2025-26 FA Cup: Fourth Round – Liverpool vs Brighton

Liverpool face a difficult fourth-round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion in the 2025-26 Emirates FA Cup. 

Victory would see Liverpool progress to the fifth round for the third time in five seasons, whilst Brighton look to advance past this stage for a fourth consecutive season.

 

Team News

Wataru Endo is ruled out for Liverpool after he suffered a serious ankle injury in their 1-0 Premier League victory at Sunderland.

Dominik Szoboszlai is available after he was suspended for the trip to Wearside.

Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring), Alex Isak (leg), Conor Bradley (knee) and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) remain absent.

Brighton could welcome midfielder, Mats Wieffer back from a toe injury.

Yasin Ayari (shoulder), Stefanos Tzimas (ACL), Solly March and Adam Webster (both knee) remain sidelined.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield on Saturday 14 February at 8pm GMT, live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Liverpool have won three of six previous FA Cup ties against Brighton (W3, L3), although two of their three wins came after replays across eight total meetings between the pair in this competition (W3, D2, L3).
• Brighton have avoided defeat in three of their four previous FA Cup visits to Liverpool at Anfield (W1, D2, L1).
• Both Liverpool and Brighton have scored in six of their eight previous FA Cup meetings except for a 3-0 win for the Reds in their Second-Round replay in February 1908 then 2-0 Brighton win in Fourth Round in January 1984.
• Liverpool have lost one of their last five top-flight ties in FA Cup (W3, D1, L1)
• Brighton have won three of their last five away top-flight FA Cup ties (W3, L2).

 

Prediction

Having scraped past Sunderland in a tricky league game where they often lacked that final touch until Virgil van Dijk’s header, Arne Slot will likely rotate his squad for this cup game but he surely has to take the competition more seriously than last season if want a trophy this campaign.

Brighton meanwhile have lost their last two games by 1-0 results but their performance at Villa was much improved and could of easily been a goalless draw if not for an helplessly unlucky own-goal, but the display overall will give them some renewed confidence.

I however just think that Liverpool will prove too strong if Slot fields a moderately strong line-up but this could be a tight game, with a particular focus on the closing minutes given the Reds’ struggle to see out their last few games when in the lead.

Prediction: Liverpool 1-0 Brighton

Result: Liverpool 3-0 Brighton