Brighton will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways when they take on an out-of-form Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.
The congested fixture list caught up with the Seagulls last week, with lacklustre performances against Aston Villa and West Ham seeing them pick up one point from two winnable home fixtures.
Brighton will be keen to capitalise on what has proven to be a difficult few weeks for Liverpool though, despite the Reds’ solid performance away at Inter Milan on Tuesday night.
Poor league form, questions over Arne Slot and the Mohamed Salah saga will all contribute to an unusual mood within Anfield this weekend, and the Seagulls will look to capitalise and build on their impressive record against the traditional ‘Big Six’.
The Brighton Base takes a look at how Fabian Hurzeler’s side are likely to line up on Saturday afternoon…
Brighton predicted XI vs Liverpool (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper – Bart Verbruggen
The Dutchman’s backline did him no favours in Brighton’s recent matches, but the goalkeeper is improving at a rate of knots and is continuing to enjoy an impressive campaign. Verbruggen kept the Seagulls in the game against West Ham, and even tougher questions will be asked of him by Liverpool.
Defence – Mats Wieffer, Jan Paul Van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, Ferdi Kadioglu
After such a busy few days of football last week, no department needed a rest more than Hurzeler’s backline. Brighton’s first-choice quartet will have benefitted from the break since facing the Hammers, and it would be a surprise if any of the four are dropped for the trip to Anfield.
The Seagulls have been vulnerable to balls in behind recently, which is an issue that they will have to resolve if they are to prevent the likes of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike from enjoying a plethora of clear-cut chances.
Midfield – Carlos Baleba, Yasin Ayari, Georginio Rutter
Brighton will be hoping that Rutter’s late equaliser against West Ham will be the Frenchman’s turning point this season. The playmaker has struggled to impose himself on a number of fixtures but will head to Merseyside fuelled by a new sense of belief.
Baleba will be looking to head to the Africa Cup of Nations on a positive note. The Cameroon international will be unavailable for several weeks after Saturday’s clash, and a bright, energetic performance – whilst avoiding injury – will be beneficial for both club and country.
Ayari’s return to fitness should see him reinstated into the Seagulls’ midfield, replacing Diego Gomez, whilst James Milner’s availability will see him named on the bench in the trip to his former club.
Attack – Yankuba Minteh, Danny Welbeck, Maxim De Cuyper
Charalampos Kostoulas is no doubt in the frame to start his first Premier League match for the Seagulls, but the Greek international may be limited to minutes off of the bench on Merseyside.
Despite Liverpool’s injury woes at the back, their full-backs remain an attacking threat, and the likes of Minteh and De Cuyper should be capable of dealing with those hard yards tracking back. It feels unlikely that Kaoru Mitoma and Tommy Watson will be thrown in at the deep end with starts upon their respective returns to fitness.