Match Preview: Liverpool v Brighton
Beating Manchester United at home is one thing – getting a result away at Liverpool is quite another.
That’s the task that faces Chris Hughton and Brighton and Hove Albion next as they make the trip to Anfield to take on the side that most pundits expect to give Manchester City their closest run for their money.
Last season’s games with Liverpool were chastening experience as the Albion suffered an aggregate defeat of 9-1, including a 4-0 final day humbling in front of the Kop.
Given the strengthening Jurgen Klopp has undertaken over the summer, we’d probably bite your arm off for anything less than that result right now.
Who are Liverpool?
Liverpool were founded in 1892 following a dispute between the Everton committee and the owner of Anfield, John Houlding. Everton had been the original tenants at Anfield but the argument led to them vacating the stadium to move across Stanley Park to Goodison Park. As a result, Houlding formed Liverpool to take their place and ensure his venue still hosted football. The Reds won their fair share of trophies throughout the first 60 years of their existence but it was the arrival of Bill Shankly as manager in 1959 that paved the way for them to become one of the biggest clubs in Europe. After Shankly’s appointment, they won 11 league titles and seven European trophies throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The cupboard has been bare in recent times however with their last championship coming 28 years ago. In order to occupy themselves in the intervening years, Liverpool supporters have become the number one in the world for playing the victims and excuses card. This culminated rather brilliantly in their Champions League Final defeat to Real Madrid in May when Reds supporters started a petition to get Sergio Ramos banned for having the nerve to tackle Mo Salah and then tried to claim the reason Loris Karius made two absolute howlers was due to a concussion caused by Ramos. No guys, he’s just pony.
What are they like now?
This season, genuine title contenders. Or at least they should be. Klopp likes to play the underdog card and claims his side have no right to be challenging City, but he has the most expensive goalkeeper in the world and the most expensive defender in the world among his squad. Anything less than a concerted push for honours this season would surely have to rank as a failure for Liverpool. They’ve started the season well with two wins from two and probably won’t have any fears about facing the Albion. We’re notoriously poor at playing against sides like Liverpool and Huddersfield who relentlessly press and the pace and skill of the Red’s front three is frightening, as we found out on both occasions we met last season.
Which players should we be worried about?
Last season’s Premier League Golden Boot winner Salah is one obvious threat, but concentrate too much on him and you leave yourself open to the talents of Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane. One of Liverpool’s most dangerous players in recent meetings between the two has been Lewis Dunk who has scored twice for Liverpool in his last three games. His probable absence through injury should at least ensure that Maty Ryan doesn’t have to add potential own goals to the already substantial list of areas to concentrate on at Anfield.
What’s the Albion’s record like against Liverpool?
Liverpool lead the head-to-head with 15 wins from 27 games. Brighton have tasted victory only twice in the league against the Reds. There was a 3-1 second tier win at the Godstone in the 1960-61 season courtesy of goals from Tony Nicholas, Dennis Windross, Roy Jennings and a 1-0 win at Anfield in March 1982. Andy Ritchie netted the only goal of the game that day with the Seagulls win which owed a huge slice of luck to a puddle which stopped Ian Rush’s effort which had beaten Perry Digweed and allowed Steve Foster to get back and clear.
What’s the best WeAreBrighton.com memory of Liverpool away?
Not a memory from a game at Liverpool, but we once met the England netball team on a train out of Liverpool Lime Street after a game at Tranmere in 2008. They somehow managed to resist our offer of sharing a bottle of Strongbow Jacques for the journey back to Euston.
What’s the worst WeAreBrighton.com memory of Liverpool away?
Conceding six in the FA Cup at Anfield in 2012 would’ve been absolutely terrible if it hadn’t have featured three fantastically comical own goals. Take a bow Dunk and Lewis Bridcutt.
Whose played for both sides?
There was quite a bit of movement between the two in the 1970s and 80s, with Mark Lawrenson leaving the Goldstone for Anfield and Jimmy Case coming the other way. Both would go onto become playing legends at their respective new clubs. The Albion’s 1983 FA Cup Final manager Jimmy Melia was Liverpool born and bred while less successful was Ashley Neal, son of former Red player Phil who Case bought in on loan in 1996 when Albion manager. He regularly appears on shortlists for the worst Brighton player of all time, which makes you wonder how much of a professional football career you could potentially eke out purely based on the fact that your father used to play.
Other than football, what’s Liverpool famous for?
The Beatles hailed from the city and really helped to put it on the map. They launched their careers in the famous Cavern Club which is also where Cilla Black was discovered. Liverpool once had its own soap opera, Brookside, which had the distinction of being the first soap opera to screen a pre-watershed lesbian kiss and feature a storyline involved a consensual incestuous relationship between two sibling characters. Liverpool is also the home of Aintree Racecourse, where the Grand National is held each year. We’re still waiting for Billy Paynter to run in one.
Where’s the betting value for Liverpool v Brighton?
Despite a massive upset win over Man United on Sunday, a match they entered as 4/1 home underdogs, Brighton are being written off at around 15/1 to beat Liverpool at Anfield next weekend by the majority of books on these current sportsbooks reviews, which help you choose the right fit based by users personal experiences. While Brighton have some high-priced additions, in particular Alireza Jahanbakhsh, provide hope that this year’s squad will be stronger, the Iranian midfielder has yet to be integrated into the lineup. So far, Chris Hughton is relying on almost the exact same starting 11 as last year, so similar results are rightfully expected.
Prediction
We managed only one goal away from home against the top six last season and that came against a Manchester City side who’d already wrapped the title up. It’s hard to see where a Brighton goal is coming from and Liverpool look far too good in attack, so we’re plumping for a 3-0 home win.
