The Premier League resumes this weekend after the September hiatus, with Liverpool entertaining Brighton at Anfield on Saturday.
Liverpool have endured a slow start to the new season, winning just two of their first six games. Jurgen Klopp will be hoping his side can build on their late victory over Ajax in the Champions League which came before the international break.
Brighton, Liverpool’s next opponents, are in fourth spot in the table and are now under the tutelage of Roberto de Zerbi after the Italian replaced Graham Potter. The visit to Anfield will be De Zerbi’s first match in charge of the Seagulls and he will be eager to start his new journey with a positive result.
That said, let us take a look at 3 key battles to watch out for in the game between Liverpool and Brighton.
#Danny Welbeck vs Virgil van Dijk
Danny Welbeck has enjoyed a decent start to the new season, even though he is yet to find the back of the net in six games. Due to his mixture of pace and physicality, the 31-year-old was a key player for Graham Potter registering 3 assists already this season, and it remains to be seen how De Zerbi uses him in attack.
Standing in Welbeck’s way will be Liverpool’s defensive lynchpin, Virgil van Dijk. Van Dijk has been immense for the Reds over the last few years, but the Dutch defender has been quite inconsistent and has committed some mistakes that led to goals this season.
Thus, the duel between Welbeck and Van Dijk will be one to keep an eye on.
#Thiago Alcantara vs Moises Caicedo
Thiago Alcantara and Moises Caicedo are expected to be involved in many key midfield battles on Saturday when Liverpool takes on Brighton at Anfield.
Thiago sets the tempo of play for Liverpool, and will be at the heart of most of their attacks. The Spaniard’s energy and exceptional passing ability are of great importance to the Reds, thereby, making him one of the first names on the team sheet.
On the other hand, Moises Caicedo has been the anchor for Brighton. Dubbed as the next N’Golo Kante, Caicedo is fast, strong and energetic with excellent tackling and ball-winning skills. The Ecuadorian could be tasked with keeping a close watch on Thiago at the weekend.
Undoubtedly, Thiago and Caicedo are going to be the two players to watch out for battling in the middle of the park.
#Leandro Trossard vs Trent Alexander-Arnold
One of Brighton’s most influential players, Leandro Trossard has proven many times in the Premier League that he can be a match-winner on his day. Regardless of where he plays, the fleet-footed Belgian will be one of the most potent attacking threats for the Seagulls against Liverpool.
If Trossard starts on the left of a front three or as a wing-back, he will come up against Trent Alexander-Arnold. One of the best attacking right-backs in England, Alexander-Arnold has been a creative force for Klopp’s side over the last few seasons. However, he has suffered a blip in form and was recently left out of the England squad to face Germany in the Nations League.
In regards to the lapses of concentration and positional indiscipline that the Liverpool man on occasion can suffer from, Trossard will look to exploit the space behind Alexander-Arnold which the right-back generally vacates. Certainly, this promises to be an intriguing battle.
