- Brighton & Hove Albion vs Liverpool kick-off delayed by 15 minutes
- Road accident leads to a traffic jam near the stadium
- Reds fans could not reach the stadium in time
Liverpool fans on their way to the American Express Stadium were handed some relief after the kick-off of the Brighton & Hove Albion clash was delayed by 15 minutes. The fans could not reach the stadium in time after a road accident on the A27 caused a traffic jam.
The match, scheduled to start at 12:30 pm UK time, has been pushed by 15 minutes to 12:45 pm. The Premier League confirmed the change just minutes before the game was supposed to start and released a statement:
“Kick-off for today’s Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool has been delayed by 15 minutes to 12:45pm, due to heavy traffic in the local area delaying the arrival of supporters.”
Liverpool vs Brighton
Liverpool have a chance to jump to fourth in the Premier League for the time being with a win today. The three points would take them a point above Aston Villa, who take on West Ham United on Sunday, March 22.
The Reds will also be able to move closer to third-placed Manchester United, who dropped points on Friday, March 20, after a draw at AFC Bournemouth. The Red Devils are currently on 55 points, six clear of Arne Slot’s side, and a win today would cut the gap to three.
More importantly for the Reds, a win today would see them move four clear of Chelsea, who are in Merseyside this weekend to face Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Blues have one win in their last five Premier League matches and are on a 3-match losing streak in all competitions.
Liverpool Make Changes vs Brighton
Arne Slot was forced to make two key changes to his starting XI following injuries to Alisson and Mohamed Salah. The Brazilian has confirmed he will be out for some time, while the Egyptian is expected to return swiftly after the international break.
In the starting XI, Giorgi Mamardashvili has slotted in as the goalkeeper, with Jeremie Fripoing and Milos Kerkez starting as the fullbacks. Virgil van Dijk captains the side as expected, and he has Ibrahima Konate to partner him in the backline.
Ryan Gravenberch plays in the pivot, with Alexis Max Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai supporting him in midfield. Florian Wirtz plays on the right wing today in Salah’s absence, while Hugo Ekitite leads the attack, and Cody Gakpo plays on the left wing.
