Liverpool

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Brighton.

Here are some of your comments:

Liverpool fans:

Linda: Thought Brighton played really well in both games this week. Liverpool’s attitude and commitment to win these games was outstanding - lovely play and energy from all involved - playing for, and with, each other. Slot has made the transition of Klopp leaving and his arrival seamless. Looking forward to how this season goes. You just never know...

Rhys: Slot has made Liverpool so resilient. Gone is the intensity in attack under Klopp and in its place is a calm composure. Even when on the back foot there is no panic. They just keep to the system and work from back to front.

Pedro: Sloppy first half but showed some guts and determination in the second. I thought Gomez had a great game after coming on for Konate and was unlucky not to score. Salah amazing again... where's the contract offer? Liverpool back on top of the league. So far so good but the big test comes against Manchester City and Real Madrid.

Richard: The first half was woeful. The second, much better. Why couldn't we muster up the urgency that we saw in the second half of the second half, earlier in the match? This sort of syndrome - allowing ourselves to fall behind and sit and wait until the crowd forces us to surge with intent and pressure - we should be doing from the first minute.

Brighton fans:

Brian: First 45 minutes was as good a performance as I can ever remember from a Brighton team. Hinshelwood and Ayari were excellent in midfield. Liverpool ultimately deserved their win, but knowing that we have Pedro, Baleba, O'Riley, Minteh, March and Dunk all close to returning from injury makes me believe that the future for us is very bright.

Ben: When will we get a bit more streetwise? For the second goal, we again allowed a player to run half the length of the pitch. Surely a quick tug on the shirt, take the yellow card and slow the game down. Subs were 10 minutes too late. After 65 minutes our midfield started to chase shadows and needed refreshing.

Sam: There were lots of positives to take away. We could have had three by half-time. However, we were undone by a great attack. The only question I have is why Hurzeler didn't put the subs on earlier?

Nicholas: Brighton showed signs they can mix it with the best and the future looks bright for them. There is just that gap in experience and concentration keeping them off the big six clubs. After Manchester City next week, they should pick up 18 from 21 points - so keep an eye on them.

Liverpool and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, 26, is Real Madrid's favourite to reinforce their right-back position. (AS - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

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After scoring in Liverpool's 2-1 win against Brighton on Saturday, Mo Salah posted on his Instagram, external that being top of the Premier League is "where this club belongs" but also made reference to the uncertainty about his future at the Reds.

He wrote: "Top of the table is where this club belongs. Nothing less. All teams win matches but there’s only 1 champion in the end. That’s what we want. Thank you for your support last night. No matter what happens, I will never forget what scoring at Anfield feels like."

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Former Premier League defender Micah Richards believes it is "imperative" Liverpool give Mo Salah a new contract at the club.

The Egyptian scored his 7th goal of the Premier League season on Saturday against Brighton and moved clear of Robbie Fowler to become the 8th top scorer in the competition's history.

Speaking on BBC's Match of the Day, Richards said: "There's been talk about contracts and whether he's going to renew or not - they have got to sign him.

"It's imperative to give him a two year deal at the end of the season. He'll be 33 in the summer, it'll take him to 35.

"He doesn't have to play well to score big goals and have big moments. That is the difference between a very good player and a top player."

Watch Match of the Day on BBC iPlayer

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 2-1 Brighton

• Wolves 2-2 Crystal Palace

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist at Anfield

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Mohamed Salah’s winner to take Liverpool top of the Premier League table with victory over Brighton is a timely reminder of what they could lose if contract talks do not go well.

He, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract next summer and can talk to new clubs in January.

With 220 goals in 364 games, Egypt star Salah is the fourth top goalscorer in Liverpool’s history.

Number 220 was a peach as he curled an effort into the far corner from the right. It was the 48th time he had scored a winning goal in the Premier League.

"A Mo Salah special," was how Slot described it. "It's not the first and not the last time he will score from that position."

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• Liverpool’s Mo Salah has 10 goals and six assists in the Premier League against Brighton, the most any player has against them in the division. Since the Seagulls joined the competition in 2017, only Salah himself vs Man Utd (18) has more goal involvements against a single opponent in the competition.

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot spoke to Sky Sports after today's win: "We needed another second-half performance but because we were outplayed in the first half. They were better on the ball, more aggressive without the ball. Then, everything changed in the second half because it was completely the opposite.

"Our attackers scored the goals but the main difference was we were better positioned and we had the ball a lot more. Without the ball they made problems for us but in the second half we just kept running."

On going top of the Premier League: "It's more if you play against Arsenal in their stadium and you can get a draw away from home. Brighton are a very strong team as well, they have shown this season. If you face a team like this and are 1-0 down and can come back to a 2-1 win which in my opinion was deserved that gives me a lot of confidence. More than the position we are in."

On the injury to Ibrahima Konate: "He had a lot of pain during half-time so then you have to make the change. The good thing is we have two very good replacements in Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah. I chose Joe today because Jarell was really tired and he proved I was right because he was outstanding in the second half."

On Joe Gomez: "He had a very good performance without the ball. He constantly stepped into midfield to win the ball, winning the duels, and when he had to defend he did very well. Very good second half."

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Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk has been speaking to Sky Sports after today's victory: "I think over the last couple of years we've never had an easy game against them. It's always tough and you could see it in the first half. We didn't press well and were sloppy in possession. It was a well deserved 1-0 at the break.

"We had completely different energy after the break and got what we deserved I think."

On moving top of the Premier League: "It's too early to even make it important. We want to be on top of the league but we want to be there after the last match in May. The results have been good so far this season but there is a long way to go.

"It is still a work in progress. We stay humble and keep fighting."

On the injury to defensive partner Ibrahima Konate: "So many bodies around the ball and I think I headed him on his arm. Hopefully it is not too bad. We just have to see. You can be quite okay as player with an arm injury so hopefully he will be fine."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Liverpool’s performance, external

What did you make of Brighton’s display?, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week 10 he takes on The Piano TV series winner Brad Kella.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

I am at Anfield with Ian Dennis on Saturday to cover this game for BBC Radio 5 Live and I am looking forward to it.

It has not been a great week for Brighton, who threw victory away against Wolves last weekend, conceding a 93rd-minute equaliser, then lost at home to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

Going to Anfield will be even harder for them. Liverpool dropped points against Arsenal in their last league game, but I can't see that happening here - Brighton will cause them problems but they can't afford to slip up, and they won't.

Brad's prediction: 3-0

No messing about here!

Read the full predictions and have your say

Seven matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

• Newcastle v Arsenal - 12:30

• Bournemouth v Manchester City

• Ipswich v Leicester

• Liverpool v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v West Ham

• Southampton v Everton

• Wolves v Crystal Palace - 17:30 - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction

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Are Arsenal and Liverpool the Premier League sides most adept with their use of substitutions?

With the impact off the bench never greater - last season, subs accounted for a sixth of all outfield playing time at some clubs and contributed a record 133 goals - the benefits of mastering changes are clear. The impact of Jhon Duran for Aston Villa this season is a further example.

And with all teams searching for marginal gains, it might not surprise you to learn that there is now specialist training for subs to ensure they are ready for whatever the game has to throw at them when they enter.

The BBC Football Extra newsletter this week spoke to Sammy Lander, who has pioneered the role of "substitutions coach" within English football. He started at AFC Wimbledon before going on to consult clubs at Premier League and international level.

Of the sides who are gaining from the most from their subs, Lander said: "Arsenal have been very successful in using their substitutes in drawing game states and often have a high number of points achieved from this game state with substitutes on the pitch.

"Across the last three seasons, Liverpool are quite comfortably clear as the team who have registered the most goal contributions from substitutes while Newcastle are fairly positive and consistent with impact across all game states, as are Brentford."

But what does a substitution coach do?

"A common misconception seems to be I just tell the subs when to go warm up - I wish it was that easy," he said. "In reality, my week consists of ensuring our substitutes feel tactically, technically, socially, physically and psychologically ready.

"Having players accept their role is a massive step - then, you can start to add layers that are physical, social, technical and tactical. Substitutes are often very reactive to the questions the game is posing, so having them ready for every possibility is important."

With players better prepared for their role, Lander says the in-match process is then akin to a card game.

"I perform a vast amount of in-game opposition analysis, looking at the granular details and trying to prepare every eventuality in what I refer to as my playbook," he said.

"This means having the right substitute - not always the best - ready for if that situation arises. Once we know the probabilities of these situations, I can start preparing processes that can prepare the substitutes for these.

"I liken the process to Top Trumps. Once your opponent makes a move, every card is beatable - but you just need to know your pack, the game, and then the appropriate card to choose and when to place it. A similar approach is what I take with substitutions."

And is the role of substitute now one with greater cache? Lander thinks so.

He added: "Rugby union coach Eddie Jones coined the term 'finishers' instead of substitutes and this was a huge progression, challenging the negative stigma that is typically associated with the word 'substitute'. We have added layers to this by introducing the term 'what finisher are you going to be?'

"We introduced tactical roles with psychological names. Therefore Jorginho at Arsenal might be a controller, a smoother, or a closer. Certain teams, depending on their tactical style, will require different names.

"All these names have a definition that allows for you to add process and identity to a substitute role, but also add direction and alignment."

And will we see players emerge who are purely specialist substitutes?

"Sometimes a player's profile might be more effective as a substitute and it's about recognising this and implementing in the right format - the when, how and where," Lander said.

"A little more frequently, my role is spent trying to help players produce their starting statistics as a substitute."

• Sign up for the Football Extra newsletter

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

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Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has denied that the left-back position has become "a dilemma for him" as he continues to rotate between Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas.

Since Robertson's arrival in 2017 he has made 310 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool as a stalwart in defence. But it has been a challenging start to the season for the Scotland international, who returned from Euro 2024 injured and has faced criticism for his performances against Chelsea and Arsenal.

In those games, the 30-year-old looked off his normal pace and was up against the in-form Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka. When Robertson has not played, Tsimikas has occupied the left-back role and has impressed Slot and fans.

"I wouldn’t say it is a dilemma," said Slot on rotating the two players. "There are other positions where we have rotated.

"It probably also has to do with Robbo's [Robertson's] pre-season. He had no pre-season because he came back injured from the Euros so he missed almost the whole pre-season. For most of them it was only two weeks but for him it was only a few days.

"Kostas did really well in that period of time so it has to do with the quality Kostas has in that position but it also has to do with Robbo missing pre-season. That's why we started rotating from the start a bit. If a player has missed pre-season he can't play three games in a row. That's the situation.

"It was good for Robbo to play against Arsenal and against Brighton in midweek. That is making sure he is getting into that rhythm of playing twice a week."

Slot's comments hint that for the first time in recent seasons Robertson may not be an automatic starter in this campaign, but having the option of both players is a boost when Liverpool are in multiple competitions.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brighton (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Federico Chiesa will not return from injury until after the November international break along with Diogo Jota and Alisson.

• Giving an update on those players: "Always difficult to tell you when they will be exactly ready. They won’t be there before [the break] so we will see if they can be there after it."

• He said "it's not that strange" to play Brighton twice in a matter of days but the Carabao Cup game can't be read into too much because "both teams didn’t start with the team they will start with on Saturday".

• On scoring three goals in the cup despite rotating the squad: "It was good to see that players who haven’t played that much have an impact on our team as well. We will need them this season so it’s good to see they are already on the level we need them to be."

• He said Jarell Quansah "was unlucky" against Brighton and he was still impressed with the centre-back's overall performance. "Jarrell played a very good game," added Slot. "The only issue for him is if it's a moment that isn't perfect it immediately leads to a goal."

• In response to whether he has a dilemma at left-back between Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas: "I wouldn’t say dilemma. It has to do with Robbo's pre-season as he came back injured from the Euros and he missed almost the complete pre-season. Kostas did really well in that period. That's why we started rotating."

• He said cup competitions "are really important" to him and that is why he rotated the squad as he believed the fresher players "had a better chance of winning" the tie.

• On the FA Cup, which starts in January: "People have already told me that it is a very important cup to win."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Manchester United could rival Liverpool for Wolves' 23-year-old Algeria wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri. (GiveMeSport), external

Liverpool have identified 20-year-old Bournemouth and Hungary defender Milos Kerkez as a candidate in their search for a new left-back. (TeamTalk), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

Andy Bayes
BBC Radio Lancashire sports editor

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After a highly successful spell in Scotland last season and spending pre-season with Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers' relationship with the Reds - in terms of loans - is paying off again with Owen Beck.

Rovers have borrowed Harvey Elliott, Billy Koumetio, Leighton Clarkson and Tyler Morton in recent seasons. Sepp van den Berg would have been another, but for the deal being called off at the last minute.

Beck has made the left-back position his own after an impressive debut at Burnley. The only disappointment has come in the form of a late sending-off at Preston, which saw him sit out three games.

He has been all action, shown excellent one-on-one defending and is equally impressive going forward. He has taken on set-piece responsibilities too.

It is fair to say that Rovers fans have already taken him to their hearts.

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With six goals and five assists, Mohamed Salah has been involved in 65% of Liverpool’s Premier League goals this season (11/17), the highest ratio of any player in the competition so far this term.

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Liverpool have pledged to continue cracking down on ticket touts and claim to have issued 75 lifetime bans around the issue last season.

The club says it shut down close to 100,000 fake ticketing accounts, while issuing 136 indefinite suspensions in the 2023-24 campaign.

"A further 5,670 accounts are currently under review by the club for suspicious activity, including supplying persons who have recently been charged by Merseyside Police for fraud related to ticket touting," the club said.

"A total of 1,500 tickets were cancelled across the 2023-24 season, either part of mass cancelations or from account holders who had already received sanctions, and the tickets were made available for resale.

"The vast majority of lifetime bans and indefinite suspensions were handed down for unauthorised selling of season tickets, memberships or hospitality tickets, in breach of terms and conditions. This reflects the club's zero tolerance approach to all forms of ticketing touting.

"This season the club has continued to increase its investment in anti-touting measures, including developing greater online protection, delivering more boots-on-the-ground operations and dedicating more internal resources to take action."