Roberto de Zerbi has a confirmed admirer in Jurgen Klopp.
If we play like we played last year we will get a massive knock again. Brighton had a few results which did not go exactly their way but that is a completely normal situation in their development. They made a lot of changes, lost top players – one of them we got [Alexis Mac Allister] – and still played incredible football.
We expect a really tough game against the best-coached team in the league, I would say, because of where they are coming from. Graham [Potter] did a lot of good stuff and that is a really smart move from Potter to De Zerbi and they made really big steps: super consistent, different formations, different players, lineups and you always see Brighton football and I couldn’t respect that more. We have to put a few things right because you can look silly once but you should not look silly a second time.
Six changes for Brighton, with Bart Verbruggen in for Jason Steele after he let six in last week. Igor Julio, Joao Pedro, Pascal Gross, Carlos Baleba and Simon Adingra come into a team with a very different midfield, attack and defence. Verbruggen plays the home games for De Zerbi. Adam Webster had a nightmare against Oli Watkins last week and Igor Julio replaces him.
Three enforced changes for Liverpool. Jota and Jones both suspended after last week, with Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott and Trent Alexander-Arnold back into the starting line-up.
Two teams coming off defeat last week in the Premier League, and off Thursday night Europa League assignments serve up a Sunday lunchtime special. Brighton brings back bitter memories for Liverpool, who were hammered on their last trip to Sussex, a 3-0 defeat a downcast Jurgen Klopp declared the worst of his entire career. Those were the early days of Roberto De Zerbi and his counterpressing tactics caught Liverpool cold, as they have several other opponents in the time since. They can be got at as Aston Villa proved last week in demolishing them 6-1. Liverpool meanwhile look to recover from VAR-gate and the fiasco that surrounded their defeat to Tottenham, who have opened up a lead on Klopp’s team. It should be a belter this one, a feast of attacking football so 0-0 here we come….?