Preview: Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion - prediction, team news, lineups

Eight-time FA Cup winners Liverpool welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Anfield for an all-Premier League clash in the fourth round on Saturday night.

The Seagulls will be out for revenge against the Reds after suffering a 2-0 top-flight defeat on Merseyside in mid-December.

Match preview

Three days after suffering a painful 2-1 Premier League defeat at home to Man City, Liverpool returned to winning ways on Wednesday night when they edged past Sunderland by a 1-0 scoreline, condemning the Black Cats to their first loss of the season at the Stadium of Light.

Virgil van Dijk’s second-half header was enough for Arne Slot’s side to claim maximum points and reignite their Champions League hopes, with the Reds sitting sixth in the top-flight standings and three points behind rivals Man United in fourth with 12 games left to play.

Liverpool will welcome this weekend’s return to Anfield where they have not lost any of their last 11 home encounters with Brighton (W8 D3) since suffering a 2-1 defeat in the fifth round of the FA Cup in February 1983. The Reds have also won four of their last five games against the Seagulls across all competitions (L1).

Saturday’s contest will be the seventh FA Cup meeting between Liverpool and Brighton, with both teams progressing three times each – the Reds in 1907-08, 1990-91 and 2011-12 and the Seagulls in 1982-83, 1983-84 and 2022-23.

Interestingly, however, Liverpool have been eliminated from six of their last nine FA Cup fourth-round ties and crashed out at this stage last season against Plymouth Argyle. In the Premier League era (1992-93 onwards), the Merseysiders have been knocked out 13 times at this stage, at least two more than any other Premier League club (Spurs next on the list with 11).

Brighton’s fortunes have turned for the worst in February, as they have suffered back-to-back 1-0 losses in the Premier League to Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, with defeat away against the latter on Wednesday extending their unwanted winless league run to six games (D3 L3).

In fact, just one win has been posted by the Seagulls in 13 Premier League games (D6 L6) and the pressure is mounting on under-fire head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who has seen his side slip down to 14th in the table, seven points above the relegation zone and eight points behind seventh-placed Brentford, who they face next in the top tier on February 21.

An FA Cup run would lift the spirits at Brighton, who have won their last three fourth-round ties in the competition, beating Premier League opposition on each season. Indeed, since they were promoted to the top flight in 2017, they have advanced to the fifth round six times, with only Man City (eight) and Man United (seven) doing so more often since 2017-18.

Brighton’s record at Anfield may be poor to say the least, but they travel to the red side of Merseyside this weekend having won seven of their last eight FA Cup away games (L1), including a 2-1 triumph against Man United at Old Trafford in round three. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, they have won more away matches than any other club in the competition (first round onwards, seven).

The Seagulls also beat Liverpool 2-1 at the Amex Stadium in the fourth round of the FA Cup in January 2023, courtesy of goal from Lewis Dunk and Kaoru Mitoma, so there is reason to be optimistic of success or Hurzeler and co.

Liverpool FA Cup form:

Liverpool form (all competitions):

Brighton & Hove Albion FA Cup form:

Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):

Team News

Liverpool’s Wataru Endo was stretched off in the win at Sunderland after jarring his ankle, and he will join Alexander Isak (leg), Jeremie Frimpong (thigh), Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni (both knee) in the treatment room.

Joe Gomez returned from injury in midweek to replace Endo at right-back, but it remains to be seen whether he is ready for a start this weekend, with Slot to also consider recalling Dominik Szoboszlai after he served a one-match suspension against Sunderland.

Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, Milos Kerkez, Curtis Jones, Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha will all be hoping to force their way into the first XI, while Mohamed Salah has recorded 10 goals and eight assists in 19 meetings with Brighton, so Slot may be tempted to keep the Egyptian in his starting lineup on the right flank.

As for Brighton, Stefanos Tzimas, Adam Webster, Solly March (all knee) and Yasin Ayari (shoulder) all remain sidelined with injuries, but Mats Wieffer is available to return to the matchday squad after recovering from a toe problem.

Hurzeler will look to freshen up his starting lineup, with goalkeeper Jason Steele, Maxim De Cuyper, Olivier Boscagli, Jack Hinshelwood, Harry Howell, Yankuba Minteh and Georginio Rutter all in contention to earn a recall.

Former Liverpool midfielder James Milner, who equalled Gareth Barry’s all-time Premier League appearance record in midweek, could be handed a rare start in centre-midfield alongside either Hinshelwood, Pascal Gross, Carlos Baleba, or 17-year-old Harry Howell.

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Mamardashvili; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Chiesa

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:

Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Boscagli, De Cuyper; Milner, Baleba; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck

We say: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion

At least three goals have been scored in 11 of the last 13 meetings between Liverpool and Brighton across all competitions and an entertaining, end-to-end contest could be in store once again this weekend.

The Reds should not take the Seagulls lightly despite their poor run of form, but Slot’s side will be regarded as favourites to come out on top at Anfield, even if they do decide to rest a couple of first-team stars.

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