Lee Andrews correctly predicted six scorelines over the weekend, and he didn't even know he had won until his daughter told him

Lee Andrews correctly predicted six scorelines over the weekend, and he didn't even know he had won until his daughter told him

Liverpool wonderkid Rio Ngumoha has set himself an ambitious career target, one he shares with Reds right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool wonderkid Rio Ngumoha has set himself an ambitious career target, one he shares with Reds right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold

On Tuesday, Liverpool coach Arne Slot revealed some bad news on Diogo Jota‘s injury as Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler confirmed key absences on his side also.

Today’s Main LFC Headline

The injury Jota sustained to his ribs against Chelsea is set to keep him out for longer than expected.

Having already missed two matches, Slot revealed the Portuguese could miss the next four games as he is now not expected back for at least three weeks. The same was also said for Harvey Elliott.

Asked if he expected the No. 20 to return before the next international break, Slot replied: “No, and Elliott the same.”

He added: “It is a pity that Diogo Jota is not available and Federico Chiesa is also not available because they were, in my opinion, they were the most logical No. 9s.”

Speaking of Chiesa, he is also still out injured. Slot explained: “Sometimes he’s there with us, trains a few days, and then goes out for injury again.

“I don’t want to put days or weeks on it, because I think we just have to make sure he gets in the best possible shape.”

Read more here

Today’s Liverpool FC News

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• Conor Bradley has been training and Slot has said “he could maybe be in the squad” – doesn’t sound like someone who’s starting on Wednesday

• Wataru Endo, however, is in line to start after Slot said he “deserves to play” and “might be in the lineup”

• Liverpool’s coach reacted to Man United‘s sacking of their Erik ten Hag by saying: “We will see him I think in the near future at a big club” – hopefully, it’s one of Liverpool’s rivals

• Trent Alexander-Arnold has told BeIN Sports that wearing the Liverpool shirt “means everything,” adding: “It’s the same as what I’ve felt when I was six” – there’s hope yet he will sign a contract!

More from This Is Anfield

• Rounding up all of the weekend’s action from Liverpool’s loanees here – if you haven’t seen Giorgi Mamardashvili‘s ridiculous double-save yet then you’re missing out!

Elsewhere in the football world today

• Brighton will be without Lewis Dunk, James Milner and Joao Pedro, as well as Adam Webster, Solly March, long-term absentee Matt O’Riley and the in-form Georginio Rutter for Wednesday’s match

• Sporting have said in a statement to Portugal’s financial regulator, the CMVM, that “Manchester United have expressed their interest in recruiting coach Ruben Amorim and have said they are ready to pay the €10 million release clause”

• After being beaten to the Ballon d’Or by Rodri, Vinicius Jr posted on X: “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready” – the whole of Real Madrid haven’t Rodri’s win bizarrely poorly

• At the ceremony on Monday night, Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati was crowned the women’s Ballon d’Or winner for a second consecutive year

Liverpool FC: On this day

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October 29 has seen plenty of goals scored by Liverpool across our 131-year history.

Back in 1892, this date saw Liverpool thrash Welsh side Newtown 9-0 in the Reds’ first-ever home FA Cup match.

Ninety-one years later, in 1983, Ian Rush scored five goals in a single game, becoming just the third of five Liverpool players to manage the feat.

The goals came in a 6-0 battering of Luton at home in the league as Kenny Dalglish scored the Reds’ other, on a day when Rush had his hat-trick completed by the 36th minute!

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Fabinho plays his football in Saudi Arabia and has spoken about the prospect of Liverpool stars joining him

Fabinho plays his football in Saudi Arabia and has spoken about the prospect of Liverpool stars joining him

Gary Neville was criticised for his punditry during Liverpool's clash with Arsenal at the Emirates

Gary Neville was criticised for his punditry during Liverpool's clash with Arsenal at the Emirates

Having come away from north London without defeat, Liverpool head back down south to play Brighton in the League Cup fourth round.

Brighton vs. Liverpool

League Cup (Fourth Round) | Amex Stadium
October 30, 2024 | 7.30pm (GMT)

Though it is still early in the campaign, Liverpool have made themselves contenders for trophies already with great form across all competitions.

With three wins from three in the Champions League and a convincing victory in the third round of the League Cup, Arne Slot‘s side are rightly eyeing silverware this season.

1. Brighton double-header

In an unusual occurrence, Liverpool play the same team twice in the space of four days as they face Brighton in the League Cup on Wednesday, then in the Premier League on Saturday.

Some supporters will have an eye on the league match and perhaps even be willing to sacrifice the Reds’ chances in the League Cup, in order to secure three points.

Neither result is guaranteed, though, and Liverpool’s competitive streak will ensure that whatever team Slot puts out will be up for the fight on Wednesday night.

This competition provides not only an opportunity for silverware, but also a chance for fringe players to get much-needed minutes to stay sharp.

2. How they reached the fourth round

Due to playing in Europe, Liverpool came into the League Cup at the third round stage.

They were drawn against West Ham and confidently dispatched of them at Anfield with a 5-1 win, despite initially going behind after a Jarell Quansah own goal.

Meanwhile, Brighton have had to navigate two rounds to reach this stage, first beating Crawley 4-0 at home before beating Wolves 3-2 on the south coast.

The team that comes out victorious from this game will play in the quarter-finals the week before Christmas.

3. Team news

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Liverpool will be without Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota for both clashes with Brighton, as Slot revealed they are expected to be out until after the next international break.

Conor Bradley will probably also miss out on a start, with Slot saying he “could maybe be in the squad.”

This leaves Joe Gomez or Trent Alexander-Arnold to play right-back in a defence that will likely also include Jarell Quansah and Kostas Tsimikas.

Alisson also remains absent so Vitezslav Jaros will be in the squad, either as a substitute or a starter.

4. Starting XI prediction

• READ HERE: LFC lineup options vs. Brighton – 5 changes as Endo starts

Slot must answer an interesting question up front, now we know Jota will be out for another three weeks.

Nunez is left as Liverpool’s only recognised striker during a busy period of fixtures. Ideally, to keep the Uruguayan’s energy levels at their highest, he would have been rested.

However, Chiesa, who could have filled in up front, is also missing, so Slot may play Nunez again.

Predicted XI: Kelleher; Gomez, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Endo, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

5. No Lewis Dunk for Brighton

Despite a change of manager in the summer, 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler replacing Marseille-bound Roberto de Zerbi, Brighton have maintained last season’s levels and currently sit sixth in the Premier League.

Just two points behind Arsenal, they have won four of their nine league matches so far this season while drawing four and losing once, a 4-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool will face a tricky test at the Amex, likely playing a weakened team, but Brighton might not be at their best either.

Hurzeler will be without the likes of Lewis Dunk, James Milner and Joao Pedro, as well as Adam Webster, Solly March, long-term absentee Matt O’Riley and the in-form Georginio Rutter (cup-tied).

The manager has also confirmed that Jason Steele will start in goal for the Seagulls, like in the last round.

6. The striker situation

As mentioned, Slot has somewhat of a conundrum to work out with Jota and even Jayden Danns unavailable:

“About Darwin, I gave him credit that he worked so hard in previous weeks where he didn’t play a lot to be able to play three times in a row, I think three games in eight days.

“It was a good thing his ban for Uruguay was cancelled so he could play two games there, that helped him to play the way he did. I’m not talking about the quality, but the intensity he played with.

“That was a positive thing. It is a pity that Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa are not available because they were, in my opinion, the most logical No. 9s.

“But still, we have some other options with the ones you just said (Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Mo Salah).”

7. A look at the numbers

The Reds have met Brighton twice before on this date and Liverpool have yet to lose. In 1982, they recorded a 3-1 home victory and in 2021 the sides drew 2-2 at Anfield.

Another win against the Seagulls will see Liverpool reach the quarter-final of this competition for the 26th time.

Caoimhin Kelleher and Gomez are the most seasoned current League Cup players at the club, each with 16 appearances.

Of the present squad, Jota and Gakpo have scored the most goals in this competition (6). Meanwhile, Curtis Jones is next-best with five.

8. Straight to penalties

With Liverpool and Brighton both trying to feel each other out knowing they have another meeting just days later, there is a good chance this match will end in a draw.

Should that be the case, the game would go straight to a penalty shootout after 90 minutes, with no extra time in this competition until the two-legged semi-finals.

If the match does end up going to penalties, the Reds ought to be confident. They have been involved in 15 League Cup penalty shootouts, winning 11 of those as well as 20 of 27 in all competitions, including each of the last four.

9. A new referee for the Reds

Darren Bond will take charge of the match. The official from Lancashire has never refereed Liverpool before.

He has, though, refereed Brighton who have lost only one of their eight games when Bond has been in charge.

While Liverpool haven’t met Bond before, assistants Darren Cann and Matthew Wilkes are familiar, as is fourth official Simon Hooper.

10. Follow the match with TIA

Brighton vs. Liverpool is live on Sky Sports+ with kickoff at 7.30pm (GMT)

TIA’s matchday live blog will be up and running from 6.45pm, with Henry Jackson tasked with keeping you entertained and up-to-date.

Come on you Reds!

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Trent Alexander-Arnold has reiterated that Liverpool “means everything” to him, with the right-back still feeling the same way as he did when he was six years old.

As the talk around his contract situation mounts up, Alexander-Arnold has pledged his ongoing love for Liverpool and insisted that he still feels the same about the club as he did 20 years ago.

The right-back was speaking to beIN Sports earlier this week when he was asked how much playing for the Reds means to him.

Trent Alexander Arnold on how much Liverpool FC means to him #LFC pic.twitter.com/MdpmUF5Hft

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) October 27, 2024

“It’s the same as what I’ve felt when I was six, when I first pulled the shirt on. It means everything,” he said.

“It’s a privilege, it’s an honour. I know how many people wish they were in my position and I don’t take that for granted.

“It’s something that I worked really, really hard for, so it’s something that I embrace and I love it.

“It’s something that I enjoy doing, every single time.

“It’s been over 300 times now that I’ve done it, first-team football, most of those times have ended in good results, some haven’t, but through the good and the bad I’ve loved putting the shirt on.”

Those words may give encouragement to fans as they await developments in talks between Liverpool and their vice-captain, with it clear they can offer something no other club can.

But there was also a sense of finality in his words, despite his affinity to the club, when he was asked about his favourite moment.

“My debut. From the age of six, my dream was always to play for Liverpool. It was something that motivated me every single day of my life,” he explained.

“Coming through the academy, getting closer and closer and closer to it, that was a motivation.

“Every training session I was like ‘I need to be the best player in training every single day and that will give me a better chance in the long run’.

“Because if I can be the best player in my age group then I can go into the next age group.

“Then it was ‘can I be the best player in training and eventually I’ll be the best player’ and keep going and keep going until eventually it happens.

“It was a long, long journey and I said to myself, no matter what, ‘I might go on and play 500, 600 games for Liverpool, I might play one game for Liverpool, I might play 300, I might play however many, but I might only ever play one game for Liverpool’.

“The moment I stepped out onto that pitch and the referee blew his whistle and I played, if I got injured in the first minute, I’d still say I’d made my debut.

“And no one can take that away from me, at all, no one can ever take that away from me, that I made my debut. That was my dream, my one and only dream as a child.”

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Trent Alexander-Arnold recently revealed he’d rather win the Ballon d’Or than the Champions League or World Cup. Liverpool youngster Rio Ngumoha has a lot further to go to reach such heights but he too has stated his belief that he can be crowned the greatest player in the world one day.

"I believe I can win the Ballon d'Or," Alexander-Arnold said last week. “I want to be the first full-back to ever do it. It’s only the morning after you retire that you’re able to look in the mirror and say: ‘I gave it everything I got’.”

Where he has 322 Liverpool appearances and multiple major honors on his CV, Ngumoha has yet to make his debut in senior football. As he only turned 16 two months ago, that’s hardly surprising. Nonetheless, the attacking midfielder, who joined the Reds from Chelsea, does not lack for self-belief.

Ngumoha was recently speaking on Lovell Soccer’s Inside The Academy. "I truly believe I can win the Ballon d'Or one day. I want to be regarded as one of the best players to ever play football and be a legend of the game,” he said.

"The love for football started when I was four or five. I was watching my brother and I wanted to be like him. I was going to academies from a young age and it was a big thing when so many clubs wanted to sign me.

"I have learned you have to be resilient and believe in yourself. You can have a few bad games but you have to have that belief that you are the best. For me, if I am in bad form I just put it behind me and work hard,” Ngumoha added.

The teenager has so far made five appearances for Liverpool at youth level. In the under-18 Premier League, he has appeared against Blackburn, Leeds and Newcastle, providing an assist in the middle of those three matches.

Ngumoha has also played twice in the UEFA Youth League. He was a substitute in the goalless draw with AC Milan before starting the 2-1 win over Bologna. The former Chelsea youth has also been playing for England’s under-17 side in their European Championship qualification programme. Both games in which he featured were won 4-0, with Ngumoha setting up a goal against Malta.

He might be a very long way from a Ballon d’Or but he is continuing to develop well with these varied experiences. Ngumoha is definitely one to watch in the years ahead.

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Mason Mount has expressed his gratitude to Erik ten Hag following the Manchester United manager's dismissal. The midfielder, who joined United from Chelsea in 2023, has had a challenging time at Old Trafford due to injuries and limited opportunities under Ten Hag.

Despite this, he took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message for his former boss, writing: "Thank you gaffer," and "Wish you all the best for the future."

Other United players, including club captain Bruno Fernandes, also thanked Ten Hag on social media after he was sacked on Monday, with Fernandes writing: "Thanks for everything boss!

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"I appreciate the trust and the moments we share together, I wish you all the best in the future. Even knowing the last period hasn't been great from all of us I hope you fans can keep with you the good things the manager has done for our club! ".

Rasmus Hojlund, who arrived at Old Trafford alongside Mount, shared his gratitude: "Thanks for everything boss. Wish you all the best in the future."

Alejandro Garnacho also expressed his thanks: "Thank you for everything, boss. I will always be grateful to you for giving me the opportunity and the confidence to play for this club. It hasn't gone as well as we wanted, but I will remember the good times we had together and I wish you all the best in the future. Thank you very much Erik."

Kobbie Mainoo didn't hold back either, saying: "Thank you for your trust and belief in me and for giving me the opportunity to play for my boyhood club. I wish you all the best for the future."

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim is the big favorite to take over at Old Trafford, with former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy placed in temporary charge.

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Michael Carrick has emphasized the importance of patience with Liverpool loanee Ben Doak, following his substitution in Sunday's match against Norwich City. Middlesbrough was leading 3-1 at Carrow Road when Doak was taken off just after the hour mark.

The teenager had been instrumental in what had been a stellar away performance up to that point. However, with Isaiah Jones unable to replicate Doak's impact, Boro lost their grip on the game and ultimately had to settle for a draw.

Speaking about Doak's potential, Carrick said: "Ben is dangerous, we know that, we know what he's capable of. He's still young and we still have to be patient with him and help him develop. We like to think we have the options of going right, left or through the middle.

Arne Slot showed he's better than Erik ten Hag within minutes as huge Ruben Amorim problem clear

Liverpool transfer news as player 'better than Cristiano Ronaldo' and Virgil van Dijk heir eyed

"Then it's up to the players and we give them the freedom to feel where the space is to attack. I thought we played some fantastic football at times and got the reward with goals and could have scored more."

Doak is still finding his feet at Boro and only completed a full 90 minutes for the first time last weekend in the defeat to Bristol City. He remained on the pitch until the 89th minute in the midweek victory over Sheffield United.

Since making his first start against Stoke City, Doak has been a regular starter for Boro. However, this was his first start in seven months, as the young winger missed most of last season due to a serious knee injury.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot mentioned Doak in his press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup clash with Brighton, with Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott all out injured.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot (Image: Getty Images)

"In certain situations you'd prefer to keep them here because then they can training with you and you can implement in the best possible way your playing style, but if that means they hardly play then it doesn't lead to the progression you are hoping for," says the Reds coach. "That is the balance we always try to find.

"Some players we let on loan, Stefan Bajcetic is a good example of that, then you hope to see he plays a lot and has already played a few games. It's pleasing that he went to a very good manager in Pep Lijnders that knows this club also. For Ben Doak it is similar, he also went to a very good manager and a very good playing style.

"Do we want to play them on a regular basis, or once in a while keeping them with us? We have to be aware of our own interests, we can't let everyone go who doesn't play all the time.

"We have six forwards, two of them are injured and only have four left, with the schedule we have, that's sometimes a worry for me. Maybe we should bring Ben Doak back!"

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Against Arsenal, Liverpool's out-of-contract trio once again proved why they are worthy of new deals

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Erik ten Hag was sacked by Manchester United on Monday and Ruben Amorim, who was in talks to become Liverpool boss earlier this year, is now the favourite to take over

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