Liverpool will be looking to make it three consecutive wins but Brighton have been in good form. Tom Carnduff picks out his best bets.
Football betting tips: Premier League
2pts Brighton to have 4+ corners at 11/8
1pt Lewis Dunk to score anytime at 17/1
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Liverpool v Brighton
- 20:15 GMT on BT Sport 1
- Match odds: Home 4/11 | Draw 4/1 | Away 7/1
It was a busy day at Anfield on transfer deadline day with not one but two centre-backs arriving at Liverpool. Ben Davies a surprise addition from Preston while Ozan Kabak made the switch from Schalke. A season-ending injury to Joel Matip might well mean a whirlwind 48 hours for the former of the two.
Davies could go straight in given Matip's absence and the makeshift duo of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson at the weekend. Centre-back may actually now be Fabinho's best position, but the sooner they can push Henderson back into midfield the better. That's not to say he did a bad job there, it's just preferable for Liverpool to have him as part of that trio.
In Brighton, they face a team who have won three of their last four in all competitions, the only game falling short being the 0-0 draw against Fulham. A 1-0 victory over Tottenham last time out gave them a rare home win and they will have confidence heading into this one, even with Liverpool's recent revival following their slump.
They can rack up the corner count somewhat and that's where one of the best bets can be found in this game. They had four in their recent trip to Manchester City and Sky Bet offer 11/8 on Graham Potter's side hitting the same tally here. Since that City game, they had ten against Fulham and nine against Tottenham.
Liverpool conceded six in their recent contest against West Ham while Manchester United hit four in their FA Cup win over the Reds. Newcastle, who had half the number of shots on target when they welcomed Liverpool, still managed a total of five across the 90 minutes.
One player who could benefit if Brighton can build up the corner count is Lewis Dunk. The central defender has two on his tally this season and posted three shots in his last two outings. 11 of his 18 appearances in the Premier League this season have also brought at least one shot.
While Kabak and Davies are now at the club, with Davies the only one eligible for this game, the quick nature of his move should mean Klopp opts to stay with Henderson and Nathaniel Phillips at the back, as was the case in the win over West Ham.
In that game, the Reds conceded a goal from a corner which was scored by Craig Dawson, the Hammers centre-back who delivered us a winner when he was tipped to score against Stockport in the FA Cup. Dawson would end up having a total of three shots in that game.
Brighton aren't prolific scorers from set-pieces but they do have the opportunities and that could be a problem for a makeshift Liverpool defence. With 4/5 available across the board on both teams to score, it's worth going for the extra value in Dunk's 17/1 price for a goal anytime, while the first goal is also out at 45/1 with a few bookmakers if you fancy the defender striking first.
Ultimately, it's difficult to look past this Liverpool side after their recent results. They're adapting to the current defensive issues, which will remain in the short-term, but Mohamed Salah's recent form means they are likely to grab a couple. Brighton corners and Dunk grabbing one are the two best bets in this game, but it's worth going with a Liverpool win with both teams scoring rather than the outright result.
Score prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton (Sky Bet odds: 7/1)
Liverpool v Brighton best bets
Odds correct at 1730 GMT (02/02/21)
Opta facts
- Liverpool are unbeaten in 12 meetings with Brighton in all competitions (W10 D2), since a 0-2 FA Cup defeat in January 1984.
- Brighton have lost eight of their last nine away league games against Liverpool, winning the other 1-0 in March 1982.
- Liverpool’s 68-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League ended at the hands of Burnley last time out. The Reds haven’t lost consecutive home league games since September 2012 (vs Arsenal and Manchester United).
- Liverpool haven’t failed to score in three consecutive home league games since October 1984 under Joe Fagan. The only reigning Premier League champion to fail to score in three home league games in a row was Man Utd in their final three home games of 2001/02.
- Jürgen Klopp hasn’t lost consecutive home league matches as a manager since October 2014 when he was Borussia Dortmund boss, losing to Hamburger SV and Hannover 96.
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