Key occasions
The groups!
Brighton: Verbruggen, Wieffer, Van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan, Baleba, Ayari, Minteh, Gruda, Adingra, Welbeck.
Subs: Rushworth, Igor, Dunk, Mitoma, Gomez, O’Riley, Veltman, Hinshelwood, Howell.
Liverpool: Alisson, Bradley, Quansah, Konate, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Salah, Elliott, Gakpo, Chiesa.
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Endo, Van Dijk, Diaz, Nunez, Jones, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold.
Fresh from scoring towards Wolves, Brajan Gruda begins within the No 10 position for Brighton. Wieffer is retained as a makeshift proper again, most well-liked to Hinshelwood or Veltman, whilst Simon Adingra is available in at the left wing forward of Tariq Lamptey.
Kostas Tsimikas, Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa all come into Slot’s XI, with Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Curtis Jones and Luis Diaz all losing to the bench following the closing trip towards Arsenal. This remains to be a powerful Liverpool workforce, simply now not slightly as sturdy because it might be.
Preamble
Liverpool could have taken the word ‘on the beach’ a bit of too actually within the closing week – with supervisor Arne Slot pictured at Wayne Lineker’s seaside membership in Ibiza along former EastEnders actor Dean Gaffney Dean Gaffney (no, in reality) and the remainder of the squad in different cultural locations like Dubai for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s leaving do – however let’s see what kind of form they’re in this night.
Brighton (a) is a tricky gig, even if the champions are firing on all cylinders and in truth have one thing to play for, so this shall be a tricky check for Slot’s courageous boys. The Seagulls are nonetheless in with a shot of Europe: completing 8th remains to be a viable (even supposing now not sure) path to the Conference League. There are two ways in which the eighth-placed workforce can get a spot within the Conference League:
1)
Chelsea end 7th and win the Conference League. Champions League: 1st to fifth, Man Utd or Spurs as Europa League winners. Europa League: sixth, Crystal Palace as FA Cup winners, Chelsea as Conference League winners (seventh). Conference League: eighth
2)
Chelsea end 6th and win the Conference League, whilst Newcastle end 7th. Champions League: 1st to fifth, Man Utd or Spurs as Europa League winners. Europa League: Newcastle (seventh), Crystal Palace as FA Cup winners, Chelsea as Conference League winners (sixth). Conference League: eighth
In both of those eventualities, the Premier League would have 10 groups – part of the Premier League – taking part in in Europe subsequent season. Here is the present league desk prior to kick-off. Brighton are 9th however simplest desire a draw this night to enter the overall day in pole place to say 8th.
So, slightly the cherry for Brighton to play for, in particular as they’ve by no means gained a significant honour and would most probably be the runaway favourites to win subsequent season’s Conference League in the event that they qualify. There’s a larger query over whether or not the budgets of English groups in European’s minor competitions (West Ham 2023, Spurs/Manchester United 2025, and so forth) renders the remainder of stated competitions slightly predictable however that is only a humble preamble and we gained’t be answering the ones questions right here!
Instead, let’s look ahead to a sun-drenched night time of soccer in Sussex, as the most productive workforce in England consult with one of the vital country’s most enjoyable facets.
Kick-off: 8pm BST.