Liverpool are coming into this game vs Brighton & Hove Albion on the back of a fighting win over Sunderland, and they will look to put together a winning run now. The FA Cup is their best chance of winning a trophy this season.
It has been a disappointing season for the Premier League champions, and they will look to end the season strongly. Winning a trophy will be the top priority for them, and it remains to be seen whether they can pick up a victory here.
Meanwhile, Brighton & Hove Albion are coming into the game on the back of a five-match winless run. Fabian Hurzeler and his charges will be desperate to bounce back strongly, and it will be interesting to see if they can pull an upset.
They have a poor record against Liverpool and will need a major slice of luck to progress to the next round of the competition. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
The home team will be without Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring), Giovanni Leoni (knee), Conor Bradley (knee), and Alexander Isak (fracture). Liverpool are likely to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Brighton & Hove Albion, with Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal.
Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Dominik Szoboszlai will start alongside Curtis Jones in th edouble pivot, aiming to add control and composure to the team. Florian Wirtz will look to create opportunities for teammates in the final third. Hugo Ekitike will lead the line for Liverpool vs Brighton, with Rio Ngumoha and Mohamed Salah on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Jones; Salah, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Ekitike
Fabian Hurzeler will be without Yasin Ayari, Adam Webster, Solly March, and Stefanos Tzimas due to their respective knee injuries. Brighton & Hove Albion are likely to shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs LIverpool, with Bart Verbruggen in goal.
Joel Veltman and Ferdi Kadioglu will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and help out in the final third. Jan Paul van Hecke and Lewis Dunk will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, James Milner and Carlos Baleba will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Georginio Rutter will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to help create opportunities in the final third.
Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma will start on the flanks. They will look to add pace and unpredictability to the attack. Finally, Danny Welbeck will lead the line for Brighton & Hove Albion vs Liverpool on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, van Hecke, Kadioglu; Baleba, Milner; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck
The Liverpool January signing is our key player to watch out for. The former Bayer Leverkusen talisman was outstanding against Sunderland, and he has been in impressive form in recent weeks.
He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and break down the Brighton & Hove Albion defence. Liverpool will need him to step up and produce a strong performance in the final third if they want to unlock the Brighton defence easily and pick up a victory.
Brighton & Hove Albion have struggled defensively in recent weeks, and the German international could cause all sorts of problems for them with his vision, flair, and link-up play.
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and the contest is likely to be close. Liverpool have not been at their best this season, and this will be a difficult outing for them. Even though they are in better form compared to Brighton, this will be a tough challenge for the Merseyside outfit.
The home team will need to deliver a strong performance to get the job done here. Meanwhile, the visitors will put up a fight here, and both teams are likely to get on the sheet. However, Liverpool have more depth in the attacking unit, and they should be able to pick up a narrow victory here. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 victory for Arne Slot and his charges.
