Match Preview: FA Cup Returns to Anfield as Liverpool Face Brighton
A win would see Liverpool into the last 16 of the competition...
The FA Cup has often drifted into the background at this stage of the season. In recent years, Liverpool have been chasing league titles or navigating deep European runs, and domestic cup ties have sometimes felt secondary, but this season is different.
Liverpool sit sixth in the Premier League. The Carabao Cup is already gone. The FA Cup now represents something far more significant than a pleasant distraction. It is a genuine opportunity to salvage the campaign and deliver silverware.
Brighton stand in the way in the fourth round. On paper, they are vulnerable, but nothing is straightforward with this Liverpool side.
FA Cup Now Matters More Than Ever
For Liverpool supporters, trophies define seasons. Champions League qualification is financially transformative for clubs, but fans live for days at Wembley, for moments that are replayed for decades. That is exactly what the FA Cup offers.
Expectations remain high after winning the Premier League title last season. Yet this year has been uneven, marked by inconsistency and frustration. That is precisely why the FA Cup carries weight.
Brighton’s Turbulence Under Fabian Hurzeler
Brighton & Hove Albion arrive at Anfield in poor Premier League form. One win in thirteen matches has dragged them down to 14th. Pressure is growing around head coach Fabian Hurzeler, a young manager navigating his first major downturn in English football.
Yet Brighton remain dangerous.
They won at Old Trafford in the previous round. They have a track record in the FA Cup, regularly progressing beyond this stage in recent seasons and their away form in the competition has been strong.
Technically, they are gifted. Kaoru Mitoma can devastate full backs on his day. Lewis Dunk offers leadership at the back. Danny Welbeck still finds space in the box. Carlos Baleba, though raw and occasionally erratic, carries enormous potential. This is a developing team, young in profile and occasionally naive, but capable of punishing complacency.
But Anfield at night in the FA Cup is a different test entirely and Liverpool must make that atmosphere count.
Squad Issues and Selection Dilemmas
Liverpool’s preparations are far from ideal. Wataru Endo’s serious ankle injury removes a reliable battler from the midfield rotation. He joins Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni and Alexander Isak on the sidelines.
There are positives. Joe Gomez returned in the victory over Sunderland, crucial for defensive flexibility. Dominik Szoboszlai is available again after suspension, restoring energy and forward thrust from midfield.
Liverpool predicted XI: Mamardashvili, Szoboszlai, Gomez, Van Dijk (C), Kerkez, Gravenberch, Jones, Wirtz, Chiesa, Ekitike, Gakpo.
Why Liverpool Must Seize This Moment
Brighton’s defensive fragility, combined with their heavy schedule, provides Liverpool with an opening. Yet this will require intensity from the first whistle. Brighton possess speed in wide areas and will counter if space is granted. Liverpool’s defensive structure must be disciplined. Full backs cannot be exposed recklessly and the midfield control is essential.
A side that has drifted through patches of the campaign now has clarity. Beat Brighton. Reach the fifth round and keep this FA Cup journey alive.
I expect a tight contest. Brighton will threaten. Liverpool will have to ride moments of pressure. But with Van Dijk marshalling the back line, Szoboszlai returning and the forward line finding space between Brighton’s stretched defensive lines, the edge should belong to the home side.
Score predicition: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton