Injuries in the Liverpool squad have forced Arne Slot into plenty of rotation; however, Ryan Gravenberch remains a constant in his midfield. The Dutchman is excellent on the ball but does his fair share of defensive work too, and this season has committed 1.01 fouls per 90 across league and cup action. He committed three fouls in the league meeting with Brighton and could be in for another difficult afternoon.

Carlos Baleba, Pascal Gross and Georginio Rutter will be keeping Gravenberch occupied through the game and given that they’ve drawn 3.72 fouls per 90 between them this season, it’s an area of the pitch that officials will have their eye on. With the FA Cup being Liverpool’s last chance of domestic silverware, they should be well motivated, and hopefully that leads to Gravenverch getting stuck in.

Another all Premier League affair concludes Saturday’s action as Liverpool entertain Brighton, and with the hosts six points adrift of the top five, their priorities may lie elsewhere. Arne Slot’s stuttering Champions are struggling to keep their opponents out at Anfield this season, and in the league meeting they shipped 14 shots against the Seagulls, so we can expect the visitors to attack.

Fabian Hurzeler is known for rotating his Brighton squad, but having started in 21 consecutive league games, Ferdi Kadioglu looks a safe bet to be in the starting line-up. The utility player is not only a consistent starter but also a regular source of shots with an average of 0.69 per 90 across the season. The Turkish full back landed this bet on his last visit to Merseyside.

Hugo Ekitike netted a brace the last time the sides met with Liverpool running out 2-0 winners in that clash at Anfield. Ekitike had seven shots in total in that game, which sums him up quite well - he’s an erratic shooter, but he has been Liverpool’s most effective player in the final third this season.

Ekitike has netted 10 goals across his 17 Premier League appearances this season, a solid tally for his debut season in the top-flight. He’s kept some of his key traits from his spell at Frankfurt, which includes a consistently high shot volume. Ekitike has taken 57 shots across those 17 starts in the Premier League, working out to an average of 3.38 per 90.

If I were to be critical of Ekitike, I would say that he should be getting more of his attempts on target. 17 of his 57 shots have found the target, which still works out to a decent average of 1.01 shots on target per 90. He can improve on this record, but his high shot volume always gives him a strong chance of finding the target - as he did twice against Brighton when he last faced Fabian Hurzeler’s side.

Liverpool v Brighton is usually an entertaining encounter with eight of the last nine head-to-head clashes seeing 3+ goals. The exception actually came the last time that the sides met, with Liverpool running out 2-0 winners on that occasion. That game should have produced more goals, with Brighton generating an xG of 1.90 from their 14 shots and a combined xG of 3.79 in the contest.

Pressure is steadily increasing on Fabian Hurzeler with Brighton coming into this clash having won just one of their last six matches across all competitions, with that triumph coming in the last round of the FA Cup as they beat Manchester United 2-1. There isn’t a massive amount of evidence from Brighton’s side in recent matches to suggest a high-scoring game here, but what does stand out is how many goals they see on the road in the Premier League.

Brighton have seen 34 goals across their 13 away matches in the Premier League this term (2.61 per game), notably conceding 20 goals across those matches. Liverpool have a promising recent record when it comes to goals, seeing 3+ goals in four of their last five matches across all competitions. The historical trend of goals between the sides should also come into play, with the potential for a really exciting cup clash.

I’m a really big admirer of Yasin Ayari and think he could be one of the next big money departures from Brighton. He’s enjoying his best season for Brighton so far from a personal point of view, and with Baleba struggling at the moment, I think Hurzeler will opt for Ayari in this particular clash.

Ayari’s aggression is a key part of his game; he’s committed 18 fouls across his 18 starts in the Premier League this season (0.95 per 90), and he plays for a Brighton side who are aggressive as a team. Fabian Hurzeler’s side committed 15 fouls on their trip to Anfield last time around, with five of those fouls being won by Liverpool’s midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister.

Both Gravenberch and Jones were hauled down twice in that clash, suggesting that the midfield will be an active battleground again for Ayari to commit a foul. Ayari actually first caught my eye at Anfield a few seasons ago. Brighton lost the game, but Jack Hinshelwood and Ayari put in top performances in the middle of the park - Ayari also committed a foul in that game, as well as drawing three.

Brighton have had a disappointing season so far, given the pre-season expectations that surrounded the club. I do quite like Fabian Hurzeler, but he looks very irritable at the moment, and I think that is clouding his judgement and having an effect on the discipline of his players. 

Brighton committed 15 fouls and picked up two yellow cards in their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the season, and I think we’ll see similar numbers again here. Brighton have picked up the second most yellow cards in the Premier League this season (63 - 2.42 per game), showing how the frustration towards their underperformance has directly impacted their card numbers this term.

Brighton also rank highly for fouls committed per game (12.0), which shows how their high card count is also intertwined with their tactical approach, with Hurzeler attempting to implement a similar system to Iraola at Bournemouth, which is focused on intense man-to-man pressing.