaign concludes and still plenty to play for as Brighton prepare to face defending champions Liverpool for the third this season.
The Albion will be out of action for the next two weekends after hosting Liverpool, with their next game not until the trip to Burnley on Saturday 11th March.
Brighton under Fabian Hurzeler have never done particularly well returning from international breaks or other times when the league season has been put on ice.
Which means taking three points from an inconsistent Redmen outfit becomes even more important…
Seagulls tame the Black Cats of Sunderland
The Albion hit the road last weekend for the long journey to the north east and a showdown with the Black Cats of Sunderland. It ended up being a worthwhile trip for the near-2,500 Seagulls supporters who headed to the Stadium of the Light with Brighton running out 1-0 winners.
An incredibly open, fast paced game saw plenty of chances at both ends. Jack Hinshelwood went close twice for the Albion and Sunderland saw a goal ruled out by VAR.
In the end, the match was decided by a strange goal from Yankuba Minteh. Carrying the ball inside from the right flank, Minteh looked like he had fallen over on the by-line and accidentally toe punted the ball with his right foot.
Whatever the intention, Black Cats goalkeeper Melker Ellborg was caught out as he was beaten at his near post – helping Brighton become only the third team to win at the Stadium of Light this season.
Turkish delight on Merseyside for Liverpool
Liverpool face a quick turnaround as they will have had a little under 72 hours rest between stepping onto the Amex pitch and their 4-0 win over Galatasaray in the Champions League round of 16.
Having lost the first leg 1-0 in Istanbul, the Redmen knew they needed a fast start under the Anfield lights. It took them 25 minutes to get up and running, levelling the tie via a wonderful finish from Dominik Szobozlai.
Hugo Ekitike made it 2-0 on the night six minutes into the second half. Two minutes later and Ryan Gravenberch moved the Redmen 3-0 ahead, followed by Mo Salah adding a fourth just past the hour mark.
An emphatic performance which was much needed to take some of the pressure off Arne Slot and keep alive Liverpool hopes of ending the season with some silverware.
Brighton v Liverpool head-to-head
Liverpool lead the head-to-head and by quite a large margin too. The Reds have won 25 of the 45 previous games between the clubs. Brighton have only eight wins, leaving 12 draws.
Given how dominant Liverpool are, it is a bit surprising they have not tasted victory at the Amex in any of their four most recent visits going back to the 2021-22 season.
However, the Redmen are two from two against Brighton this season. Liverpool put Brighton to the sword quite emphatically on Valentine’s Day, knocking the Albion out of the FA Cup via a comprehensive 3-0 win on Merseyside.
The league meeting two months earlier also went the way of the Redmen when Brighton found themselves going down 2-0 two weeks before Christmas.
Brighton v Liverpool team news
Kaoru Mitoma returns from an ankle injury in a big boost for Brighton, seeing as the Japanese international always seems to play well against Liverpool.
Mitoma missed the trip to Sunderland with his place taken by goal scorer Minteh. Fabian Hurzeler has a tough decision to make over whether to stick with Minteh on the left or bring Mitoma straight back in.
Carlos Baleba is also expected to return having been absent at the Stadium of Light. Hurzeler said in his Friday press conference there are no other fresh injury concerns.
One Albion player to keep an eye on is Charalampos Kostoulas. The Greek teenager has not been in the squad recently with Hurzeler saying others had worked better than Kostoulas in training.
Kostoulas has looked a special talent this season yet Hurzeler is not affording him any favours, holding him to high standards. This approach seems to have split opinion amongst Brighton fans.
Ultimately, it is only the opinion of Hurzeler which matters. We will have to wait and see whether Kostoulas has done enough this week to return.
The big Liverpool team news is that Salah is out with the muscle injury which forced him off not long after scoring against Galatasaray in midweek.
Slot has been dealt another big blow with Alisson Becker joining Salah in the treatment room. Slot did not mention Alisson in his own press conference but it was later revealed the goalkeeper had withdrawn from international duty with Brazil and had not travelled to Brighton.
The Redmen also have some long-term absentees. Record Premier League signing Alexander Isak is recovering after fracturing his left leg. He is not not expected back until next month at the earliest.
Giovanni Leoni, Connor Bradley and Wataru Endo are all unlikely to play again this season. Leoni ruptured his ACL not long after joining Liverpool, Bradley has undergone knee surgery and Endo remains side lined after an operation to fix an ankle issue.
Liverpool players to watch
With a set of players valued at just over one billion pounds – yes, one billion pounds – Slot has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal with world class talent everywhere you look.
This entire Liverpool squad are household names – and one is particularly well known and loved still amongst households of Albion fans.
Alexis Mac Allister
It was just over a month ago that I wrote my preview ahead of Liverpool against Brighton in the FA Cup. I wanted to mix things up a little this time around, so have picked two different players to focus on.
And who better to start with than Alexis Mac Allister? A man who spent four years at the Albion, in which time he came the first ever Brighton player to win a World Cup.
When the time came for Mac Allister to depart, he left Brighton in the right way. With dignity and respect. Unlike most of the ex-Albion contingent now at Chelsea.
Despite all his obvious talents, Mac Allister has struggled at times to cement his place in the Liverpool XI this season. However, he has still chipped in with a respectable five goals and another five assists from midfield.
The popularity Mac Allister earned at Brighton has been repeated amongst Liverpool supporters. Although how long he remains a Red remains to be seen.
Rumours have been rife since the turn of the year that both Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested in signing Mac Allister in the not-too-distance future.
Back to the present and whether he starts or comes off the bench at the Amex, Mac Allister is guaranteed the warmest of welcomes from the Amex crowd.
Rio Ngumoha
Another Liverpool player who has impressed this season is youngster Rio Ngumoha. Do not let his age fool you – Ngumoha may only be 17-years-old, but he has been a shining light in an otherwise mixed season for the Redmen.
Ngumoha brings tonnes of speed, plays without fear, is incredibly direct in attack and has bags of flair. It all makes for a very dangerous cocktail of attributes.
The teenager only made a cameo appearance against Galatasaray, which could suggest he will have a more significant role at the Amex as Slot attempts to manage the workload of his squad.
Mats Wieffer may find himself facing a serious examination of his defensive ability faced with young Ngumoha.
Final thoughts
Both Brighton and Liverpool desperately need points for their respective European challenges. Three wins in four matches after recording just one in 14 have put the Albion right back into the mix for Europa Conference or Europa League qualification.
The Redmen meanwhile have failed to defend their title in spectacular style and currently sit an astonishing 21 points behind current Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Many people believe the only way Slot can keep his job is by winning a trophy or qualifying for the Champions League. Easier said than done right now.
Andrew’s Prediction
The last thing Liverpool would have wanted after playing Galatasaray on Wednesday night was to be given the 12.30pm Saturday kick off slot for one of their longest away games of the season.
Tiredness could therefore be a major factor – either through Slot rotating his side or substitutions being deployed earlier than normal.
Both would be a big boost to Brighton. But ultimately, the result will probably came down to which Liverpool turn up at the Amex.
I genuinely have no idea of the version we might see. Sometimes they are brilliant. Other times they are rubbish. The only consistent thing about the Redmen is they are inconsistent.
Hedging my bets, I think the spoils will be shared in a tight and entertaining game. Brighton 2 – 2 Liverpool
Andrew James @AndrewJames1901
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