Brighton vs Liverpool FC LIVE: Kick-off delayed - Premier League match stream, confirmed team news, lineups and fan reaction | OneFootball

Reds are on the south coast in search of points in the top-five race

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Brighton vs Liverpool FC LIVE!

Liverpool begin the weekend in fifth place, which will be enough for a Champions League spot next season despite a disastrous week for teams at Europe’s top table, but with Aston Villa two points ahead, and more importantly, Chelsea one point behind - the pressure to pick up points is paramount for all involved.

Slot will be without Mohamed Salah, which could be a blessing in disguise given how his season has panned out thus far, but does mean the under-pressure head coach has a few decisions to make both in attack and defence. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis.

Live updates

1 minute ago

Players warming up

Despite the delayed kick-off (see post at 11:55am GMT), Liverpool have been out warming up for the last 10 minutes or so.

Shaking out the legs after that big Champions League night just a few days ago!

Brighton joined them out there a few minutes ago, meanwhile.

6 minutes ago

Hurzeler echoes Slot's prediction of 'intense' match

Now, let’s hear from Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler...

"We will stick to our principles and not get distracted by the lows we have had. I am a big believer in this team and the quality of these players,” said the young Seagulls boss, whose side are currently 12th in the Premier League.

"These players stepped up against Sunderland [in last weekend’s 1-0 away win]. Every player on the pitch knows their role.

He continued: "We need to play intense. You have to be intense against the top teams. It is a long journey from Liverpool to Brighton and we have to use that advantage.

"I always see a football game as an event and supporters pay a lot of money. I want them to enjoy it."

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10 minutes ago

Long-range striker Szobo

Dominik Szoboszlai scored against both Galatasaray and Tottenham in the last week, so wherever he plays Brighton will be keeping a close eye on the Hungarian.

Even if he’s far from the net, that’s proven to be no issue for Szoboszlai whose four goals from outside the box is the most in the Premier League this season.

Those efforts have come from direct free-kicks, and he’s now just one free-kick goal away from equalling the single-season record held by David Beckham and Laurent Robert.

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15 minutes ago

Kick-off delayed

It’ll be a little longer than expected until we get this first match of the day underway, with kick-off delayed by 15 minutes due to heavy traffic near the Amex Stadium, reportedly caused by an accident on the A27.

Still, only 50 minutes left!

21 minutes ago

Slot expecting 'very intense game'

Some pre-match comments from Arne Slot...

"We only have 60 hours of rest after putting in an enormous physical performance [against Galatasaray]," said the Liverpool boss.

"Brighton has always been a team who want to play, bring the ball out from the back, and make it a very intense game."

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26 minutes ago

Countdown to kick-off

Just 45 minutes to go until we get underway at the Amex Stadium!

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27 minutes ago

Fan reaction: Szobo or Frimpong at RB?

Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong have each played as a right-back and a right winger this season, leading to some uncertainty regarding who will line up where today.

We’re expecting Szoboszlai, a capable makeshift full-back but a natural midfielder, to return to his more impactful position in attack, but we’ll have confirmation shortly.

33 minutes ago

Fan reaction: Calls for Ngumoha over Gakpo

It appears that some Liverpool fans would have preferred to see young Ngumoha given another chance in Salah’s absence, rather than a recall for Gakpo who has been wasteful with chances at times lately.

38 minutes ago

Rio on the bench

There was some clamour this week for Arsenal’s Max Dowman, the Premier League’s newly-crowned youngest-ever goalscorer, to receive his first senior England call-up.

That hasn’t happened - yet - and neither has it happened for Liverpool’s own exciting young prospect, himself just 17 years of age.

Rio Ngumoha has dazzled in the gametime he’s been afforded this season, but even with Mo Salah out Arne Slot is evidently cautious about throwing the teenager straight into top-flight action from the start.

He begins today’s match on the bench, having started last weekend against Spurs, but we’ll almost certainly see him at some point you’d imagine.

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43 minutes ago

Team news analysis

As reported, both Mohamed Salah and Alisson are missing through injury for Liverpool today, meaning Cody Gakpo and Giorgi Mamardashvili come into the XI.

Those are the only two chances to the team that beat Galatasaray 4-0 less than three days ago, meaning we expect Dominik Szoboszlai to the man starting down the right in Salah’s absence with Gakpo on the left, Florian Wirtz at No10 and Jeremie Frimpong at right-back in a 4-2-3-1.

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo

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Arne Slot could switch things up, of course, as we’ve seen him do at times this term with a narrower 4-2-2-2, in which case it would probably be Gakpo up top alongside Hugo Ekitike, with Wirtz and Szoboszlai - arguably the Reds’ player of the season so far - as dual ‘10s’.

Brighton, meanwhile, are unchanged from the side that started last weekend’s win at Sunderland.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu; Milner, Groß; Gomez, Hinshelwood, Minteh; Welbeck

Subs: Steele, Georginio, Baleba, Kostoulas, Boscagli, Mitoma, Ayari, De Cuyper, Veltman

Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

Subs: Woodman, Gomez, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsay, Morrison, Ngumoha

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