By Daniel Ghorbal
After a turbulent start to the season due to a combination of injuries and poor form, a dramatic victory against Ajax followed by a subsequent break has renewed optimism amongst the Anfield faithful ahead of Saturday’s visit of Brighton and Hove Albion.
The recent mourning period and international break have prevended Liverpool from playing in the Premier League for three weeks, allowing time for players to return from injury, and more importantly time for Jurgen Klopp to get time on the training ground.
The hectic schedule organised around the winter World Cup means that games come thick and fast, so for this break to occur so early on in the campaign is unprecedented. Despite the cautious optimism and hope that Liverpool will come flying out of the traps domestically, Saturday’s game is arguably a must win in the context of the season, against a side who currently sit above the reds in the table.
Although the Seagulls are 5th and have only lost once, the recent departure of head coach Graham Potter and his staff to Chelsea has stirred uncertainty as to how the club will respond. Former Shakhtar Donetsk manager Roberto De Zerbi has taken the reign’s, and as far as debut games come, a trip to Anfield is a mouth-watering prospect for the Italian.
Now that Potter has moved on, fans of Brighton will look back on their recent 5-2 victory over Leicester with tainted glasses, but the reality of the situation is that they are a side with plenty of quality and confidence. Although De Zerbi will undoubtedly implement a new style and philosophy immediately, as things stand they are a well-oiled cog with several players that can hurt a vulnerable Liverpool side.
Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister stood out that day and have been influential for the team, bringing a level of composure whilst chipping in with goals too. Despite being a side who look to get on the ball, Liverpool will still look to assert their dominance from the off, and therefore it’s important that when opportunities to get on the ball in good areas are presented, they need to be creative with that. Liverpool have been at their leakiest this season when hit on the break, and the likes of Leandro Trossard and the aforementioned Mac Allister are archetypal to that certain vulnerability of the hosts.
Likewise, the foundations have been set by a very solid and functioning back three, centred by captain Lewis Dunk. Him, Aaron Webster and Joel Veltman are now a well established Premier League defence and have the ability to play out as well as doing the basics to a high level. Whoever starts in Liverpool’s forward line will press relentlessly and at a good intensity, so it is vital that the defenders show the bravery on the ball that has served them so well thus far.
Last season, they struggled to deal with Liverpool in the first half at Anfield but continued to play their game and were comfortably the better side in the second-half, earning a deserved 2-2 draw. Big switches of play and intricacy around the box were the tonic of that certain result, and although under a different manager, similar traits will be expressed. Robert Sanchez is also a key component of that philosophy, giving the defenders confidence with his excellent ball-playing abilities.
What impresses me about his game is that even if a mistake is made or a shaky moment occurs, he sticks to his guns and maintains composure. So often, teams come to Anfield, lose all calmness and simply resort to long-balls into hopeless areas, but with someone like Sanchez in the ranks Brighton have a great chance of picking up a result or at the least forcing the game into the dying embers.
Several weeks without a league game at Anfield is enough to inspire a good atmosphere, but if an early goal isn’t score and Brighton are able to inflict their quality onto the affair then this could prove to be an incredibly tough afternoon for the reds. Three points to keep tabs with those in the upper echelons of the table are a must, and that scoreboard pressure could certainly play into the visitors’ hands. Staying patient must be the key to a good home win, appreciating that Brighton are a good Premier League side who deserve respect for their meteoric rise this season.
Predicted XI: Sanchez, Veltman, Dunk, Webster, Gross, March, Caicedo, Mac Allister, Estpuninan, Trossard, Welbeck.
