Who: Liverpool vs Brighton
Content: English Premier League
Location: Anfield, Liverpool, England
Date and time: Saturday, December 9th, 3:00 pm (15:00)
How to follow: All content will be broadcast on Al Jazeera Sports from 12:00 GMT, ahead of the text commentary stream.
All eyes will be on Liverpool’s team sheet, which will be released around the same time as the team bus arrives at Anfield for Saturday’s game against Brighton.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Speculation is rife that the Premier League game could be Mohamed Salah’s last as the defending champion following his public row with the club.
The Reds and beleaguered manager Arn Slott will be hoping to focus on football to turn around the Merseyside club’s drop to 10th in the table.
Al Jazeera Sports takes a closer look at the matches in England’s top flight and beyond that will be the focus of Saturday’s agenda.
What’s the latest on Salah’s future at Liverpool?
Salah has not started a game for Liverpool since the 4-1 defeat against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League on November 26.
The Egyptian forward was on the bench for the next three Premier League games, but following heavy criticism of the club’s treatment of him, he was left out of the squad that traveled to Italy to face Inter Milan on Tuesday, a match the Reds won 1-0.
Speculation over a move to the Saudi Pro League has increased after the 33-year-old Salah went on a rant after last Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United, claiming he had been “thrown under the bus” due to his recent on-field struggles.
Liverpool manager Arne Slott said on Friday morning that he would speak with Salah to decide whether he would return to the squad for the game against Brighton.
Before kick-off against Brighton on Saturday, the eyes and ears of the world, especially Saudi Arabia, will be at the Anfield club for news about the team and the squad.
How are Liverpool doing in the Premier League this season?
The Reds have lost six games in the Premier League this season, part of a losing streak that has seen them lose nine of 12 games in all competitions.
However, the struggling title holders have taken five points from their last three league games, starting with a 2-0 win over West Ham, the first game since Salah was forced out of the starting XI.
However, the Reds have been held to a 1-1 draw at home to newly promoted Sunderland in their last two matches, up until the draw against Leeds which led to Salah’s outburst.
How are Brighton doing in the Premier League this season?
Brighton have had a good season and are two places above Liverpool on goal difference.
Whichever team wins could move up to fourth place.
The Seagulls started the season in a bit of a precarious situation, winning just one of their first five games, but have since gone on to lose just two of their 11 games in England’s top flight, winning six times in that time.
Expectations were high on the south coast ahead of their two home games due to their good form, but they lost 4-3 to Aston Villa and drew 1-1 with West Ham in their final game.
I will go again. pic.twitter.com/2tFFXx1Bh9
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 12, 2025
What happened the last time Liverpool played Brighton?
Brighton won 3-2 in the Premier League match on 19 May, making it the last meeting between the two sides.
Liverpool took the lead twice in the first half of the match at the Amex Stadium with goals from Harvey Elliott and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Yasin Ayari’s goal in the 31st minute kept the Seagulls in the game until halftime, but goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Jack Hinshelwood with five minutes left turned the game around in the second period.
What happened in the corresponding match between Liverpool and Brighton last season?
Liverpool had won 2-1 in their previous match at Anfield last season, but Ferdi Kadioglu put the visitors ahead in the 14th minute, forcing a comeback.
The Seagulls held the lead until the 70th minute, but Kodi Gakpo and Mohamed Salah scored twice in three minutes to set up the victory.
direct confrontation
This is the 44th time the two teams have faced each other, with Liverpool winning 23 times and Brighton winning eight.
The match dates back to 1907, when Brighton secured a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup at Anfield. But Liverpool made no mistake in their reply, winning 3-0 on the south coast.
Brighton will have to wait another six games for their first win in English football’s old second division (now known as the Championship) against Liverpool, who won 3-1.
liverpool team news
There was a question mark over Alexander Isak’s status on Saturday, with Slott saying the player picked up a bruise in the first half against Inter Milan and would be evaluated on Friday before deciding whether he could start.
Slott said he was happy with Isaac and Hugo Ekitike’s collaboration, and that their partnership would continue to improve.
“The more we play together, the more we adapt to each other and work together better,” Slott said. “I saw promise in both of them. This is only the second time they’ve played together. I’m sure we’ll see them play together more in the future.”
In the slot, Federico Chiesa will be available on Saturday after recovering from illness, while Wataru Endo and Cody Gakpo are expected to be out for “several weeks”.
Brighton team news
Stefanos Tsimas, Solly March and Adam Webster are all out with knee injuries, while James Milner will also be out for a number of months with a muscle problem.
Kaoru Mitoma has been out since September with an ankle problem and will undergo fitness tests in hopes of making a return.
Yassin Ayari and Tom Watson are both likely to return from injury, but are still being monitored at this stage.
Liverpool’s expected starting lineup:
Alison. Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkes. Jones, Graven Birch, Mac Allister. Szoboszlei, Isaac, Wirtz
Brighton’s expected starting lineup:
Verbruggen. Wiefer, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu. Baleba, Ayari. Minte, Rutter, and De Kuyper. Houellebecq
