The Reds host Fabian Hurzeler’s side on Saturday afternoon, which could even be Salah’s last game for the club if his words are anything to go by.
This is another big game for Arne Slot, who continues to battle to save his job, and three points would be a big step in the right direction.
Brighton fan and football finance expert Kieran Maguire (@KieranMaguire) is a regular contributor to This Is Anfield, and he and Henry Jackson have previewed Saturday’s match.
How happy are you with Brighton’s season heading into Christmas?
It’s a strange season. The Premier League table is very full, so Brighton are one win from fourth place and one defeat from thirteenth.
I haven’t seen any standouts this season and with the exception of Leeds, who didn’t appear at the Amex, I haven’t seen any particularly bad teams either.
Some results were exceptional, such as beating Man City and Chelsea, but others were a bit beige.
The vast majority of matches were won or lost by a one-goal margin, further indicating a very tight division.
I think anyone having a good or bad Christmas and New Year period can come up or down.
Which three players stood out the most? Has anyone had any trouble?
Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was exceptional. He has ironed out distribution issues with his feet and made some spectacular saves. He also seems more confident with crosses.
I suspect a good World Cup next summer as the Netherlands number 1 will see him leave as there are relatively few exceptional goalkeepers in the Premier League and Europe at the moment.
Yankubah Minteh has been the best fielder, although he has been a bit quiet in the last few games.
He is an old-fashioned winger, very fast, but needs some composure in the opposition field, where he does not always make the right decisions.
Danny Welbeck is the top scorer despite Brighton spending £50m on two Greek teenage strikers this summer.
He is universally popular with teammates, fans and former clubs alike.
Carlos Baleba had an incredible 2024/25 season, after which rumors emerged that another club playing in red in the North West was interested in signing him for a bargain price.
Brighton said they were not interested because it was an insulting offer.
Since then, despite starting games regularly, Baleba has been a shadow of last season’s player. He could not last 90 minutes in one match and was occasionally addicted to halftime.
There are flashes of his speed, strength and all-round ability, but too few and far between.
Is Hurzeler still the right man for the job?
Yes, although a significant portion of the Brighton fanbase would be happy to see Hurzeler leave.
The playing style is reasonable without being spectacular.
Last season’s eighth-place finish was the second highest in the club’s history, despite losing Pascal Gross and Billy Gilmour and having more days lost to injury than any club in the Premier League.
Brighton now have around the fourteenth largest budget in the Premier League, but one season in Europe has led to this being seen as the norm for some fans, and anything less is considered a failure.
It is not stated who they expect to secure a top six position under such circumstances, but we live in a world where change is considered more important than improvement.
Feelings count more than facts, and the evidence suggests this is not the case.
How do you see the season going now?
It’s still very open, Arsenal deserved favorites, but aren’t head and shoulders above the rest.
A good run together could see one of the three or four clubs make a decent push for the title, and I include Liverpool in that mix.
At the bottom, Wolves look past the hope, but a bun fight ensues for the remaining two places.
It could easily end up on both sides of the table or be resolved by mid-April – that’s how unpredictable it is.
What do you think of Liverpool’s collapse? Would you stay with Arne Slot?
Liverpool have only won the Premier League title with two managers, and Arne Slot is one of them.
Last season you were worthy winners, but this time you’ve lost the swagger and confidence from last season that when they fell behind, you were still the favorite to win.
The defense in particular looks shaky, and the signings have not yielded results in terms of the amounts spent on them.
FSG are not known for making rash decisions, so I expect Slot to be around for a while unless the losing streak continues into the new year.
What is your opinion on the situation of Salah and Slot?
I agree with the club.
If you have a complaint at work, resolve it at work. There is no need to create drama as is the case with Mohamed Salah’s behavior.
He could have put in a quiet word, told the manager/club that being a bench player isn’t what he wants at this stage of his career, and arranged an exit at full market value in January.
By doing this he would maintain his status as a legend, and the club and the fans would benefit as well.
Where do you think the Reds will finish as things stand?
At this point I think they have a decent chance of finishing third.
Arsenal and Man City seem to be the top two. Chelsea are very inconsistent for a club with a squad that costs over £1.5 billion.
Aston Villa and Crystal Palace deserve praise for competing both in Europe and domestically, but the constant midweek football eventually takes its toll.
Where do the main fights take place in Liverpool vs. Brighton?
On the outside, Brighton has a central midfielder in Mats Wieffer, who performed excellently under Slot, transformed into an uncomfortable-looking right back and does not have breakneck pace.
On the other hand, two relatively new left backs who both prefer to play as wingers, leaving Brighton vulnerable on the counter-attack.
Take advantage of that and it could be a relaxing afternoon for the Reds.
Finally, what is your prediction?
I think it will happen again for Liverpool, so 3-0 for the Reds.
#LFC #enjoy #relaxing #win #exploiting #shadow #Brighton