All eyes at Anfield this Saturday aftenoon will be fixed on one man, and that man is Mohamed Salah. Not because of a goal record, not because of a new contract announcement, but because of the heavy silence and tension surrounding his future at Liverpool. When Brighton and Hove Albion arrive on Merseyside for this Premier League clash, it will not feel like a normal league game. It will feel like a moment of truth, a moment filled with uncertainty, emotion, and unanswered questions hanging over one of Liverpool’s greatest modern legends.
Liverpool and Brighton come into this match needing a response. Both sides failed to get maximum points last weekend, and both sides are now trying to steady themselves as the Premier League season moves into its most demanding period. Liverpool were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw by Leeds United, a game that exposed their defensive weaknesses once again. Brighton, meanwhile, were frustrated at home by West Ham United, managing only a 1-1 draw in a match that left their head coach openly disappointed.
Yet this game goes far beyond league positions and recent form. This game is about identity, belief, pressure, and decisions that could shape the future of both clubs.
The Mohamed Salah situation has dominated everything around Liverpool in recent weeks. It has become impossible to ignore. Stories have spread quickly, words have been exchanged, and opinions have been sharply divided. Some believe Salah has already played his final game for Liverpool. Others feel he has been unfairly treated, almost pushed aside, by a club that once built its entire attack around him. There are even claims that his relationship with new manager Arne Slot has broken down completely, with suggestions that the two men barely communicate anymore.
Salah’s form has also become a talking point. For the first time in many years, his numbers tell a worrying story. He is taking fewer shots per game than ever before in a Liverpool shirt. He is hitting the target less often. He is getting fewer touches inside the opposition box. These are statistics that would have seemed unthinkable just a couple of seasons ago when Salah was feared by defenders across Europe.
Defensively, his contribution has also come under scrutiny. Among all wide forwards who have played significant minutes in the Premier League this season, Salah ranks at the very bottom for tracking back and defensive recovery runs. In a system that demands energy and discipline, this has raised questions about whether he still fits the direction Slot wants to take the team.
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Those questions grew louder on Tuesday night when Salah was left out of the squad entirely for Liverpool’s Champions League clash against Inter Milan. Liverpool won that game 1-0, a result that only added fuel to the fire. Some saw it as proof that Liverpool can move on without Salah. Others saw it as a disrespectful act towards a club legend. Either way, it was controversial, and it has only increased the sense that this chapter is nearing its end.
Despite the Champions League win, Liverpool’s overall situation is far from comfortable. Their Premier League title defence has all but collapsed. Just two wins in their last ten league games tell a brutal story. With six defeats and only two draws in that run, Liverpool have slipped down to tenth place in the table. They are ten points behind leaders Arsenal, a gap that feels far too big given the expectations at the start of the season. Even though the gap to the top four is only three points, confidence around Anfield has clearly faded.
The numbers paint an even darker picture. Liverpool have just 23 points from 15 Premier League games. They have already conceded 24 goals. For a reigning champion, that is shocking. It is their worst defensive and points return at this stage of a season since Leicester City’s disastrous title defence in 2016-17. Over the calendar year of 2025, Liverpool have conceded 48 league goals, a figure that places them among the worst defensive versions of themselves in modern Premier League history.
Anfield, once a fortress, no longer feels untouchable. Liverpool have failed to win any of their last three home league games. They have conceded seven goals in those matches. The famous Anfield atmosphere still exists, but the fear it once created in visiting teams has softened.
Still, there is some comfort in the history against Brighton. Liverpool have lost just once in eight home league games against the Seagulls. That single defeat came back in February 2021, a match played during the empty-stadium era, when Liverpool were also reigning champions. Brighton will remember that win fondly, and they will believe they can repeat it.
Brighton arrive at Anfield with their own frustrations. Four days before their draw with West Ham, they suffered a painful 4-3 home defeat to Aston Villa, a match that highlighted both their attacking talent and their defensive fragility. Against West Ham, they had the perfect chance to bounce back and climb into the top four after Chelsea dropped points. Instead, they produced a flat, lifeless performance for much of the game.
Brighton’s creativity was almost non-existent until the very end. All four of their shots on target came from the 89th minute onwards. Georginio Rutter’s late equaliser saved them from defeat, but it did not hide the fact that they had struggled badly. Head coach Fabian Hurzeler was honest after the game, admitting that his team did not deserve more than a point.
That result leaves Brighton eighth in the table, level on points with Liverpool and three points behind fourth-placed Crystal Palace. It is a tight race, and every dropped point feels costly. December has not been kind to Brighton in recent years. They have failed to win any of their last eight Premier League matches played in this month. Hurzeler, who has won at least one league game in every other month since taking charge, is still searching for his first December victory.
There are positives, though. Brighton have kept clean sheets in their last two away matches. That defensive improvement could be crucial at Anfield. They also beat Liverpool 3-2 in their last meeting back in May, and they now have the chance to win consecutive league games against the Reds for the first time in their history.
Team news will play a huge role in how this match unfolds. Liverpool’s injury list remains long and worrying. Cody Gakpo is sidelined with a muscle problem. Jeremie Frimpong is out with a hamstring injury. Wataru Endo continues to recover from an ankle issue. Giovanni Leoni is a long-term absentee with an ACL injury. Conor Bradley is suspended, forcing changes at right-back.
Alexander Isak and Federico Chiesa will both be assessed before kickoff, with minor fitness concerns casting doubt over their availability. Salah, after clear-the-air talks with Slot, will return to the matchday squad for what could be his final Liverpool appearance before heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations. His record against Brighton is outstanding, with 17 goal contributions in his last 18 games against them. Whether he starts or comes off the bench remains one of the biggest questions of the afternoon.
Dominik Szoboszlai has arguably been Liverpool’s best player this season. His late penalty against Inter summed up his importance. He brings energy, leadership, and drive, and he could once again play on the right side of midfield if Salah does not start.
The midfield battle will be intense. Alexis Mac Allister, facing his former club, will be desperate to impress. Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch will both push for starts, while Joe Gomez is likely to continue at right-back. There is also a possibility that Florian Wirtz returns to the starting eleven, which could force a reshuffle in attack.
Brighton, meanwhile, will be without Stefanos Tzimas for the rest of the season due to an ACL injury. Solly March and Adam Webster also remain out. However, there is good news. Kaoru Mitoma is fit again after months out with an ankle injury. James Milner, returning to Anfield, is available. Yasin Ayari and Tom Watson are also fit to be involved.
Ayari is likely to compete with Diego Gomez and Jack Hinshelwood for a midfield spot alongside Carlos Baleba. Georginio Rutter should keep his place behind Danny Welbeck after finally scoring his first league goal of the season last weekend.
Everything points towards a chaotic, open game. Liverpool have struggled to control matches. Brighton like to play with freedom and courage. Goals feel inevitable at both ends. Recent history also suggests that scoring first may not mean much, as the team opening the scoring has failed to win the last four league meetings between these sides.
With Liverpool’s defensive issues, Brighton’s attacking talent, and the emotional weight surrounding Salah, this game feels impossible to predict with confidence. Anfield may roar, but it may also groan. Moments of brilliance will likely be followed by moments of frustration.
A draw feels like the most realistic outcome. Liverpool may score, Brighton will respond, and neither side may find the control needed to fully take charge. In a season full of uncertainty for both clubs, this match could end as another reminder that neither is quite where they want to be yet.
