Hurzeler on team fitness, 'do-or-die' cup challenge and Man Citypublished at 11:25 GMT
11:25 GMT
Media caption,
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Carabao Cup game against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium (kick-off 19:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Chema Andres and Ferdi Kadıoglu have "very painful" hip injuries so are doubts for the cup game. They are expected to recover in time for Saturday.
Pascal Struijk is unavailable but fellow centre-back Michael Svoboda is set to return to the squad.
Mats Wieffer and Yankuba Minteh will travel and then a decision will be made on their level of involvement.
Hurzeler said the last-16 cup tie is "a do-or-die game" so they "are fully focused" in their preparations for it.
On the opponents: "We know that City may be the best team in the league at the moment. It is another tough challenge for us, but we are ready for that, and we are going there to try and get to the next round."
He said Enzo Maresca's side are playing with a "clear formation and clear style of play", but "press very intensely with man rotation" so it's a new challenge for his team.
Hurzeler confirmed the side will stay and train in Manchester after Wednesday's game until the weekend as they play City again on Saturday.
On facing City twice in the same week: "It's about competing then recovering, adjusting, adapting things, and competing again - it's really going from game to game."
Gossip: Vuskovic attracting interest from Europe's elitepublished at 08:03 GMT
08:03 GMT
Brighton and Croatia defender Luka Vuskovic, 19, continues to draw serious interest from Europe's elite, with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona joining the chase for the centre-back. (Teamtalk), external
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton - the fans' verdictpublished at 12:04 GMT 26 October
12:04 GMT 26 October
Media caption,
We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Brighton.
Here are some of your comments:
Liverpool fans
Zaid: I thought we played fantastically, particularly in the first half our three big-money signings showed up and proved their worth. In the second half, we defended with passion, particularly Ronald Araujo was brilliant. But we need to clean up our errors, from Alisson yesterday and Virgil van Dijk on Wednesday. Florian Wirtz hobbling off also didn't look great, but positive signs this match. Either Alexander Isak, Wirtz or Bradley Barcola have to be POTM.
Martin: Great performance from Liverpool, battling hard against an in-form Brighton side. Wirtz, Barcola and Araujo were outstanding, and the Anfield crowd were in full voice, roaring the lads on.
Kev: A good day at the office. Still need to tighten up at the back and stay focused for the full 90 minutes. Fortunate not to concede. The harder you work, the luckier you get.
Sam: That's exactly the start we need to be starting all our matches. Brighton have come from a run of great wins but Liverpool showed that they can keep Anfield a fortress. Wonderful to see the trio of Wirtz, Isak and Barcola being involved in the goals, and Araujo is an absolute beast at the back and not afraid to put in big challenges. Great addition this season!
Brighton fans
Adam: Past two games we've not had that same quality in front of goal and the high press wasn't there as much against Liverpool. Overall happy with the performance, but if Yasin Ayari had buried that first chance the game could've been very different.
Fran: Not our best performance. Didn't seem to want to shoot like other weeks, kept trying to walk it in. Uncharacteristically sloppy in our passing as well. On to the next game!
David: Do not despair! Two fortunate goals for Liverpool, and we could have scored on a number of occasions. 65% of possession and every time we had the ball it looked as if the whole team knew what to do with it. An excellent performance, unfortunate result.
Sarah: Well done lads! Anfield is pretty intimidating - Liverpool played well but so did we. Losing Ferdi Kadioglu was a big blow and Ayari missed a couple he might have got another day but hey ho, we never gave up and kept our energy and tight passing till the end. No shame in losing at Anfield - I'm actually surprised it's their first home win!
Mistakes proved costly - Rutterpublished at 09:30 GMT 26 October
09:30 GMT 26 October
Media caption,
Brighton forward Georginio Rutter says his side's defeat by Liverpool was "frustrating" and that the Cherries must "minimise the mistakes."
Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex, the former Leeds man said: "I think if you want to play at the top of the table, we have to minimise the mistakes. Today we concede two goals early in the game, so after it's a bit hard to come back but we showed good character. We never gave up, we tried to push until the end. Unfortunately, today we didn't score. A bit frustrating."
Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen added: "We know it's a tough place, it's a good opponent, but we had all the belief and confidence that we could get a win here. And I think it was possible as well. If you look at the game, we gave it away in the first 20-30 minutes."
Gossip: Seagulls interested in Licina published at 08:04 GMT 26 October
08:04 GMT 26 October
Brighton and RB Leipzig are among the clubs interested in Juventus' 19-year-old midfielder Adin Licina, who is on loan at Cremonese. (Gianluca di Marzo), external
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: What Hurzeler saidpublished at 17:10 GMT 25 October
17:10 GMT 25 October
Fabian Hurzeler spoke to Sky Sports after Brighton's defeat against Liverpool: "It was a missed opportunity. I think everyone felt that we could take something from this game. We came here to play our approach and we made two mistakes. We had plenty of chances to score. We kept going, and they defended well in the box. We did everything; we had to avoid the mistakes, but we tried to keep going. We didn't have luck on our side today.
"We had a big chance with Ayari. If this goes in, the game is different. We lost our structure when 2-0 down. We have to analyse and do better. Only one team is playing and trying to win.
"We have to take the positives and have to get an understanding and keep our level to avoid mistakes to win games here. We came here to win; everyone saw this. We keep going and try to make it better next time."
Analysis: Early miss costly for Seagullspublished at 17:09 GMT 25 October
17:09 GMT 25 October
Michael Emons BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton have made a superb start to the season, but this was not their day.
They had a 5-0 win over rivals Crystal Palace last time out in the Premier League, while they have also progressed into the last 16 of the Carabao Cup and are unbeaten after two matches in the main phase of the Conference League.
The Seagulls have never finished higher than sixth in English football's top division and their fans are hoping for a push for a Champions League spot after their impressive start.
But after the win over Palace, boss Fabian Hurzeler was quick to shut down any talk that they could be involved in the Premier League title race, and how they cope with the extra fixtures will be a key factor.
Games are coming thick and fast for Brighton, who drew 0-0 in the Czech Republic against Jablonec on Thursday in the Conference League.
This was the second of five successive away matches and perhaps a reality check for Brighton's ambitions this season.
Hurzeler was left to rue what might have been had Yasin Ayari put them ahead following a lovely move from his Brighton side, whose total of 23 goals is the highest in the top flight.
Diego Gomez, a goalscorer from the halfway line against Palace, played a superb through ball to Pascal Gross and his pull-back found Ayari, but the Sweden midfielder could only shoot over when he should have scored.
Brighton quickly found themselves two goals behind, and despite having more of the ball, securing 64% of possession, the visitors could only manage one shot on target as they failed to score in the Premier League for the first time this season.
Both of these sides are next in action with Carabao Cup last-16 ties on Wednesday, with Liverpool at home to Chelsea. Brighton face another tough away task in the north west, at Manchester City.
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: How the players ratedpublished at 16:56 GMT 25 October
16:56 GMT 25 October
Starting XI:
Bart Verbruggen: Made some good saves in the first half but was undone by the deflection for the first goal and had no chance for Isak's strike. 5
Ferdi Kadioglu: Forced off with an injury in the sixth minute. Was holding his hip as he came off. 5
Luka Vuskovic: Part of a back line that conceded in the league for the first time since 16 September, but the 19-year-old looked good on the ball. 6
Lewis Dunk: Like Vuskovic, battled well but the Brighton back line were punished by Liverpool's ruthlessness. 5
Olivier Boscagli: Lost the ball for Liverpool's second goal and struggled to deal with Barcola. Booked for a foul on Barcola just before half-time and replaced at the break. 4
Pascal Gross: Should have got an assist when he teed up Ayari but did not cover himself in glory when his clearance landed at Wirtz's feet and the subsequent strike deflected off Gross and ended up in the back of the net. 5
Chema Andres: Was good on the ball and tidy in possession but took a knock and was replaced early on in the second half. 6
Diego Gomez: Played a lovely through-ball to Gross for Ayari's chance and linked up really well with Joao Costinha. 7
Yasin Ayari: Missed a huge chance when the game was 0-0 and his side were punished shortly after, then hit the post with a good effort in the first half. 6
Maxim De Cuyper: Had a quiet first half and dropped into left-back for the second half after Jack Hinshelwood came on for Boscagli. 5
Charalampos Kostoulas: Got on the ball plenty and always offered an option but did not do enough to truly threaten Alisson. 6
Substitutes:
Costinha (on 6, Kadioglu): Thrown in early on and linked well with Gomez going forward but struggled to contain Gakpo. 6
Hinshelwood (on 46, Boscagli): Did well after coming on but could not get Brighton back in the game. 6
Yalcouye (on 54, Andres): Did not get on the ball enough after coming on. 5
Rutter (on 75, Ayari): N/A
Subs not used: Steele, Hadjam, Rutter, David, Osman, O'Riley.
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Sutton's predictions: Liverpool v Brightonpublished at 11:14 GMT 25 October
11:14 GMT 25 October
Liverpool have an extra 48 hours to prepare for this game - they played Villarreal at home on Tuesday, while Brighton were away in the Czech Republic on Thursday.
I don't think it will make any difference, though, because the way that the Seagulls play, I am expecting them to go to Anfield and win.
This has the makings of a great game but, while Liverpool have had a couple of good results, I am still not convinced by them.
Andoni Iraola's side are a work in progress with a tendency to empty their midfield and that means Brighton can hurt them.
Liverpool v Brighton: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:36 BST 24 October
13:36 BST 24 October
Brighton, who have made a brilliant start to the season, head to Anfield to face Liverpool as part of a run of five successive away games. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes going into Sunday's fixture.
Brighton fans in dreamland
Just when Brighton fans thought their excellent start to the campaign couldn't get much better, their side went and scored three goals in the first 10 minutes against Crystal Palace en route to equalling their joint-biggest win against their bitter rivals set way back in January 1956 in the old Third Division South.
Winning four league games in a row by an aggregate score of 15-0 has naturally led to a raft of articles examining their title credentials. That kind of talk may be premature but their blistering beginning has meant the rewriting of their record books.
The 23 league goals they have scored at a rate of 3.3 per game is the most they have netted after seven games of any season in the top four tiers. Across Europe's top five leagues, only Barcelona - with a frankly ridiculous 39 from their nine La Liga games - have scored more so far in 2026-27.
Just three sides have ever scored more after seven games of a Premier League season - Arsenal in 2009-10 (24), Manchester United in 2011-12 (24), and Manchester City in 2019-20 (27). Curiously, none of those sides went on to win the title.
The Seagulls kicked off a run of five games on the road across 14 days in three competitions as their second string drew 0-0 against Jablonec on Thursday. As well as this match at Anfield, they face back-to-back matches at Manchester City, which will give a good indication of what Fabian Hurzeler side could go on to achieve this season.
Liverpool looking to right home wrongs
While yet to find the kind of fluency opponents Brighton have shown this season, Liverpool have only lost one of Andoni Iraola's first 11 matches in charge - and that was against a fired-up Manchester City.
Their past two Champions League games have certainly provided plenty of entertainment, with a whopping 16 goals scored. Ten in the 'for' column is highly impressive but Iraola will not have enjoyed seeing his side conceding six, many of which were avoidable.
The Spaniard will be urging the Reds to transfer their cup form at Anfield into the Premier League. If they fail to beat the Seagulls it will be only the fourth time in their history that they have not won any of their first four home league games of a season after the 1894-95, 1911-12 and 2012-13 campaigns. They last won a home league game on 25 April against Crystal Palace.
They can at least call upon a strong record against Brighton in front of their own supporters, losing just one of their past 13 encounters.
Alexander Isak was their matchwinner last weekend at Brentford and his five goals in five league games is as many as he managed in his previous 20 for both Newcastle and Liverpool. Firmly finding his feet after such a horror start, the Swede has not been on the losing side in his past 15 top-flight matches.
Another big signing who remains under constant scrutiny is playmaker Florian Wirtz. After creating a whopping nine chances from open play against Brentford, he now tops the Premier League charts for that metric this season. However, for all the German's scheming, his assist for Victor Munoz last Saturday was only his second in the league this season.
Rio Ngumoha had no such troubles in a player-of-the-match display against Villarreal. The 18 year-old was devastating, ending the game with two assists, seven completed dribbles and the most touches in the opposition box (12).
Hurzeler on team news, allowing fans 'to dream' and facing Liverpoolpublished at 12:10 BST 23 October
12:10 BST 23 October
Katie Stafford BBC Sport journalist
Media caption,
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool at Anfield (kick-off 14:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Hurzeler confirmed Pascal Struijk will be assessed before a decision is made on his availability for Sunday: "It's not a big issue, but it's something that can get bigger if you risk it too early. We have to make wise decisions."
Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer are close to a return, with the Brighton boss "quite convinced" they will be back in the matchday squad next week if not on Sunday.
He also confirmed Jason Steele missed Thursday's trip to Jablonec through illness, while a decision was made to rest Diego Gomez and Maxim de Cuyper before travelling to Liverpool.
Hurzeler said they "have a lot of confidence and belief" following recent results, but it's about taking it "game-by-game" and not getting carried away with the league positioning.
In response to whether he encourages fans to dream this season, he said: "I love our fans and if you have ambitions and a dream, then you should visualise it. It's important that our fans have these type of expectations, ambitions and dreams because then we get even more out of them and more connection. They should dream, and we will focus on the game."
On Pascall Gross, who has missed less than 60 minutes of football so far this season: "There are some players who need this rhythm. We always want to have a player like him on the pitch and at the moment he seems to cope really well with this intensity and rhythm."
He said he has "a really good team" around him that will help with the challenge of the next five games being away from home, adding: "Travel wastes time and energy. It's really important that you manage it well and we take care of recovery."
On facing Andoni Iraola's Reds: "We know what we can expect from Liverpool. Very intense pressing so a very intense game. Anfield is always a very special environment and atmosphere. We have to be prepared mentally and physically, but we seem to be in a good place."
Phil: Always tricky away from home in Europe. Jablonec parked the bus and nearly stole a goal at the end on the break. A point was fair.
James: This makes sense after a really strong start to the league that we are a bit tired - but, again, what a start this season it has been.
James: Brighton fans have been spoiled recently with fantastic flowing football. This was a sobering reminder that our squad may not have enough quality. Too many poor performances, dull football and zero goal threat with this much-changed line-up. Need to play a stronger team in the next European game. Still, you can't win them all and the season has been brilliant so far.
Steve: Disappointing, disjointed performance where if truth be told we were fortunate to have gained a point. But we move on, dust ourselves down and get ready for three very difficult matches in the next week.
Jerry: This was a nice opportunity to switch some things up and give some players playing time while focusing on the domestic table ahead against Liverpool. Brighton know they can eke into the play-off tournament so there is no urgency here.
Simon: Just like Tromso away we always struggle to break down park-the-bus teams. Some 26 shots and only four on target sums it up. Ran out of steam and almost lost it, so take a point and move on. Was mostly our second string anyway. Sunday will be different.
🎧 'It's like the balloon has been popped'published at 10:59 BST 23 October
10:59 BST 23 October
A new episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast is available to listen to and download now on BBC Sounds.
Johnny Cantor and former Seagulls defender Warren Aspinall react on the whistle in the Czech Republic after Thursday's goalless draw with Jablonec, plus, hear from fans.
"They will be very disapointed as a team," said Aspinall.
"They got the clean sheet but attacking-wise they were very poor. There was poor decision-making, poor shots on target.
"The fans behind the goal are delighted but, for me, you have to do much better in front of goal - 23 attempts and five on target is not good enough.
"It's like the balloon has been popped and all the air has come out of it."
Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.
Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up
