(Football news) After missing out on a top-tier managerial prospect, the hosts can make the Kop happy again by climbing back to the top of the standings, if only for a few hours.
Ever since Jurgen Klopp announced his resignation in January, the red carpet has been waiting for Xabi Alonso. However, Liverpool is now resigned to losing out on the Bayer Leverkusen manager, who plans to play one more season for the Bundesliga leaders.
Liverpool has important things to take care of on the pitch, where they entered after having their quadruple ambitions smashed, while Fenway Sports Group, led by new CEO of Football and former Liverpool director Michael Edwards, analyses their list of options.
Manchester United’s enthralling 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final win means that Klopp may now only win three pieces of silverware during his farewell parade – still an astounding feat indeed – and Liverpool need only take a point off of Brighton to leapfrog Arsenal into top spot before the Gunners and Manchester City butt heads in the headline act.
Manchester-based disappointment was the theme for the Reds in March, as their controversial 1-1 home draw with the Citizens – where Jeremy Doku escaped conceding a late penalty for a high boot into Alexis Mac Allister’s chest – snapped a four-game winning run in the Premier League, although their exceptional streak without defeat remains alive and well.
Indeed, Liverpool are now unbeaten in 26 straight top-flight games at Anfield since Leeds United’s shock success 17 months ago, and all of the Reds’ triumphs in front of their own fans this season have seen Klopp’s men breach their opposition’s goal at least twice.
With Alonso ostensibly out of the Liverpool managerial picture, Brighton head coach De Zerbi is believed to be one of two fallback options for the Reds – the other being Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim – and putting another dent in the hosts’ title aspirations may simultaneously benefit his prospects of obtaining the top job.
The highly-rated Italian’s abilities have often been called into question throughout 2023-24, as consistency has consistently eluded Brighton while they juggle Europa League and Premier League commitments, but their first successive wins of 2024 arrived just before the international window.
A 1-0 Premier League triumph over Nottingham Forest – albeit one also marred by officiating controversy – preceded an identical beating of Roma in the Europa League, although the latter result was little more than a pick-me-up following their 4-0 first-leg embarrassment.
The Seagulls are still aiming for Europe through a top-seven finish, but they are no longer able to achieve continental glory. They presently hold eighth place in the table and have a match against West Ham United in seventh place. For the next two months, they will only concentrate on their top-flight obligations.
Although Brighton comes to Merseyside with a four-match unbeaten streak to brag about against De Zerbi’s possible future employers, Brighton fans should not find much comfort in the Italian’s away record against the top 10. The Italian has only been able to take five of the 33 available points against teams in the higher half of the standings.
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