Liverpool continue the defence of their Carabao Cup crown on Wednesday evening when they travel to Brighton & Hove Albion in the competition’s fourth round.
The Reds, who beat West Ham United 5-1 in the third round, are meeting Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton for the first time, although they will host the Seagulls in the Premier League this Saturday as well.
After a challenging week which saw victories against Chelsea and RB Leipzig and a draw with Arsenal, Arne Slot’s side will be keen to continue their positive start to the campaign at the American Express Stadium. Liverpool have still lost just once since the Dutchman’s appointment and will be through to the Carabao Cup quarter-final if they taste victory on Wednesday.
Brighton will be aiming to bounce back from late heartbreak at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, with Hurzeler’s men surrendering a two-goal lead after conceding in the 88th and 93rd minute.
They have generally coped well against the traditional ‘big six’ since Hurzeler’s arrival, beating Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United on home soil, as well as securing a draw against ten-man Arsenal in north London.
Here is 90min’s guide to Wednesday’s action.
Brighton vs Liverpool H2H Results (Last Five Games)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Brighton |
Liverpool |
|---|---|
|
Brighton 2-2 Wolves – 26/10/24 |
Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool – 27/10/24 |
|
Newcastle 0-1 Brighton – 19/10/24 |
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool – 23/10/24 |
|
Brighton 3-2 Tottenham – 06/10/24 |
Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea – 20/10/24 |
|
Chelsea 4-2 Brighton – 28/09/24 |
Crystal Palace 0-1 Liverpool – 05/10/24 |
|
Brighton 2-2 Nottingham Forest – 22/09/24 |
Liverpool 2-0 Bologna – 02/10/24 |
|
Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Sky Sports+ |
|
United States |
Paramount+ |
|
Canada |
DAZN |
Lewis Dunk missed the weekend draw with Wolves due to a calf injury and he is set to be sidelined for at least three weeks. One of his centre-back partners, Adam Webster, is also out of action with a hamstring problem.
Summer signing Matt O’Riley continues his recovery from an ankle injury sustained on his debut in the third round of the Carabao Cup, while star striker Joao Pedro and former Liverpool midfielder James Milner are both unavailable.
Yankuba Minteh has been missing since the October international break but is edging closer to a return. He could feature at the Amex, while long-term absentee Solly March is also close to making his long-awaited comeback. Young Jack Hinshelwood missed the weekend but will be in the squad against Liverpool according to Hurzeler.
Brighton predicted lineup vs Liverpool (4-4-2): Steele; Lamptey, Van Hecke, Igor, Kadioglu; Adingra, Baleba, Wieffer, Mitoma; Rutter, Ferguson.
Diogo Jota will miss a third successive match after injuring himself against Chelsea and could be absent until after the November international break according to Slot, while his fellow forward Federico Chiesa is unavailable as he recovers from a muscle injury.
Alisson is sidelined in goal and has been replaced by Caoimhin Kelleher in recent matches. It will be interesting to see if third-choice goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros is handed his full debut given Slot is likely to rotate at the Amex.
Harvey Elliott is still in the treatment room and has been joined by Conor Bradley since the international break, but the Northern Irishman could be in Wednesday’s squad having now returned to full training.
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Brighton (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Nunez.
The outcome of this one could hinge on the strength of lineups selected by Hurzeler and Slot, with both likely to make significant changes to their starting XI ahead of Saturday’s meeting in the Premier League.
Injuries are also mounting for Brighton, further impacting Hurzeler’s available options, and Liverpool’s deeper squad could take advantage. The Reds could still utilise the likes of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez on the south coast, perhaps helping them sneak victory.
Brighton have an impressive recent record against the Reds but they may come undone here.
Prediction: Brighton 1-2 Liverpool
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