Can Slot take the next step out of the crisis?
In a year and a half, Arne Slot has built up a remarkable standing at Liverpool FC. The reputation he earned, particularly through his commanding Premier League title win last season, is currently one of the main reasons why the club and even the hard core of Reds fans are standing behind their Dutch championship-winning coach. As an example of this, the traveling fans celebrated Slot for minutes with chants on Tuesday evening after the important 1-0 win against Inter Milan at San Siro.
At the moment, it seems as if the 47-year-old could even win the internal power struggle against star player and club icon Mohamed Salah. However, it will be important for Slot to continue to gather sporting arguments and for his team to free itself from the ongoing crisis in the near future. On Saturday afternoon, the tip for LFC between Liverpool and Brighton is undoubtedly exposed to some risks again.
Despite the exclamation mark in the UEFA Champions League against last year’s finalists, it should not be overlooked that the reigning English champions have only won two of their last ten league matches. Most recently, the Reds had to settle for draws against the two promoted teams from Leeds (3-3) and Sunderland (1-1). The 23 points collected from 15 games are currently only enough for tenth place in the standings. No PL title holder has had a weaker start to a new season since Leicester City in 2016/17…
It is also interesting to note that LFC is clearly struggling to get off to a good start in games. The team has failed to score in the first 45 minutes of five consecutive Premier League matches. In total, just six of their 24 goals have been scored in the first half. In 15 matches involving the Reds, only 14 goals have been scored before the break.
The visitors from the south of England have also scored only seven goals in the first half, which is why, from a statistical point of view, my Liverpool vs. Brighton prediction clearly points to a relatively uneventful and low-scoring first half. In isolation, Winamax is offering odds of 1.62 for under 1.5 (1st half).
To get even higher odds between Liverpool and Brighton, it is conceivable to combine this under approach for the first half with the double chance 1X. Although the Seagulls are ahead of the Reds in the table due to their better goal difference, I consider them to be the underdogs traveling to Anfield Road.
This is not least because BHA have not won any of their last eight PL matches in December (0-5-3) and have only left the pitch as winners twice in their seven away games so far this season. Only one point from their last two PL encounters serves as an additional argument.
Liverpool – Brighton Head-to-head record
The head-to-head record underlines the Reds’ status as favorites, having lost only one of their last eight PL home games against their upcoming opponents from the southern English seaside resort. However, it was this one home defeat in the last decade that Liverpool suffered in 2021 as reigning champions. Regardless, the game is sure to be exciting. In the last 16 encounters across all competitions, the respective winner’s lead was only more than one goal in three cases. Close and hard-fought duels were therefore the order of the day. The same was true last year, when Brighton won 3-2 at home but lost 2-1 at Anfield.
Liverpool – Brighton Tip
With the aforementioned 1-0 win at Inter Milan, LFC was able to take another small step out of its crisis. However, it would now be all the more important to follow up with a second win. The Reds are lagging significantly behind expectations, especially at the league level, and are in danger of finally losing touch with the top group. After two PL draws, I am optimistic that they will get three points again in front of their home crowd against BHA. The maximum odds of 1.70 for a home win are just about playable, but not my preferred approach for the upcoming match on Saturday afternoon.
Instead, I find it more plausible to play a combined bet on 1X & Under 1.5 (1st half) between Liverpool and Brighton at higher odds. On the one hand, I am elegantly avoiding the three-way risk. On the other hand, the two most harmless teams are facing each other when it comes to scoring goals before the break. LFC has recently failed to score in the first 45 minutes five times in a row. In the separate rankings for the first halves, both teams are in the lower half. I’m betting four units on 2.00!
