Overview
A four-match unbeaten streak in all competitions shows that the situation at Liverpool is gradually changing, but the chaos off the pitch reflects an uncomfortable atmosphere at Anfield.
Arne Slot's side have reinforced their hopes of a top-eight UEFA Champions League spot with a minimal 1-0 win over Inter Milan, thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai's late penalty in the 88th minute.
However, the victory in the European arena was quickly overshadowed by the incident involving Mohamed Salah, who was left out of the squad after the huge outbreak in the draw with Leeds United last weekend.
The Egyptian star thought he had been " abandoned" by the club, when Liverpool dropped the victory in the final minutes, while he had to sit on the bench and watch the entire match from the sidelines.
Salah has actually failed to use two of his last three Premier League games. Before this season, he had to sit on the bench only three times in his first 303 matches for The Reds - a number that showed a significant change in his role under Slot.
This season also saw Salah's lowest statistics per 90 minutes since joining Liverpool, including shots (2.6), shots on target (0.8) and touches in the opposition box (7.3). Therefore, many opinions say that Slot's decision is well-founded, especially when Liverpool have maintained an unbeaten record since Salah was no longer a starter.
Since moving to Liverpool in June 2017, only Jordan Pickford (308 games) has played more Premier League games than Mohamed Salah (301 games). In the same period, the 33-year-old also led the scoring list in the English top flight with 188 goals, 53 more than the second-placed Harry Kane.
Arne Slot remains silent about Salah's ability to feature in the match against Brighton, in the context that the Egyptian striker is expected to leave for the African Football Cup early next week.
However, with Cody Gakpo struggling with injuries and Federico Chiesa sick, Slot may need Salah to strengthen his attack. The star has a particularly impressive record against Brighton, with 10 goals in 16 Premier League meetings. Only a few other familiar opponents, West Ham United and Southampton (11 goals), Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth (12 goals), along with Manchester United (13 goals) are the teams Salah has scored more goals for.
In addition to the story surrounding Salah, Slot will also try to stabilize Liverpool after the victory over West Ham, followed by two consecutive draws against Sunderland and Leeds United.
Up to now, Liverpool have only won 23 points after 15 rounds (7 wins, 2 draws, 6 losses) and have conceded 24 goals in the Premier League. This is the worst start for a reigning champions in both indicators since the 2016 2017 Leicester City season (16 points, 26 goals conceded).
More worryingly, the issue of defense is not just a story this season. In 2025, Liverpool have conceded 48 goals in 35 Premier League games. In the club's history, there have only been two years in which they have conceded more than 50 goals in a calendar year in this competition, in 2012 (51 goals) and 2014 (52 goals).
Head-to-head record
Liverpool often dominate these Premier League confrontations, especially when hosting Brighton at Anfield.
In fact, the Reds have lost just one of their eight home Premier League games against Brighton (W5 D2). Notably, it was also Liverpool's only home match against Brighton as champions, and they lost 1-0 in February 2021.
Score prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
The match between Liverpool and Brighton takes place at 22:00 on December 13 (Vietnam time).
