Liverpool-Brighton is a match valid for the ninth day of the Premier League and is played on Saturday at 16:00: predictions, TV, streaming.
Roberto De Zerbi, the new coach of Brigthton, won’t easily forget his debut on the bench of a Premier League club, regardless of what the outcome of the next challenge involving his Seagulls will be. Fate has reserved a baptism of fire for him at one of England’s hottest and most iconic stadiums: Anfield Road. Yes, the match that marks the beginning of a new era for the Brigand, after the end of Graham Potter’s ‘reign’ – chosen by Chelsea to take Tuchel’s place – is being played in Liverpool and on the other side will be Jurgen Klopp’s vice-champions of Europe.
The former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk coach is in for an intriguing but at the same time complicated adventure. Unlike the other subversaries, De Zerbi does not inherit a team in trouble. The Seagulls, in fact, are one of the big surprises at the start of the season: Potter left them in fourth place on 13 points, and in the first six matches they have scored four wins, a draw and a defeat. Not a bad haul for a club that does not have the same resources as those who habitually frequent the left-hand side of the table and whose goal is first and foremost salvation. No one has conceded fewer goals than Brighton so far, five: it is likely that, at least initially, De Zerbi will decide to continue in the vein of his predecessor (the two coaches do not have too much in common), postponing any changes, especially of a tactical nature, for a few weeks.
The Italian will find the Reds hungry for points and determined to change pace after the national team break. In their last match, Liverpool had beaten Ajax 2-1, but before the challenge with the Lancers there had been the heavy knockout in Naples (4-1) and the half false step (0-0) in the Merseyside derby with Everton. Salah and his companions for now do not remotely resemble the battleship of last season, used to not even leaving the crumbs behind. The summit, waiting for the match with Chelsea to be made up, is already a good nine points away.
The Prediction
Last records give comfort to Brighton, who came away unscathed from Anfield Road in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. The conditions to snatch a positive result would be there this time too, but watch out for the unknown new coach. Besides, Liverpool cannot make any more mistakes if they do not want to fall too far behind. Leaving aside the final result, let’s assume a match with at least three goals in total: excitement and spectacle, after all, have always characterised De Zerbi’s teams.
Liverpool-Brighton
- LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Tsimikas; Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho, Elliott; Salah, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz.
- BRIGHTON (3-5-2): Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Webster; March, Gross, Mac Allister, Caicedo, Trossard; Undav, Welbeck.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
