Liverpool just put four past Galatasaray at Anfield. Szoboszlai, Ekitike, Gravenberch, and then Salah — his 50th Champions League goal — with a spectacular strike that made you remember exactly who this man is when he decides to show up.
They had been booed off at Anfield on Sunday for a 1-1 draw against struggling Tottenham. Four days later, same stadium, completely different team. That is the Liverpool paradox this season — inconsistent enough to frustrate you every other week, brilliant enough to remind you they can beat anyone when the moment demands it. And now they travel to the Amex on Saturday carrying Champions League momentum, a quarter-final date with PSG waiting for them, and a head-to-head record against Brighton that reads like a landlord collecting rent. Fourteen wins from 22 meetings. Liverpool have been here, done this, and bought the postcard.
Brighton are 12th, comfortable but uninspiring, and about to face a team that has scored at least two goals in seven consecutive meetings against them in all competitions. Seven. Their defence has had a recurring nightmare and it has Liverpool's name written all over it.
Brighton vs Liverpool: Key Stats
Head-to-head: Brighton 4 wins, Liverpool 14 wins, 4 draws
Liverpool: Scored 2 or more goals in 7 consecutive meetings with Brighton in all competitions
Liverpool: Scored in every one of their last 9 Premier League matches
Liverpool: Unbeaten in 22 of their last 26 matches in all competitions
Liverpool: Just thrashed Galatasaray 4-0 to reach Champions League quarter-finals
Brighton: Unbeaten in 21 of their last 25 home matches in all competitions
Brighton: Averaging just 0.67 goals per game in their last 3 home fixtures
Brighton: Missing Mitoma, March, Tzimas and Webster through injury
Photo Credit (Getty Images)
What to Expect
Brighton will make this uncomfortable because that is simply what they do at the Amex. Hurzeler has this team well organised, hard to break down, and dangerous when they get the ball forward quickly. Pascal Gross runs the midfield, Minteh gives them a direct outlet on the wing after his winner against Sunderland, and Danny Welbeck leads the line with the experience of someone who has genuinely seen everything. The problem is their attacking numbers at home recently are poor — less than a goal per game in three straight home fixtures. Against a Liverpool side buzzing with European confidence, that is a very difficult platform to work from.
Liverpool arrive distracted in the best possible way. Arne Slot restored his regular starters for the Galatasaray second leg after rotating against Tottenham and the result was a completely dominant performance. Salah was involved in every single goal. Wirtz was everywhere. Szoboszlai had more touches than anyone. That is the Liverpool that Brighton have to deal with on Saturday — not the one that drew with Tottenham, but the one that looked like the best team in England for 90 minutes under the Anfield floodlights. The question, as always with this Liverpool side, is whether they can maintain that level rather than falling back into their usual pattern of inconsistency.
Predicted Lineups
Brighton (4-2-3-1) 🔵⚪
Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Dunk, Van Hecke, Wieffer; Hinshelwood, Gomez; Gross, Milner, Minteh; Welbeck
Liverpool (4-2-3-1) 🔴
Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Ekitike
Players to Watch
Yankuba Minteh — Brighton's most dangerous player with Mitoma still out. Quick, direct, and the man who scored the winner last week. If he gets running at Kerkez on Liverpool's left, the Amex will wake up very quickly.
Pascal Gross — Brighton's creative brain and the man who holds everything together in their midfield. He will need the game of his life to slow Liverpool down and create meaningful chances for Welbeck on the counter.
Mohamed Salah — Just scored his 50th Champions League goal with a spectacular strike and was involved in every single goal against Galatasaray. He is running hot right now and Brighton are the next ones in his path. Not a great time to be facing him.
Florian Wirtz — Had 85 touches against Galatasaray, set up Salah's goal with a backheel, and was arguably Liverpool's best player on Wednesday. When Wirtz is in this kind of form and Liverpool are playing with this kind of freedom, defenders simply cannot track him. Brighton's midfield will need to be exceptional to contain him.
Prediction
💵 Brighton to win: 3.12
💵 Liverpool to win: 2.32
💵 Draw: 3.32
💵 Over 2.5 Goals: 1.72
Prediction: Brighton 1-2 Liverpool
The numbers have been saying the same thing for years and Wednesday night at Anfield only made them louder. Liverpool have scored at least twice in seven consecutive meetings with Brighton. Salah and Wirtz are in form at exactly the right moment. Brighton are averaging less than a goal per home game recently and are missing key attacking players. Liverpool are fifth, chasing Champions League football through the back door if necessary, and have just rediscovered what it feels like to be ruthless. Brighton will score — they almost always do at the Amex — but Liverpool's quality in the final third is simply too much to contain for 90 minutes. Same result, same pattern, same Liverpool. The data never lies.
