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3.48pm GMT
After spending months insisting they didn’t want to bring in any defenders, and then 24 hours apparently attempting to bring in every defender, Liverpool host Brighton with two new centre-backs on their books and fresh hopes of perhaps maybe improving on their record of only keeping three clean sheets at home this season. Of the new arrivals only Ben Davies is able to play in this game and even he probably won’t, while Ozan Kabak’s registration was delayed by the need to get international clearance for his move from Schalke. “We play obviously different to Preston and obviously different to Schalke,” Jurgen Klopp pointed out. “They will need time but we don’t have a lot of time. So we will use the time we have in our hands and try our best. If they would have to start [this game] together, I think that would not be too cool. We will give them a few more days.” Recent performances suggest that integration of new defenders can be done merely in extreme hurry, rather than in a state of blind panic.
Brighton will overtake Newcastle if they draw, and Burnley if they win (unless Burnley beat Manchester City in their 6pm kick-off), with a tasty visit to Turf Moor coming up on Saturday. Having only lost to City, Arsenal and Leicester in their last 10 league games, and with two wins in their last three, they might even come to Anfield with just a soupçon of hope. “I don’t think you should ever face a game with fear,” says Graham Potter. “It is more respect and an understanding of what they are capable of. Clearly if they play well and they have some luck, they should beat Brighton. That is just where it is. But football isn’t necessarily like that.”
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