Can Liverpool overcome Brighton in crucial FA Cup encounter?

Liverpool host Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Anfield on Saturday night.

The Reds are fresh off a midweek 1-0 victory at Sunderland in the Premier League, becoming the first side to breach the Stadium of Light this campaign.

Arne Slot’s side battered Barnsley 4-1 last time out in the FA Cup third round and will be keen to avoid another fourth-round upset.

Brighton extended their winless run to six games after they lost 1-0 at Aston Villa in midweek’s Premier League clash.

The Seagulls famously knocked out Manchester United from the FA Cup in the third round, winning 2-1 at Old Trafford to progress to this stage of the competition.

Match preview

Liverpool have won four of their last five matches against Brighton in all competitions (L1), beating them 2-0 at Anfield earlier this season in the Premier League.

This will be the seventh FA Cup between Liverpool and Brighton, with both sides progressing three times each – the Reds in 1907/08, 1990/91 and 2011/12 and the Seagulls in 1982/83, 1983/84 and 2022/23.

Slot’s side have been eliminated from six of their last nine FA Cup fourth-round ties and were eliminated at this stage last season by Plymouth. In the Premier League era (1992/93 onwards), the Reds have suffered 13 eliminations at this stage – two more than any other Premier League side (Spurs, 11).

Brighton have won their last three FA Cup fourth-round ties, beating a Premier League side in each season. Indeed, since they were promoted to the Premier League in 2017, they’ve reached the fifth round six times, with only Man City (8) and Man Utd (7) doing so more often since 2017/18.

The Seagulls have won seven of their last eight away matches in the FA Cup (L1), and since the start of the 2022/23 season, they have won more away games than any other side in the competition (first round onwards, 7).

Team news

Liverpool

Dominik Szoboszlai served his one-match ban against Sunderland, so he’ll be available for this fixture.

Wataru Endo was stretched off with an ankle injury in the Sunderland win, so he’s unavailable.

He joins Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni in the host’s infirmary.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Stefanos Tzimas, Adam Webster, Solly March and Yasin Ayari are sidelined with injuries.

Predicted line-ups

Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Jones, Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Chiesa.

Brighton & Hove Albion: Steele, Veltman, Dunk, Boscagli, De Cuyper, Milner, Baleba, Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma, Welbeck.