Liverpool host Brighton in a huge showdown in the race for the Premier League title.
Victory would see Liverpool stay fifth at minimum but they can cut their deficit to leaders, Manchester City down to six points in the process.
Brighton meanwhile can stay third with a win and move to within two points of the title lead.
Team News
Victor Munoz is a doubt for Liverpool after he missed their 4-3 Champions League win over Villarreal due to a knee injury.
Jeremie Frimpong (muscle), Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring), Giovanni Leoni (ACL), Conor Bradley (knee) and Hugo Ekitike (Achilles) remain absent.
Brighton could welcome Jason Steele back into contention as the second-choice goalkeeper, after illness forced him to sit out their 0-0 draw at Jablonec in the UEFA Conference League.
Pascal Struijk is a doubt as he continues to manage his recovery from a minor thigh injury.
Zadok Yohanna (unspecified), Yankuba Minteh (leg), Stefanos Tzimas, Mats Wieffer (both knee), Femi Azeez, Kaoru Mitoma (both hamstring) and Evan Ferguson (ankle) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield on Sunday 25 October at 2pm BST, live on Sky Sports Premier League in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Liverpool have lost two of their last six league meetings against Brighton (W3, D1, L2).
- Brighton are winless in their last five league visits to Liverpool at Anfield (D2, L3).
- Jeremy Jacquet has made more interceptions in the top flight this season than any other Liverpool player (14).
- Pascal Gross has been involved in seven of Brighton’s 23 league goals this season, having produced three goals and four assists in seven appearances.
Prediction
For all of Liverpool’s attacking quality, their defensive play can often been their Achilles and they were frankly lucky to beat Villarreal from 2-0 down through a dominant and clinical middle phase of the match, so they now need to find a way to be more solid at the back.
Brighton meanwhile clearly had one eye on this tricky trip with eight changes in their lacklustre draw at Jablonec, but they crucially were dominant and kept a clean sheet which will give them more confidence as they ideally need to score first given that Anfield is a bogey ground of theirs.
Both teams though might have one eye on Wednesday’s tricky Carabao Cup ties against Chelsea and Manchester City respectively, but I do think that Brighton will view this as the bigger priority and they could actually nick the win if can stay solid and maximise Liverpool’s defensive fragilities.
Prediction: Liverpool 1-2 Brighton
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