Premier League · Matchday 8 Brighton's winning run faces its toughest test at Anfield
Brighton travel to Anfield on Sunday hoping to extend a run that has lifted them into the top three, against a Liverpool side still searching for consistency. Both teams are missing several key players.
📍 Anfield
All Matchday 8 matchesFull head-to-head
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| · | Scored | Conceded |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| Brighton | 3.3 | 0.7 |
PreviaXI model
- Predicted score
- 2-1
- Expected goals (model)
- 1.55 – 1.35
- Double chance
- 12 · 73%1X 68% · X2 59%
- Over 2.5 goals
- 55%
- Both teams score
- 60%
- Expected corners
- 10.46.2 – 4.2 · Over 9.5: 60%
- Expected cards
- 4.31.6 – 2.7 · Over 3.5: 62%
Statistical model based on expected goals (xG), results and match statistics from the last two seasons. For information only. How our model works →
Why the model leans towards Liverpool
- Power ratings: Liverpool +0.34 goals per game (5th of 20 in Premier League), Brighton +0.44 (3rd).
- Liverpool's attack (1.59 goals per game) meets Brighton's defence (1.26 conceded per game).
- Brighton's attack (1.70) meets Liverpool's defence (1.25).
- Home advantage in this competition: home sides score about 22% more goals.
- Put together, the model expects 1.55 – 1.35 goals: Liverpool 41%, draw 27%, Brighton 32%.
Absences
Liverpool
- OutC. Bradley · Knee Injury
- OutH. Ekitike · Achilles Tendon Injury
- OutJ. Frimpong · Muscle Injury
- OutG. Leoni · Knee Injury
- OutA. Nallo · Leg Injury
- OutD. Szoboszlai · Muscle Injury
- DoubtfulV. Munoz · Knee Injury
Brighton
- OutF. Azeez · Abdominal strain
- OutE. Ferguson · Ankle Injury
- OutY. Minteh · Injury
- OutK. Mitoma · Hamstring Injury
- OutS. Tzimas · Knee Injury
- OutM. Wieffer · Knee Injury
- OutZ. Yohanna · Injury
- DoubtfulP. Struijk · Rest
Injury and suspension list from our data provider, updated every 6 hours. It can change before kick-off.
Chance to score
Liverpool
- A. Isak5 goals in 9 games24%
- A. Mac Allister4 goals in 11 games17%
- B. Barcola3 goals in 9 games14%
Brighton
- C. Kostoulas5 goals in 10 games17%
- P. Groß4 goals in 12 games13%
- M. De Cuyper4 goals in 11 games13%
Model estimate: each player’s season goals per minute compared with his team’s, applied to the model’s expected goals for this match and his usual minutes. Players listed as out are left out.
Trends
- Brighton have kept a clean sheet in each of their last 6 matches.
- 9 of the last 10 meetings between the two sides had over 2.5 goals.
- Brighton are unbeaten in their last 7 matches.
- Liverpool have won their last 3 matches.
- At least one side failed to score in 6 of Brighton’s last 8 matches.
Season stats
| · | Liverpool | Brighton | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · | All | Home | All | Away |
| Won-drawn-lost | 3-3-1 | 0-2-1 | 5-1-1 | 2-0-1 |
| Goals scored per game | 1.29 | 0.67 | 3.29 | 3.33 |
| Goals conceded per game | 1.14 | 1.67 | 0.71 | 1.33 |
| xG per game | 1.56 | 1.32 | 2.13 | 1.88 |
| xG against per game | 1.18 | 1.43 | 1.45 | 1.66 |
| Scored in | 71% | 33% | 100% | 100% |
| Clean sheets | 43% | 33% | 71% | 67% |
| Failed to score | 29% | 67% | 0% | 0% |
| Both teams scored | 43% | 33% | 29% | 33% |
| Over 1.5 goals | 71% | 67% | 100% | 100% |
| Over 2.5 goals | 57% | 67% | 71% | 67% |
| Over 3.5 goals | 29% | 33% | 57% | 67% |
| Shots per game | 15.7 | 13.3 | 17.9 | 16.7 |
| Shots on target per game | 5.0 | 4.3 | 6.0 | 5.7 |
| Shots on target | 32% | 32% | 34% | 34% |
| Possession | 56% | 53% | 60% | 60% |
| Passes per game | 482.6 | 475.3 | 509.9 | 513.3 |
| Pass accuracy | 84% | 84% | 85% | 82% |
| Corners per game | 4.9 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 5.0 |
| Corners against per game | 4.4 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 5.3 |
| Cards per game | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Fouls per game | 13.9 | 14.3 | 12.9 | 13.0 |
League matches this season (Premier League). Per-game averages; % = share of matches.
When goals come
Liverpool
- 0-152 / 1
- 16-300 / 1
- 31-451 / 1
- 46-603 / 1
- 61-752 / 3
- 76-90+2 / 1
Usual formation: 4-2-3-1
Brighton
- 0-152 / 5
- 16-302 / 0
- 31-455 / 1
- 46-604 / 0
- 61-752 / 2
- 76-90+5 / 0
Usual formation: 4-2-3-1
Goals scored (green) and conceded (orange) by 15-minute period, league matches this season.
Premier League table
| # | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Manchester City | 8 | +11 | 21 |
| 2 |  Arsenal | 8 | +8 | 21 |
| 3 |  Brighton | 7 | +18 | 16 |
| 4 |  Chelsea | 8 | +2 | 13 |
| 5 |  Liverpool | 7 | +1 | 12 |
| 6 |  Aston Villa | 8 | -3 | 11 |
| 7 |  Brentford | 7 | +5 | 10 |
| 8 |  Leeds | 7 | +3 | 10 |
| 9 |  Everton | 8 | -1 | 10 |
| 10 |  Ipswich | 8 | -4 | 10 |
| 11 |  Hull City | 7 | +1 | 9 |
| 12 |  Tottenham | 8 | -2 | 9 |
| 13 |  Fulham | 8 | -2 | 8 |
| 14 |  Newcastle | 7 | -4 | 8 |
| 15 |  Manchester United | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 |  Crystal Palace | 7 | -8 | 7 |
| 17 |  Bournemouth | 7 | -4 | 6 |
| 18 |  Nottingham Forest | 8 | -4 | 6 |
| 19 |  Coventry | 8 | -9 | 6 |
| 20 |  Sunderland | 7 | -8 | 4 |
Next matches
Liverpool
- Sun 1 NovLiverpool – ArsenalPremier League
- Wed 4 NovFenerbahçe – LiverpoolUEFA Champions League
- Sun 8 NovCrystal Palace – LiverpoolPremier League
Brighton
- Sat 31 OctManchester City – BrightonPremier League
- Thu 5 NovGetafe – BrightonUEFA Europa Conference League
- Sun 8 NovBrighton – BrentfordPremier League
Head-to-head: last 10 meetings
Liverpool 5 wins · 1 draws · Brighton 4 wins
- 21/03/2026Brighton2-1LiverpoolPremier League
- 14/02/2026Liverpool3-0BrightonFA Cup
- 13/12/2025Liverpool2-0BrightonPremier League
- 19/05/2025Brighton3-2LiverpoolPremier League
- 02/11/2024Liverpool2-1BrightonPremier League
- 30/10/2024Brighton2-3LiverpoolLeague Cup
- 31/03/2024Liverpool2-1BrightonPremier League
- 08/10/2023Brighton2-2LiverpoolPremier League
- 29/01/2023Brighton2-1LiverpoolFA Cup
- 14/01/2023Brighton3-0LiverpoolPremier League
Brighton’s momentum is about to meet its sternest test, as the Seagulls head to Anfield on Sunday looking to prove their rise is no fluke.
A top-three side on the road
Brighton sit third in the Premier League with 16 points from seven games and a goal difference of +18. Liverpool are fifth on 12 points, with a goal difference of just +1. For the hosts, a win would keep them in touch with the leading group, while for the visitors it would confirm that their early-season form is built on more than a good start.
Brighton’s surge and Liverpool’s struggles
Brighton have won four of their last five league matches, scoring 16 goals in that spell and conceding only once. Their away record has been impressive, with two wins from three trips, and they have kept five clean sheets in seven games overall.
Liverpool have been far less convincing. They have scored just five goals in their last five matches and conceded four. At Anfield this season, they have picked up two draws and one defeat from three home games, and they have found the net only twice there.
Head-to-head
The rivalry has been tight. Liverpool have won three of the last five meetings, including a 3-0 victory in the FA Cup in February and a 2-0 win in December. Brighton, however, have shown they can beat Liverpool, most recently in March when they won 2-1 and in May 2025 when they won 3-2.
Team news
Liverpool are badly weakened. Caoimhin Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni, Antonio Nallo and Dominik Szoboszlai are all missing, and Vitezslav Munoz is a doubt with a knee problem.
Brighton are also stretched. Fraser Azeez, Evan Ferguson, Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, Stefanos Tzimas, Mats Wieffer and Zeno Yohanna are unavailable, while Pascal Struijk is a question mark due to rest.
Our prediction
PreviaXI’s model gives Liverpool a slight edge, and the picture on paper is one of a tight, open contest. Liverpool’s home advantage and their habit of creating chances in the second half should give them the edge, but Brighton’s clean sheets and their ability to score on the road mean they will not be easy to hold off. Expect Liverpool to win a narrow, low-scoring game.
Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
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