Brighton & Hove Albion will face Liverpool in the fourth round of the EFL Cup at the Amex on Wednesday evening, marking the first of two encounters this week, with a Premier League clash also scheduled soon after.
Liverpool kicked off their title defense in style with a 5-1 win over West Ham in the last round, while Brighton edged past Wolverhampton in a thrilling match.
In their previous EFL Cup meeting, Liverpool dominated West Ham, and they’ll be looking to carry that momentum into this match. Under manager Arne Slot, the Reds have not lost an EFL Cup match since December 2022, building a strong record as they aim to defend their title.
However, Liverpool’s perfect away record under Slot came to an end with a 2-2 draw against Arsenal on Sunday. They showed resilience by coming back from a goal down twice, but the result meant they lost their top spot in the Premier League to Manchester City, leaving them just one point behind.
Interestingly, Liverpool has a curious pattern of exiting the EFL Cup in the fourth round before going on to win it in the following seasons. This season, they’re hoping to break that trend. Brighton, on the other hand, suffered a disappointing draw against Wolves last weekend, with injury-time goals denying them a win.
Brighton’s supporters were left frustrated after a match where they were on the verge of victory, only to concede late goals that allowed Wolves to equalize. Despite this setback, Brighton has been doing well in the EFL Cup, reaching the last 16 for the fourth time in five years.
However, they need to shake off a poor record in the fourth round, having lost their last five attempts in this stage of the competition. They haven’t made it past this round since 1978-79.
On a positive note for Brighton, they have a solid home record against Liverpool, remaining unbeaten in their last three home matches against the Reds, including a 2-1 win in the FA Cup in January 2023. Yet, Liverpool did win their last encounter at Anfield, so both teams will be eager to make a statement in this cup tie.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Liverpool's injury situation remains mostly unchanged, with Harvey Elliott (foot), Alisson Becker (hamstring), and Diogo Jota (abdominal) still sidelined. Federico Chiesa (fitness) and Conor Bradley (unspecified) are also doubtful for the match.
Both Chiesa and Bradley could have been strong contenders to start, but manager Arne Slot can still call on Joe Gomez to fill in at right-back for Trent Alexander-Arnold if he decides the Real Madrid target needs a rest. Wataru Endo and Jarell Quansah are likely to get rare starts, and fresh legs in attack from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo could prove useful, especially since Szoboszlai lost out to Curtis Jones for the advanced midfield role against Arsenal.
On the Brighton side, fans were pleasantly surprised when Danny Welbeck was declared fit to start against Wolves, just a week after he was stretchered off with a back injury during the Newcastle match.
His return could be vital, especially with Leeds United loanee Georginio Rutter cup-tied and Joao Pedro still out with an ankle injury. They’re also missing Solly March (knee), Matt O'Riley (ankle), Adam Webster (thigh), and former Liverpool player James Milner (thigh).
Yankuba Minteh and Jack Hinshelwood are likely to be available after missing the draw against Wolves, but there’s uncertainty surrounding captain Lewis Dunk, who injured his calf during warm-ups.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Lamptey, Van Hecke, Igor, Estupinan; Adingra, Baleba, Wieffer, Mitoma; Enciso, Ferguson
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Nunez
EXPERT PREDICTION
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-1 Liverpool
Slot pointed out that Arsenal had an extra day to recover from their Champions League match before Sunday’s draw, and the same situation applies for Wednesday’s game against Brighton, who are usually strong at home when it comes to scoring.
However, under Slot’s management, Liverpool has become quite effective on the road and is still on track to lift the EFL Cup trophy for a second consecutive year. While a win on Wednesday may not be as convincing as the away fans hope, the team is focused on getting the result they need.
