Liverpool plays its first Premier League match in 25 days when high-flying Brighton and Hove Albion debut a new manager as visitors at Anfield on Saturday (watch live, 10am ET online via Peacock Premium).
Roberto De Zerbi takes the wheel for the Seagulls following Graham Potter’s move to Chelsea, and Brighton will be staging its first match since a 5-2 demolition of Leicester City on Sept. 4.
That was one day after Liverpool drew Everton 0-0 at Goodison Park in a Merseyside derby that came on the heels of back-to-back wins for Jurgen Klopp’s team.
Liverpool’s currently four points back of fourth-place Brighton; Both clubs have played six matches, one fewer than 14 other Premier League sides.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Liverpool vs Brighton.
How to watch Liverpool vs Brighton live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 10am ET, Saturday TV Channel/Online:Stream via Peacock Premium
Key storylines & star players
Is Liverpool ready to turn chances into goals at a more familiar rate? The Reds’ expected goal total for this season is close to leaders Manchester City and Arsenal but its actual goal production is fifth and somewhat-inflated by their nine-goal beatdown of Bournemouth previously this season.
Brighton, meanwhile, has to show that it’s getting a handle on life after Graham Potter, as De Zerbi’s credentials say things might not look too different. The former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk boss craves possession in his teams and delivers chances as a boss in the manner you’d expect from a former attacking midfielder.
Liverpool team news, injuries, lineup options
QUESTIONABLE: Caoimhin Kelleher (groin), Ibrahima Konate (knee), Andrew Robertson (knee). OUT: Calvin Ramsay (lower back), Curtis Jones (tibia), Ibrahima Konate (knee), Naby Keita (thigh), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (thigh).
Brighton team news, injuries, lineup options
QUESTIONABLE: Enock Mwepu (illness). OUT: Jakub Moder (knee), Adam Lallana (lower leg)
A list of the top 10 highest-paid soccer players in the world has been revealed, as a study looked into salaries and endorsement deals for the top players on the planet.
The sums are eye-watering and are based on earnings for the 2022-23 season.
There are a few surprising names high up on this list but the usual suspects are still up there as their superstar status remains intact. Both on the pitch and when it comes to deals off it.
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar are all the wrong side of 30 but continue to dominate this list, while there are a few emerging stars muscling their way into the top 10. The main takeaway is that there is a huge drop-off after the top four names on this list.
Sports business website Sportico have come up with the list and below is a full breakdown of who is earning what.
Joel Matip’s 89th-minute goal saved Jurgen Klopp blushes as Liverpool rebounded from a brutal start to the UEFA Champions League group stage to beat Ajax 2-1 at Anfield on Tuesday.
Mohamed Salah put the Reds ahead but Mohammed Kadus leveled the line and both sides missed several chances to claim an advantage until Matip’s header crossed the goal line and was recognized by the Goal Decision System.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were in danger of starting the UEFA Champions League group stage in very poor fashion after being smashed 4-1 at Napoli in their Group A opener last time out, while Ajax had smashed Glasgow Rangers.
Liverpool held a minute’s silence before and players wore black armbands as a mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth II. Their game at Chelsea on Sunday has been postponed due to events around The Queen’s Funeral taking place in London on Monday.
Virgil van Dijk reaction: Ex-players tried to get us down but we didn’t listen
“It was very important to show a positive reaction. It’s not easy to turn it around, but it is a step in the right direction,” Van Dijk said, later adding, “We are not listening to the outside world. A lot of ex-football players know what we go through. They say a lot to put us down, but we know the last game was unacceptable and this was a step in the right direction.”
Jurgen Klopp reaction: Good bounce back from Napoli loss
“Everybody could see that we understood that we had to put a completely different shift. We played a lot of good stuff against a really hard-fighting opponent.
“Incredible strike from Kudus. In the last moments we could’ve defended better. It’s like another test, if you want. Everybody’s hoping it just goes in the right direction and you get the setback and you could see the impact of that. The pressing before their goal was much better than after their goal and we only talk about a yard or two in these moments. If we press, we have to do it right. So halftime 1-1 and it was clear we had to go back to how we started because it was intense for Ajax, too.”
“Nothing is over, either negative nor positive. It is a first step, a very important step for us and now we have a strange break, pretty long.”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 13: (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
How to watch Liverpool vs Ajax live, updates and start time
Date: Tuesday, September 13
Kick off time: 3pm ET
Online: Live updates via NBCSports.com
How to watch: TUDN,Paramount+
Key storylines
Liverpool’s defensive issues were laid bare at Napoli last week, as they were 4-0 down and it could have been worse for Jurgen Klopp’s side. Their high defensive line just isn’t working as Virgil van Dijk isn’t playing anywhere near his best and a huge number of injuries, especially to midfielders, is making matters worse for the Reds. Liverpool have won just two of their seven games in all competitions to start the season and with Mohamed Salah also scoring just twice so far, plus Darwin Nunez taking time to settle, there is concern that Liverpool may get stuck in this rut. Klopp’s reaction to the heavy defeat at Napoli was telling, as he suggested Liverpool may need to ‘reinvent themselves’ to snap themselves out of this. He has also revealed that Liverpool’s staff and players have spent hours dissecting the loss to Napoli and have been honest with how they can rectify their recent mistakes.
Jurgen Klopp: "I'm 55 years old and she is the only Queen I ever knew. I didn't know her. But the things you can see, she was a really warm, beloved, nice lady. That is all I need to know. I will show my respect tomorrow night with a minute of silence, if the game is on." #LFC
Ajax will look to take full advantage of Liverpool’s current malaise as Dusan Tadic continues to captain the side and create problems galore with his clever flicks and passes. Add in their brilliant display of forward running and high-pressing against Rangers and this is exactly the type of team Liverpool don’t want to face right now. The reigning Dutch champions have made a habit of causing upsets in the Champions League and going on deep runs in the competition in recent seasons. Despite being drawn into a very tough group, it feels like another run is brewing.
Liverpool vs Ajax head to head record
Liverpool faced Ajax in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League group stage and won both games 1-0. The only other time they’ve played each other in European competition was in this competition in 1966, as Johann Cruyff inspired a 5-1 win in Amsterdam in the first leg, as a 2-2 draw at Anfield in the second leg led to a 7-3 aggregate win for Ajax over Liverpool. Ajax would go on to lose 3-2 to Dukla Prague in the quarterfinals of the 1966-67 European Cup, who then lost to eventual winners Celtic at the semifinal stage.
The lowdown on Ajax
Focusing on Ajax, well, they’ve sold so many star players (mostly to Manchester United) once again, and lost their manager Erik ten Hag to United, but they just keep on trucking. This summer new Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder saw his squad lose center back Lisandro Martinez and his best winger, Anthony, to United, plus Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui left for Bayern Munich, Andre Onana went to Inter Milan, Nicolas Tagliafico to Lyon and Sebastian Haller to Borussia Dortmund. And after generating close to $220 million in player sales, Ajax seem to have done some brilliant business in the transfer window.
Calvin Bassey has been a revelation in defense, while Steven Bergwijn adds class in attack, the dangerous Brian Brobbey has returned from Leipzig and Lucas Ocampos is a fine addition from Sevilla. This Ajax side has a great blend of youth and experience and they will press Liverpool high up the pitch and force plenty of mistakes. Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez will perhaps be the next star to leave Ajax and Liverpool would love to have the midfield solidity he brings. Ajax have a perfect record of six wins from six in the Eredivisie and sit top of the table.
Liverpool team news, injuries, lineup
Before their home game against Wolves was postponed, below is the list of injuries Liverpool had. It seems like Carvalho could return to fitness for this clash, while it is intriguing to see Klopp starts with Salah, Jota and Diaz in attack with Nunez on the bench. Andy Robertson is out with a knee injury for a few weeks, so Kostas Tsimikas starts at left back.
OUT: Ibrahima Konate (knee), Jordan Henderson (thigh), Naby Keita (undisclosed), Curtis Jones (calf), Calvin Ramsay (undisclosed), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (hamstring), Caoimhin Kelleher (groin)
Here's how we line up tonight to face Ajax 📋🔴#LIVAJA | #UCL
The 4-1 thrashing, handed down by Napoli, saw the Liverpool defense come under immense pressure do to the backline and the midfield’s inability to keep the ball. It was a far cry from Jurgen Klopp’s best Liverpool sides, partially with injuries to blame but also serious questions over the long-term suitability of one or two key players.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Liverpool vs Wolves.
Already six points back of leaders Arsenal (five behind Manchester City) after only six games, these are likely increasingly worrying times for Klopp, who built in his own image the team that won the Champions League and Premier League in back-to-back seasons but is finding it much more difficult to stay on top as the core of the team has changed and continues to change, whether by transfer or Father Time. When these notable, perhaps iconic sides inevitably reach the downside of their run on top, the fall is often much more sudden and surprising than anyone could have imagined.
As for Wolves, the 2022-23 season has taken a familiar path to start, as Bruno Lage’s side gives up very little at one end of the field (four goals conceded in three games) and creates even less at the other end (three goals scored). Last time out, they got their first win of the season, a 1-0 victory over Southampton despite taking only seven shots to an xG tally of 0.7. It was their lowest output of the season, in both categories. Striker Sasa Kalajdzic was signed from Stuttgart for $18 million just before the transfer deadline, but the 33-year-old Austrian tore his ACL in his Wolves debut, the win against Southampton.
Liverpool team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Ibrahima Konate (knee), Jordan Henderson (thigh), Naby Keita (undisclosed), Curtis Jones (calf), Calvin Ramsay (undisclosed), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (hamstring) | QUESTIONABLE: Fabio Carvalho (thigh), Caoimhin Kelleher (groin)
Wolves team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Sasa Kalajdzic (torn ACL), Chiquinho (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Raul Jimenez (groin), Boubacar Traore (international clearance)
Napoli vs Liverpool recap: The Reds conceded early and often, as they were beaten 4-1 in their UEFA Champions League group stage opener in Naples on Wednesday.
Constant mistakes in midfield and defense saw Napoli win back possession far too high up the field, and far too often, which left Liverpool’s creaky defense under frequent pressure. Only now, after years of getting by by the skin of their teeth, Liverpool’s defense can no longer cope (more on that in a moment).
Napoli got goals from Piotr Zielinski (5th minute – penalty kick), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (31st), Giovanni Simeone (44th) and Zielinski again (47th), before Luis Diaz grabbed Liverpool’s consolation goal in the 49th.
Up next for Liverpool in the Champions League will be Ajax’s visit to Anfield nest Tuesday, Sept. 13.
… and it’s Virgil van Dijk. Since signing Van Dijk in January of 2017, Liverpool have always been exactly as good as Van Dijk was in a given season. Signed for $100 million, he became the best defender in the Premier League, and then the world, rather quickly. In his first two and a half seasons, Liverpool won the PL, won the Champions League and also finished as runners-up in Europe. Then he tore his ACL, missed 33 games, and Liverpool had to claw and scrape to a 4th-place finish. Van Dijk quickly returned to close to the full version of his former self, and Liverpool lost the title by one measly point. And now, 2022-23 is turning into a nightmare for the Dutchman, now 31 and showing the signs of rapid decline you’d expect from someone his age.
Something has to give. Either Van Dijk has to come out of the team against the PL and UCL’s elites, or Liverpool have to strike a vastly different balance between attacking/pressing freedom and defensive solidity. He is no longer the human eraser who can bail Liverpool out of two or three or four massive threats each game. The incredible blocks and sliding tackles have turned to more whiffs and penalty kicks than Liverpool’s margin of error can withstand.
2 – After a run of 150 matches without giving away a penalty in all competitions for Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk has given away two penalties in his last seven appearances for the Reds. Rash.
How to watch Napoli vs Liverpool live and start time
Date: Wednesday, September 7
Kick off time: 3pm ET
Online: Live updates via NBCSports.com
How to watch: TUDN,Paramount+
Key storylines
Liverpool are banged up from their bruising Merseyside derby draw at Everton on Saturday and this is their worst start to a Premier League season under Jurgen Klopp. The Reds have taken just nine points from a possible 18 so far and have lacked energy and just don’t look like themselves. The Champions League seems to always get the best out of them, though, as Liverpool have reached the final in three of the last six seasons, winning the competition once. But they have lost twice and drawn once in their four meetings with Napoli in the Champions League (the 2018-19 and 2019-20 group stages) and have lost on both of their previous trips to Naples without scoring a goal.
The lowdown on Napoli
Spaletti’s side have started the Serie A season in decent form given all of the changes over the summer as they sit second in the table with three wins and two draws from their opening five games. Losing Koulibaly, Insigne and Mertens was particularly tough as that trio were part of the furniture and had become legendary figures at the Italian club. New stars are emerging though as Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen have both been in fine form at the start of the season. Kim min-Jae, Koulibaly’s replacement, has already scored twice in Serie A and looks like a very good signing at center back. Mexico’s Hirving Lozano has trained ahead of the game after coming off in their win at Lazio following a nasty head collision. Osimhen has been nursing a knock but should be good to do.
Jurgen Klopp still has to contend with plenty of injuries but at least Thiago Alcanatara is back in training which is a huge boost. Captain Jordan Henderson is now out injured, joining fellow central midfielders Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita on the sidelines. Fabio Carvalho is nursing a dead leg following the draw at Everton, while Caoimhin Kelleher, Calvin Ramsey and Ibrahima Konate remain out. All of this means Liverpool will likely line up with James Milner, Harvey Elliott and Fabinho in midfield.
