TRon

Maybe De Zerbi just really hates Liverpool for some unknown, but totally understandable reason.

Strangely the nerves are winding down now, I'm just feeling a dull anticipation. I think the fear is worse 24 hrs before, as the game approaches, adrenaline seems to take over.

Well I'm also surprised, but definitely more confident. If they want to leave Mac Allister out it'll do me.

Well that's a turn up. Would be glorious if a Liverpool intervention prevented them from getting CL football.

He's in for a culture shock.

Fuck finishing top 6, I won't even contemplate anything less than a CL finish until it's officially gone.

That or TOON! TOON! Black and white army, both work equally well, and if thundering around the ground could cause Brighton to collapse under the lights.

Wilson's a baller as well tbh, and Isak would be lethal coming off the bench if we needed a winner.

Aye, fuck the Friends birds, this is what's getting me hard.

Wtf? I thought I was bad for nerves, but no way am I not watching it!

I think we might get huge gaps in midfield again then, which Brighton would probably enjoy quite a lot. I hope I'm wrong though.

This is me as well. I know we have many well meaning sorts telling us how we should be revelling in playing games like this, and I am, but I'm also dreading it as well. Feels worse than the League Cup final because I never really believed we were going to win that at the time as our form had dipped and we lost Pope just before the game. Today's match almost has too much riding on it for me to enjoy it beforehand, hopefully once it kicks off the adrenaline will take over.

I think this has to be a start either Isak OR Wilson scenario, not both. Bring in ASM or Gordon instead which will give us three in the middle, Joelinton, Bruno and Willock. Hopefully that would give us the bodies to compete in the middle in Longstaff's absence, especially considering how good Brighton are at playing through that area.

Those lads can all motor for sure.

There is a school of thought that the best path to a win is to play it safe though. Don't leave too much space in front of the defence, let them come on to us, then hit them when they have too many players pushed forward.

We were mildly linked to Dendoncker as well in the summer iirc, he ended up at Villa so I assume he wasn't considered good enough as a squad player, but he seemed to do pretty well against us.

It would make sense if they felt Zinchenko was maybe an upgrade on Tierney, otherwise you would think they would sign a promising understudy if they had confidence Tierney would be fit for enough games.

You do have to wonder why Arsenal sought to replace him then. Is it just that they had the opportunity to buy an equally good LB in Zinchenko and took it figuring he might be a bit more durable?

Can see that backfiring. Going from a disciplinarian in Vieira to a nice friendly old face can work short term because of the feelgood factor, but when a club feels like it's treading water, the younger squad players can start taking the piss. Some of the more ambitious ones will start getting itchy feet as well.

Yeah I think this was their chance, sneaking in late via the play-offs took all the pressure off them. I doubt they'll get into the top 6 next season without Diallo. Imagine if we win tomorrow as well, their world will have been turned upside down in the space of 48hrs.

Honestly feels like one of those games where we need to keep our shape and wait for the openings in this one for that reason, it's how Brighton have been beaten in recent games. The last thing we need is to press too far up the pitch and leave our defence vulnerable to the counter like we did against Liverpool, although that was more a long ball catching us out, but same principle applies. I think this is a game where we have to stay patient and take the game deep if we have to, then use the subs wisely to find the winner.

Two of those three were against Arsenal and Brighton, if you took the CL scenario out of the situation, you would never be guaranteed to win either in any season. Both are hard games regardless of home advantage. It's almost as daft as going to Chelsea on the last day of the season expecting it to be an easy win because they've had a bad season. Games at this level can go either way.

It shouldn't be that much of a surprise since 70% of refs in the PL are either scousers or Liverpool fans anyway.

We should get our money back so not a massive issue anyway.

Pretty hard to forget we had Pardew and Kinnear in charge tbh, but the next game is always the most important one. What happened yesterday is gone. But yeah, we need to have perspective, I think most of us do, we'll still be bricking it though when Thursday comes around.