Merson makes Liverpool vs Brighton prediction amid Salah concern | OneFootball

Liverpool head to the south coast knowing that backing up the Galatasaray performance is the real test, but Paul Merson isn’t convinced we’ll take maximum points against Brighton & Hove Albion.

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After a dominant Champions League display at Anfield, the focus now shifts back to the Premier League, where inconsistency has defined much of our campaign.

Merson predicts frustrating Liverpool result

Speaking via Sportskeeda, Merson acknowledged the positives from midweek but was quick to add context to that performance.

“Liverpool played well in the Champions League. That’s the best I’ve seen them play in a long time.”

He also pointed out that the opposition and circumstances should be taken into account.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s Galatasaray and they are poor away from home in Europe.”

The former England international believes this weekend presents a completely different challenge.

“This is another difficult game for Liverpool… I’m not reading too much into the win over Galatasaray even though they looked fine on the night.”

Ultimately, his prediction reflects just how tight he expects the contest to be.

“Even though Liverpool could win this game, I’m going for a draw, which is a bad result for the Reds.

“Prediction: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Liverpool.”

Salah absence and consistency concerns

Merson also highlighted Mo Salah as a key factor, both in terms of performance levels and availability.

“Mohamed Salah needs to put in performances like the one against Galatasaray from now until the end of the season to help Liverpool qualify for the Champions League.”

That concern is heightened by the fact that Salah won’t feature this weekend, with Arne Slot confirming the Egyptian is “not available for tomorrow” after picking up a knock in midweek.

Merson suggested that could influence selection decisions, with experience likely to be prioritised in such an important fixture.

“This is a big weekend in the race for top five as well, so I believe Slot will choose experience over youth.”

His view aligns with what others have said in the build-up, with Chris Sutton also backing Brighton to win and questioning whether Liverpool can produce consistent performances.

That’s now the key question for us, because if we can replicate the intensity and quality shown against Galatasaray, we’re more than capable of winning, but if we drop below that level again, a draw, or worse, becomes far more likely.