Brighton and Liverpool were in Europa League action on Thursday night and they return to the Premier League in what should be an entertaining contest on the south coast.
The game starts at 2pm on Sunday and it looks to have thrown up a trio of good punting opportunities.
- Brighton to beat Liverpool
- Over 3.5 goals
- Alexis Mac Allister to be shown a card
Brighton To Bounce Back
Brighton were hammered 6-1 at Villa Park last weekend but that defeat shouldn’t take away from what has been a good start to the season for the Seagulls.
Roberto De Zerbi’s men showed their battling qualities when coming from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in Marseille in the Europa League on Thursday and the prices appear to underrate their chances against Liverpool on Sunday.
On paper, the Reds have begun the campaign in excellent form, but five wins from seven Premier League games paints a rather false picture.
They were fortunate to beat Newcastle, they were beaten at Tottenham and could have easily been turned over when drawing 1-1 at Chelsea.
Wins over West Ham and Wolves were anything but convincing defensively and Brighton have the system and quality to expose a suspect Liverpool midfield and defence.
Jurgen Klopp will be without Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo, Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago on Sunday, and while the Reds have an excellent starting 11, the squad isn’t so strong.
Brighton have scored 13 goals in their five home league matches this term and that attack is good enough to unsettle Liverpool’s rearguard.
Expect A Thrilling Contest
The ten games involving Brighton this season have produced 43 goals and De Zerbi’s forward-thinking approach is as reliable as it is brilliant.
The south-coast side are yet to keep a clean sheet this season and all but one of their ten matches have gone over the 3.5-goal mark.
There are few Premier League teams who play as open a game as the Seagulls, but Liverpool are one of them. The Reds have hit 22 goals in their last nine games and the strength of the Reds is in their forward line.
However, Klopp’s men have conceded in six of their last seven games and they have looked vulnerable at the back. Backing over 3.5 goals look a sensible selection.
Mac Allister Could Collect Another Caution
Alexis Mac Allister made the switch from Brighton to Liverpool in the summer and the Argentinian could be in trouble with the referee on his return to the Amex.
The 23-year-old has been shown three yellow cards and one red this season, and while Mac Allister was signed for his attacking talents, the midfield man is being asked to do more defensive work with the Reds short of options in the middle of the park.
Brighton are the Premier League possession kings, which should lead to Mac Allister making plenty of challenges, and the World Cup winner looks good value to find his way into the book.
