Liverpool v Brighton: The Redmen view with Anfield Index

If Brighton had been playing Liverpool a month ago, we would have been talking to Scott from Anfield Index about two teams in pretty rubbish form meeting at Anfield.

At one end of the Premier League table, the Redmen’s title defence was going off the rails. At the other, Brighton were hovering just a point above the bottom three having won only two matches all season.

Both sides have hit their stride since mid-January, however. The Albion have recorded three consecutive clean sheets for only the second time in their current spell as a top flight club, picking up seven points from their past three matches. Seagulls eyes are fixed firmly up the league now.

Liverpool meanwhile have scored six times on the road in two outings to secure six very impressive points from trips to top four rivals Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. Manchester City may be in equally ominous form, but the Reds are not going to give up their championship without a fight.

Can Jurgen Klopp’s side overhaul City? Do Brighton stand a chance of taking anything from Anfield? And just how much do Liverpool want to get their hands on Yves Bissouma?

All these subjects were up for debate as we caught up with Scott, who take time out of his busy schedule writing for both Anfield Index and LFC Transfer Room to talk to us ahead of Liverpool v Brighton.

Liverpool’s form seems to have deserted them a little since we last met at the end of November. What has happened?
It is hard to say to be honest. We have been incredibly unlucky with injuries to so many key players this season, and when you think about who those injured players are and who has had to replace them, you can see that we have a totally new spine to the team.

Take that away from any team in the world and I don’t think you will see the same level of performances as you are accustomed to. However, in the last few games, it looks like the sparkle has started to resurface.

The away wins against Spurs and West Ham United were not only impressive based on how important the games were for all three sides, but the manner of Liverpool’s performances. It was a level that we are far more used to seeing from the Reds, and it has come at just the right time, too.

This is turning into one of the craziest Premier League seasons in recent years with nobody wanting to take the bull by horns at the top of the table. Do you think Liverpool can still retain their title?
I think, given our ever growing list of injuries and the fact that we have fallen a little way off Manchester City, the job of claiming back-to-back titles is even harder than it was going to be in the first place, but I don’t think it’s impossible.

We face City in the game after Brighton come to Anfield in what is a huge match – but we have got to win, or at the least avoid defeat, in all of our other games in order to make that one count.

City do look in an ominous mood and their form of late has been outstanding, so I think they are the pace setters at the moment. But as we have seen already this season, anything can happen. I’m not writing it off at all.

Our 1-1 draw at the Amex was an interesting game to say the least. Missed penalties, scored penalties and plenty of VAR controversy. What did you make of it?
I thought that we only had ourselves to blame for it finishing Brighton 1-1 Liverpool and the fact we did not come away with three points.

It was a game where we possibly didn’t play our best football, but we dominated and had enough chances to kill the game off. When you don’t take your chances, as we know at this level, it often comes back to haunt you – and that is exactly what happened.

Whether it was a foul on Danny Welbeck for the Brighton penalty is besides the point – and it wasn’t a penalty by the way – Liverpool should have been home and dry by that point in time.

Ordinarily, had we come away with a scrappy 0-1 win, I wpuld have been happy but probably would have nodded to the fact that we made it difficult for ourselves. But it went the other way entirely!

Liverpool have been linked with both our defender Ben White and our midfielder Yves Bissouma. Could you see Jurgen Klopp making a move for either come the summer?
If I had to choose one, it would be Bissouma. From what I have seen of him, I think he is a really useful player and he is only 24 too, so there are plenty of years ahead of him in which he can develop into an even better player.

With Gini Wijnaldum looking ever more likely to be leaving for free in the summer and Naby Keita continuously struggling with injuries, it would be wise for Liverpool to invest in a midfielder like Bissouma.

For me, he ticks a lot of the required boxes. Strong in the tackle, good on the ball, good awareness, useful in resisting the opposition press and forcing it for his side – there is a lot to like.

However, if a big club comes sniffing, you can guarantee Brighton will want big money for him, so whether that deters Liverpool and FSG who are known to be frugal, we shall wait and see.

If not White or Bissouma, where do you think Liverpool need to strengthen to stay at the top of English football?
Well you have seen in the last few days exactly where that need is and it is in defence! Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak have been drafted in to form a make-shift defence for the rest of the season, but I think we need another really high quality centre-back in the summer to mitigate against any further injury crises.

That is fairly obvious for me, but I also think we need to sign another attacker or two as well. Diogo Jota has been an excellent signing for us and looks to be one for the future for sure, but there is not much other back up for Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.

Takumi Minamino has just gone on loan to Southampton leaving us with Divock Origi and Xherddan Shaqiri as other options. We have other players who can play there, but not too much more real high quality. So that, for me, is somewhere Jurgen Klopp needs to be looking to address.

If you had to give Graham Potter one piece of advice for getting a result at Anfield, what would it be?
Be organised. We have seen teams like West Brom come to Anfield and get results this season by being really resolute and regimented in their approach, and I think that is what Potter will be telling his players, too.

We have got that make-shift defence at the moment so he might tell his forwards to try to exploit any gaps there, and if they can stay in the game for as long as possible, there is always a chance of nicking something.

I think he also needs to tell them to be wary though, as we do seem to have woken up again in recent fixtures, so Klopp will have the boys fired up and ready to put that home defeat to Burnley out of their minds as soon as possible.

Finally, what is the Anfield Index prediction for Liverpool v Brighton?
I think it will be a predictable pattern of play with Liverpool having the monopoly in terms of possession and territory, it is just whether they can make that count.

The goals have returned in recent games, scoring six in our last two outings, so we are going into the game buoyed with new confidence. Thiago is looking very slick in the more advanced midfield position, so expect him to be pulling the strings, and Mane, Firmino and Salah in particular are all looking threatening again and finding the net too, so it is a tough ask for Brighton.

But, as we saw at the Amex and as we have seen all season, anything is possible. I’m going 2-0 Liverpool though.

Thanks to Scott for taking the time to speak to us before Brighton make the trip to Liverpool – he covers the Redmen for both LFC Transfer Room and Anfield Index.