Breaking News: Jurgen Klopp Has Found Jones Replacement As Player Is Set For a Long Stay On The After He Direspected…
The Reds will need to have their wits about them if they are to defeat Brighton on the south coast…
Liverpool suffered their first loss of the campaign against high-flying Tottenham Hotspur in a controversial Premier League display last week, but could now respond with a statement victory over Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon.
Jurgen Klopp rued the shambolic officiating that prevented Liverpool from leapfrogging Manchester City into first place, but will now be firmly focussed on capitalising on the Seagulls’ own woes, having fallen to a heavy 6-1 defeat at Aston Villa last weekend.
Liverpool are juggling several absences but will be confident that their newfound vigour will prove enough to secure three points on the south coast.
What’s the latest Liverpool team news?
Following their red cards at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Liverpool will be without both Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota, with the latter scoring in midweek against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League.
Talking of absent goalscorers, Cody Gakpo is expected to be sidelined until after the international break having injured his knee against Spurs, scoring before half-time to restore parity.
The Dutchman joins Thiago Alcantara and his young Spanish compatriot Stefan Bajcetic on the sidelines, thinning Klopp’s midfield options for the tie at the AMEX Stadium.
That being said, Trent Alexander-Arnold is in contention for his first Premier League start in over a month having recovered from a hamstring injury, which could inject the creativity required to clinch victory.
Why should Liverpool start Wataru Endo?
Another man whose prospective involvement from the start might be prudent in stifling Brighton’s threat is Wataru Endo, with the industrious midfielder playing a peripheral role for Liverpool since signing from German side Stuttgart for around £16m in August.
Jones has been making major strides to his game in 2023 and have cemented a regular starting role for himself, but after seeing red in London, the Scouser will need replacing for the next three Premier League matches.
A cool and composed central presence, Endo, aged 30, is not the most technically proficient but can certainly do a job in the middle, and might be the glue needed to allow the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister to flourish.
Ryan Gravenberch has been immense since joining in the summer himself and will be hoping for his first start in the English top-flight, and while he could slot in for, possibly, Mac Allister, Endo might be the man for the job in the holding role later today.
There will be tougher tests to come, but the recent victory over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup really did showcase Endo’s skills and effectiveness against a fluid foe, and with Brighton’s ball-playing game among the division’s very best, his inclusion as the midfield anchor could be paramount.
Indeed, Albion have completed the fourth-highest number of passes in the league this season (4169), which is higher than Liverpool (3793) and inhibiting the Reds’ flow will be something Roberto De Zerbi will indeed be seeking to exploit.
But with Endo’s robustness in the centre, this will not come easy for the home side, with the Japan star ranking among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for aerial wins and the top 15% for clearances per 90, as per FBref.
The £50k-per-week ace has been described as a “proper warrior and leader” by Bundesliga commentator Kevin Thatchard, and bringing his mettle to sink the Seagulls could be the difference-maker for Klopp’s side as they push for a return to winning ways.
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