Image copyright: Getty Images
2022/23 English Premier League
Matchday 9
Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion
Anfield
Liverpool, England
Saturday, 1 October 2022
Kick-off is at 16h00
New Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi is set for a baptism of fire when he begins his tenure with a trip to Liverpool on Saturday, October 1.
De Zerbi was handed the reins prior to the international break after Graham Potter left the Seagulls earlier this month to take charge of
Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Potter had done an outstanding job during his three-year spell at the Amex and his successor has the daunting task of carrying on the good work.
The Italian inherited a team sitting fourth in the standings after winning four of their opening six games this season and putting Leicester to the sword last time out.
Image copyright: Getty Images
De Zerbi does not intend to shake things up on the south coast as he believes his philosophies are similar to those of Potter.
"He [Potter] did a great job. Everyone knows what made Potter successful here but I'm not Potter," he said in his first interview after his unveiling last week.
"I think we have a lot of things in common and I'm not talking about the way of playing, I'm talking about the principles and the mentality of football.
"If we can keep this mentality and those principles I will also try to bring my ideas clearly without making any big changes."
The Reds haven't quite clicked yet this term despite running riot in a 9-0 victory over Bournemouth at the end of last month.
That was their first win of the campaign and Jurgen Klopp's side followed it up with a 2-1 success against Newcastle before being held to a goalless draw by city rivals Everton at the start of September.
The Merseysiders trail league leaders Arsenal by nine points in eighth place and they will be looking to build up a head of stream in the final two months before the 2022 World Cup gets underway.
Liverpool's most recent outings were in the UEFA Champions League as they beat Ajax 2-1 on matchday 2 after opening their European campaign with a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Napoli.
Top the leaderboard and stand to win big
Beat the Odds this season and you could win a share of R5 million in amazing prizes.
Klopp admitted their performance against the Dutch champions was a marked improvement on the game in Naples and hopes his players can carry that same intensity and aggression over into the league.
"I think if you put the two games, Napoli and tonight, next to each other you don't recognise probably that it's the same sport. So, wholly different - the start was different, the middle was different, finish was different.
"The football we played, the way we defended, everything was different. Much higher intensity, much more aggression, braver, more ready. How I said, everything was better. It was a first step, nothing else, not more, but everything was good."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Liverpool - 2
Brighton - 1
Draws - 2
Bet on the English Premier League with Betway
Kick off your sports betting journey with our exciting Sports Welcome Offer where you’ll get up to R1,000 as a Free Bet when you make your first deposit.
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions follow Betway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Start playing on the go and download the Betway App.