Liverpool are busy preparing for their first Premier League fixture back after the international break.
The Reds welcome Brighton to Anfield on Saturday. It will be the first time they have played in the league since the 0-0 draw with Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Saturday 3. Since then, Liverpool had their scheduled top-flight matches against Wolves and Chelsea postponed, following the death of The Queen, and played just one Champions League group game.
Brighton have gone even longer without playing. Their last match was on October 4 and since then their manager Graham Potter has departed for CHelsea. Roberto De Zerbi has been named as Potter's replacement and his first game in charge of the Seagulls will be against Jurgen Klopp's side.
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Pundits Paul Merson and Chris Sutton have made their predictions for the encounter - and they agree on the final outcome.
“This is a massive game for Liverpool,” Arsenal legend Merson told Sportskeeda . “They have a Champions League match next week and a Premier League fixture against Arsenal after that - it's such a big week so early in the season. In my opinion, they'll need to win all these three matches
“The way Liverpool have played over the past three years, a third or fourth-place finish in the Premier League is not a success. If they don't win their next two league matches, they might find themselves out of the title race.
“Liverpool's players have not featured heavily in the international break. Fabinho played only 70 minutes for Brazil, but he has travelled quite a bit. Thiago wasn't picked by Spain for their Nations League fixtures, and he'll be fresh going into this game.
“Jurgen Klopp will persist with Salah and Luis Diaz in his forward line. I think he's got to play Darwin Nunez as well - they paid a massive fee for him and they now have to back him. I'm still going with Liverpool to win this game.”
Sutton agrees with Merson's outcome but the Premier League title winner with Blackburn Rovers has explained why Brighton may pose a problem for the Reds.
“Brighton had a good record here under Potter, with a draw and a win in their past two visits, but this is our first look at them under new boss Roberto De Zerbi,” Sutton told the BBC .
“He's got a reputation for being an attack-minded manager, but will he really try that at Anfield? That would be very brave, but I would love to see it.
“Liverpool made an extremely flat start to the season so maybe the pause in the season following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and then the international break came at a good time for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.
“October is an extremely busy month for the Reds, with nine games in total, and playing so often might just help them to get their rhythm back.
“I am backing them to start that process here, and get the month off to a winning start - although it won't be straightforward.”
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