Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion
So says the sign on the players’ tunnel at Liverpool, to serve as a timely boost for the Reds and a reminder for opponents.
Those words could strike fear into opponents during Liverpool’s dominance of the seventies and eighties, particularly as they lined up alongside the likes of Graeme Souness and Jimmy Case who threatened a heavy defeat and physical harm for good measure!
This week, Chris Hughton brings his side to this famous old stadium as Premier League Liverpool vs Brighton is the big game on Merseyside.
Jurgen Klopp has taken to tapping the sign for good luck, a ritual passed down through the ages, and the affable German coach isn’t taking any chances in his pursuit of glory!
With SBOBET odds of 1.15 on a home win, you could be excused for expecting a one-sided affair and a relaxing afternoon for Klopp. But there are no easy games in the Premier League as Manchester United will testify, having been dispatched by the Seagulls last weekend.
Talking Points
Former England warhorse Stuart Pearce thinks Liverpool will beat Manchester City to the Premier League title this season. Who could forget his Euro ’96 penalty shoot-out triumph, veins pumping and howls of delight? No one would argue with Pearce on the pitch where he earned the nickname ‘Psycho’, but has the former Manchester City player lost his mind?
Maybe not; Liverpool’s 0-2 win against Crystal Palace at the beginning of this week was significant in the manner of victory. It was a clinical display…not particularly swashbuckling but they nullified a dangerous Palace team that was always hard to beat on their home turf, going ahead with a penalty and then finishing off the Eagles with a last-minute breakaway.
That’s the way champions beat the good sides.
So what’s different at Anfield this season? Well, it looks like Klopp has added defensive know-how to the scintillating attacking side of 2017/18. Virgil Van Dijk is beginning to look like the defender Liverpool paid £75m for, and the recruitment of Brazil keeper Allison alongside midfielder Naby Keita, who arrived some 12 months after the Reds agreed a deal with his club Leipzig, has made a statement. Keita had a funny old season in the Bundesliga while he waited for his transfer, picking up red cards with worrying regularity, but he seems to have settled well on Merseyside, impressing on his league debut in the 4-0 win over West Ham.
There’s no denying that Jurgen Klopp has spent heavily, and with that may come pressure as the season gathers momentum.
So after two wins for Liverpool, next up is Chris Hughton’s Brighton. After a brave campaign last season, ending in survival, Brighton have understandably been tipped to struggle again this term. The opening-day loss to Watford did nothing to cast any doubt on that.
But the Seagulls stormed back to stun Manchester United last week, showing they may just have enough about them to mount another successful campaign. Hughton, like his opposite number, is a good guy and has done a fine job on the south coast, moulding a successful team without any stars.
Glenn Murray, at 34, has been the top scorer for the last two seasons and he’s not going anywhere, but he does need support. German attacking midfielder Pascal Gross was also on target against the Red Devils, and at £3m he’s proving to be a bargain buy.
The biggest success story of last season was the partnership between defensive giants Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk, and that will be crucial to the Seagulls’ hopes again this season.
Hughton will set his side up to defend in numbers against the expected red tidal wave and break when they can, with Murray, the battering ram, tasked with unsettling Van Dijk and his defensive mates.
It will be well worth watching; and don’t forget, you can get all the Liverpool vs Brighton updates right here at SBOBET.
History
Chris Hughton won’t be pointing to recent history when he sets about pumping his team up for the task ahead.
The four top-flight meetings between the two sides have yielded four wins for Liverpool, scoring 17 goals and conceding three. Last season, the Seagulls took two vicious hidings, losing 4-0 at Anfield and 1-5 at the Amex Stadium.
And the Seagulls were homesick almost throughout the campaign. Brighton were the worst team on the road, scoring just ten goals and winning 11 points with only two victories away.
Meanwhile, Liverpool was unbeaten at home, winning 12 and drawing seven.
Welcome to Anfield.
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Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion | Over 3.25 Goals at 1.86 |
| August 26, 00:30 (GMT+8) |
Of course, the Liverpool vs Brighton odds suggest the Seagulls are in for a tough afternoon. I see no reason why Liverpool can’t carry on using Brighton for shooting practice but, as they proved last week, Hughton’s side knows where the net is. So I expect to see goals.
Liverpool with a -2.25 is at 1.99 and Brighton are 1.94 at that handicap, which shows the magnitude of the task facing the visitors.
And for a score-line bet, 3-0 is fancied at 6.40. But if the goals keep coming, then you can get 3-1 at 10.00 or 4-0 at 9.00.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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