Brighton and Hove Albion - Liverpool predictions and free betting tips [08/10/2023]

On Sunday, the 8th of October, as a part of the 8th round of the Premier League, Brighton will host Liverpool on their home field. Midweek, the Seagulls managed to fight back from a 2:0 score and snatch a draw against Marseille (2:2), while the Merseysiders conquered Union SG (2:0) not without effort.

Predicted lineups

Brighton: Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, Webster, Lamptey; Gilmour, Gross; March, Pedro, Mitoma; Ferguson.
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.

Stadium

The duel will take place in Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

Brighton

Brighton continue to impress under the management of tactics maestro Roberto De Zerbi, hoping to make progress this season as well. The Seagulls currently hold the 6th spot in the Premier League table, having earned 15 points in 7 rounds. After three consecutive victories over Newcastle (3:1), Manchester United (1:3) and Bournemouth (3:1), the blue-and-whites were heavily beaten on the road by Aston Villa (6:1) last weekend. This week, Roberto De Zerbi's charges showed character, redressing a two-goal deficit and battling out a 2:2 draw with Marseille in the Europa League. Having conceded on the 19th and 20th minutes from Chancel Mbemba and Jordan Veretout, the Seagulls fought back and delivered precise strikes from Pascal Gross and Joao Pedro from penalty in the second half. Defensive statistics raise concern for De Zerbi as the team has conceded 20 goals in all tournaments this season.

Meanwhile, the Southerners can, for the first time since 2019, win three consecutive home Premier League matches, and their 11 goals racked up on Amex trail only Villa's 13 home goals. Young playmaker Ensiso and Polish midfielder Moder have been long-term absentees, experienced Lallana and Milner remain unavailable, and now even left-back Estupinan. On the other hand, midfielder Pascal Gross returned to the lineup on Thursday and even scored a goal. Ansu Fati, who is on loan from Barcelona, scored his first Premier League goal against Villa and is likely to be hoping to get on the pitch from the start. Wingers March (3 goals) and Mitoma (3 goals and 3 assists) are also available, with forward options of Welbeck (1 goal) and Ferguson (4 goals) likely to start.

Liverpool

Failing to meet expectations last season, Liverpool found itself having to settle for fifth place in the final Premier League standings. During the off-season, the Merseyside club made several transfers aiming at improving its prospects for the upcoming campaign. The Reds are now eyeing a return to the top four and even contending for the championship title, currently occupying the 4th spot, trailing league leaders City by 2 points. Jurgen Klopp's team got off to a very good start, as evidenced by the fact that they haven't lost a single match in the first six rounds (5 wins and 1 draw). However, last weekend the visitors were defeated by Tottenham following a series of refereeing mistakes (2:1) - a wrongly disallowed goal from Luis Dias is case in point. On Thursday, Liverpool defeated Union Saint-Gilouise in Group E of the Europa League (2:0) thanks to goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota.

The first clean sheet in five games came as a delightful relief for Jurgen Klopp. The Liverpool lineup continues to miss out on Thiago Alcantara, with Gakpo joining the ranks of their infirmary. The Dutch forward has been injured and is expected to be out for several weeks ahead. Moreover, up-and-coming midfielder Curtis Jones and winger Diogo Jota, who were sent off last weekend against Tottenham, are suspended for Sunday's match. Mohamed Salah (3 goals and 4 assists) remains the main attacking force of the Reds this season. Fellow forwards Luis Dias and Nunez will also likely join him on the field from the get-go. Summer recruits Mac Allister (Brighton) and SoboslaI (Leipzig) have already firmly established themselves in the visitors' midfield.

Head to Head

In last season's Premier League and FA Cup, Brighton thrashed the Reds with scores of 3:0 and 2:1 respectively, while the Seagulls managed a 3:3 draw at Anfield.

Predictions for the match Brighton – Liverpool

Both teams will not be in their best physical shape after the Europa League encounters, although Brighton will feel the fatigue slightly more after a draining game against Marseille. Of course, the visitors will be weakened by the absences of Jota and Gakpo, but they still have a surprise for their opponent in the attack: Salah, Nunez and Dias are available. I believe that the Merseysiders will take the lead at the Amex on Sunday.

Over/Under Prediction

Goals in this match are simply inevitable: the two teams have managed to accrue 35 goals in 7 opening rounds. In the three previous head-to-head matches, at least 3 goals were scored, and we should expect the same this time around.

Corner Prediction

I expect an open game and abundance of scoring opportunities from the teams, hence multitude of corners. I'm wagering on the total corners over 9.5.

Yellow Card Prediction

Neither team is known for particularly rough play - I predict total yellow cards under 4.5.

Score Prediction

I am backing a 1:3 victory for Liverpool.