FA Cup: Liverpool eyeing revenge over Brighton in 4th round clash on January 29, 2023

Topics: TV Schedules, Brighton and Hove Albion, Liverpool, English Premier League

The Seagulls host the Merseyside giants just two weeks after their unforgettable Premier League showdown at the Amex. Here's a preview of their highly-anticipated clash.

Another exciting FA Cup clash is on the horizon this weekend as Brighton and Liverpool prepare to face off in the fourth round. The Amex will be the venue for this Sunday showdown as Klopp looks to get revenge over Roberto De Zerbi in what should be a brilliant and exciting fixture.

This game comes just two weeks after their Premier League encounter at the Amex. De Zerbi, who made his Seagulls debut in their unforgettable 3-3 draw at Anfield, got his rematch with Klopp and pulled off one of the club's most remarkable results.

Not only did the Italian tactician oversee a brilliant performance, but the former Shakhtar boss also masterminded a remarkable victory as the Brighton and Hove outfit beat the Merseyside giants 3-0.

And what made things even better is that the Seagulls could have won by a larger margin. Solly March grabbed a brace on that day while Danny Welbeck also got on the scoresheet, netting a lovely goal in the 81st minute to stick a dagger in Liverpool's heat.

That was the sixth game in a row in which Mitoma and Co. scored two or more goals inside 90 minutes, with the club continuing their excellent form under their new head coach. As a result, Brighton currently sit sixth in the Premier League table and could even leapfrog fifth-placed Tottenham, who are only five points ahead, if they win their two games in hand.

The focus will be on the FA Cup this weekend and while De Zerbi's side would have preferred to avoid all distractions, the recent Moises Caicedo fiasco has thrown a spanner in the works. The Ecuadorian ace has publicly revealed his desire to leave the Amex following an official bid from Arsenal and has been told to stay away from the first team until the January transfer window ends.

This will come as a huge boost to Liverpool as Caicedo is a colossal midfielder while Klopp's men have struggled to dominate the center of the pitch all season. Injuries have been their biggest issue, but it's not their only concern heading into this tie.

While the Merseyside giants are without a number of key men, the performances on the pitch have been below par for the players that have been fielded. Mohamed Salah has remained fit all campaign and has struggled in front of goal while January signing Cody Gakpo and summer acquisition Darwin Nunez haven't lit the stage yet.

As a result, Liverpool's recent form makes for a dreadful read. Klopp's men boast only one win from their last five matches across all competitions, with that sole victory being a 1-0 triumph over Wolves in their FA Cup replay earlier this month.

In the league, the Reds are winless in their last three games, with the most recent being the drab 0-0 draw at home to Chelsea. However, Salah and Co. can make amends for their dreadful season starting on Sunday with a win over Brighton.

That defeat to the Seagulls came in Klopp's 999th game as a manager, with the German boss later apologizing to Liverpool's traveling fans straight after the horrible defeat. However, revenge is now attainable. Do not miss this showdown!

Team news

Brighton: As mentioned earlier, Caicedo will play no part in this game after reportedly getting distracted by Arsenal's recent interest in him. Additionally, Adam Lallana is also out, joining Levi Colwil on the sidelines, with Billy Gilmour likely to deputize in midfield.

Liverpool: Virgil van Dijk, Arthur, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, and Roberto Firmino are all unavailable for the visitors. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Darwin Nunez, who were named on the bench in the Chelsea draw, should return to the lineup but Stefan Bajcetic, who was recently given a new contract, might make way for Fabinho.

Key stats

These two sides have met five times before in the FA Cup, with Liverpool winning three of those encounters.
Klopp's men are the current title holders and Brighton have never won a match in this competition when facing the defending champions, with the Seagulls losing both of their two previous run-ins (both against Arsenal).
Brighton look to achieve back-to-back victories over the Merseyside giants for the first time in their history.
Liverpool have lost four of their last six FA Cup 4th round matches.