Liverpool vs Brighton: Anfield Run Under Pressure
Liverpool head into Sunday with an awkward statistic hanging over them. If Brighton avoid defeat at Anfield, it will be six months since Liverpool last won a Premier League game at home. That is a bad run by any standard, and it explains why this fixture carries more weight than a routine autumn league match.
The last home league win came in a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace. Since then, five top-flight matches at Anfield have produced four defeats and a draw. For a club trying to settle under Andoni Iraola, that sequence matters. You can talk about process and adaptation, but eventually home form has to improve.
Brighton arrive in ruthless form
Brighton are not turning up as obliging visitors. They have won their last four Premier League games by an aggregate score of 15-0, which tells you everything about their current level. One of those wins was a three-goal demolition of Arsenal, and that sort of result travels with a team. Confidence is not abstract when you are scoring freely and giving nothing away.
Chris Sutton’s verdict on the game was blunt for BBC Sport: “Liverpool have an extra 48 hours to prepare for this game – they played Villarreal at home on Tuesday, while Brighton are away in the Czech Republic on Thursday.
“I don’t think it will make any difference, though, because the way that the Seagulls play, I am expecting them to go to Anfield and win.
“This has the makings of a great game but, while Liverpool have had a couple of good results, I am still not convinced by them. Andoni Iraola’s side are a work in progress with a tendency to empty their midfield and that means Brighton can hurt them.”
Photo: IMAGO
The predicted score was 3-1 to Brighton. Harsh, maybe, but hardly absurd given the numbers.
Liverpool form offers some encouragement
There are reasons Liverpool will not panic. Iraola’s side have won seven of their last nine matches in all competitions and there has been progress, even if it has not always looked polished. Momentum exists, and results have generally stabilised after a shaky spell.
There is also the head-to-head pattern. Since the start of 2022-23, these sides have met 11 times in league and cup competition. Only once has the away team won. Liverpool also beat Brighton twice at Anfield last season. That does not guarantee anything, but it does suggest this fixture has tended to lean towards the home side or, at the very least, against travelling winners.
Injuries and defensive issues could decide Liverpool vs Brighton
The problem for Liverpool is availability and defensive reliability. Dominik Szoboszlai and Hugo Ekitike are among those missing, while Victor Munoz and Bradley Barcola have fitness concerns. Barcola did an individual recovery session on Thursday, which leaves his involvement uncertain.
At the back, Liverpool have looked vulnerable. Ten goals conceded in the last four matches is a bad number full stop. Brighton, meanwhile, are the Premier League’s top scorers with 23 goals already. Liverpool have managed nine. That gap is significant.
This game comes down to one simple question. Can Liverpool control midfield spaces and stop Brighton attacking them in waves? If they cannot, the Anfield drought may well continue. If they can, a home win would count as their best league result of the season so far. Liverpool have enough quality to do it, but they will need to be sharper, tougher and far more secure than they have been in recent weeks.