Liverpool v Brighton preview
Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield on Saturday night in an all-Premier League FA Cup fourth-round tie.
The Seagulls head to Merseyside aiming to respond after a 2-0 league defeat at the same venue in December.
The Reds recovered from a narrow loss to Manchester City by recording a 1-0 win away to Sunderland in midweek, with Virgil van Dijk’s second-half header winning the game.
The result strengthened Liverpool’s push for a top-four finish, leaving them sixth in the Premier League and within touching distance of the Champions League places with 12 matches remaining.
Anfield has historically been a difficult venue for Brighton. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 11 home meetings with the Seagulls, winning eight and drawing three, a run stretching back to 1983.
This will be the seventh FA Cup meeting between the clubs, with each team having progressed three times previously. Despite their strong home record in this fixture, Liverpool’s recent history in the fourth round is less convincing, having been eliminated in six of their last nine ties at this stage and knocked out last season by Plymouth Argyle.
Brighton arrive after consecutive league defeats to Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, extending their winless Premier League run to six matches. The recent downturn has seen them slide to 14th in the table, although they remain clear of the relegation places.
Liverpool v Brighton team news
Liverpool have several injury concerns. Wataru Endo suffered an ankle problem against Sunderland and joins Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni on the sidelines.
Joe Gomez returned to action in midweek and could be involved again, while Dominik Szoboszlai is available after suspension. Giorgi Mamardashvili, Curtis Jones, Federico Chiesa and Milos Kerkez are all pushing for starts.
Mohamed Salah has an impressive record against Brighton, registering 10 goals and eight assists in 19 appearances against them.
Brighton remain without Stefanos Tzimas, Adam Webster, Solly March and Yasin Ayari through injury, but Mats Wieffer is back in contention after recovering from a toe issue.
Fabian Hurzeler may rotate his side, with Jason Steele, Maxim De Cuyper, Olivier Boscagli, Jack Hinshelwood, Yankuba Minteh and Georginio Rutter among those who could feature. Former Liverpool midfielder James Milner is also a candidate to start in midfield.
Liverpool v Brighton predicted line ups
Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Chiesa
Brighton & Hove Albion: Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Boscagli, De Cuyper; Milner, Baleba; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck
How to watch Liverpool v Brighton: TV channel, live online stream
Kick-off on Saturday is at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT). Live coverage in the UK is on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and the Discovery Plus app.
TNT Sports costs £29.99 a month through Discovery Plus, which includes Eurosport and entertainment and is available on a vast range of devices including smart TVs and gaming consoles.
Liverpool v Brighton stats
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 11 home matches against Brighton (W8 D3)
- The two clubs have progressed three times each from their six previous FA Cup meetings
- Liverpool have been eliminated in six of their last nine FA Cup fourth-round ties
- Brighton have won seven of their last eight FA Cup away matches
- Brighton knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup in 2023 with a 2-1 win
