'Very interesting': Fabian Hurzeler shares why he can't wait for Brighton to play Liverpool twice in a row
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After a fairly gentle opening to their Premier League season, Liverpool’s life is about to get a fair bit harder.
The Reds currently sit top of the table heading into the seventh matchday of the campaign so far.
However, while that is clearly a fantastic position to be in, Arne Slot has been keen to point out at every opportunity that the fixture list may have helped Liverpool.
Although the Reds have already been to Old Trafford and beaten Manchester United, all of their other games looked very winnable on paper.
The difficulty level is set to be ramped up following the October international break as Liverpool get a big test of their credentials.
Part of that will be a double-header against Brighton. Having been drawn against the Seagulls in the Carabao Cup fourth round, Liverpool head to the South Coast on October the 30th before a clash at Anfield on November the 2nd.
Fabian Hurzeler looks ahead to Liverpool tests
Brighton have been tough opposition for every team in the Premier League over recent seasons.
For Liverpool, though, there has been a bit of a sense that the Seagulls have had their number. The Reds are without a win in their past three visits to the Amex Stadium.
In fact, Liverpool have only won once in their past five games with Brighton. Stretch that back further and their record looks even worse.
In the last nine meetings between the Reds and the Seagulls, Liverpool have emerged victorious just twice. Brighton have won three of those matches.
Things may be different this time, of course. But you could understand why head coach Fabian Hurzeler would be confident about the upcoming double header.
READ MORE: BBC pundits in agreement over Liverpool’s Premier League title pursuit under Arne Slot
And in quotes from Sussex World, Hurzeler has admitted that he is looking forward to the tactical battle of picking two teams in four days against Slot.
“I had a similar situation last season with my former club, where we played the cup game against Dusseldorf three days after a league game,” says the 31-year-old. “It’s always interesting how you prepare the first match, then how it went in the first match.
“If you do some changes, if not, if you change a player, if you change a tactic, it’s a little bit like a tactical thing, but also how fit are the players in these cases.
“It will be very interesting to play two games in a row against Liverpool,” adds Hurzeler. “They had a great start to the season, they have a great new coach.”
Who do Liverpool play before Brighton?
While it will certainly be fascinating to see these two teams play against each other twice in such close proximity, Liverpool won’t be thinking about it for a little while.
In the 30 days before they head to the Amex, the Reds have five difficult games to navigate.
That starts on Wednesday as Bologna come to Anfield in the Champions League. A trip to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday lunchtime is the final match before the international break.
The Reds then return with a Sunday fixture at home against Chelsea on October the 20th before visiting RB Leipzig in the Champions League the following Wednesday.
Another away match beckons the Sunday after, with a massive looking game against Arsenal at the Emirates. Finally, Liverpool head back down South almost immediately with the Brighton tie scheduled for Wednesday the 30th. A lot to look forward to.
