“I am backing them to start that process here, and get the month off to a winning start” – Chris Sutton makes confident prediction about Liverpool vs Brighton

Former Chelsea striker turned pundit Chris Sutton has made his prediction for Liverpool's Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday (October 1).

The Premier League returns this weekend after the international break, but both Liverpool and Brighton have had extended breaks from league football.

Both sides saw their last couple of games postponed following the demise of Queen Elizabeth II.

Sutton has predicted the Reds will cruise past the Seagulls with a 3-1 scoreline at Anfield. He has tipped Jurgen Klopp's side to make a strong response following their poor start to the season.

He has predicted that new Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi will take a rather cautious approach in his first game in charge.

However, Sutton believes that the Reds should be able to secure a win. He told BBC Sport:

"Brighton had a good record here under Potter, with a draw and a win in their past two visits, but this is our first look at them under new boss Roberto De Zerbi. He's got a reputation for being an attack-minded manager, but will he really try that at Anfield? That would be very brave, but I would love to see it."

He added:

"Liverpool made an extremely flat start to the season so maybe the pause in the season following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and then the international break came at a good time for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp."

Sutton has also claimed that Liverpool will be looking to build strong momentum by beating Brighton to recover from their underwhelming start to the season. He added:

"October is an extremely busy month for the Reds, with nine games in total, and playing so often might just help them to get their rhythm back. I am backing them to start that process here, and get the month off to a winning start - although it won't be straightforward."

---

Liverpool will be looking to make a statement against Brighton

Brighton enjoyed a brilliant start to their season but their momentum could be lost having lost Graham Potter to Chelsea. The Seagulls are fourth in the table, having lost just one out of their six matches so far.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have endured a difficult start to the season and have looked far from their usual best. The Reds are eighth in the Premier League table and have won just two out of their six league matches.

Jurgen Klopp will surely be keen to make a statement as Premier League football resumes this weekend.

The Reds are already nine points behind league leaders Arsenal and eight points behind last season's champions Manchester City.

However, with a game in hand, they can still recover from their shaky start to the season but a lot could depend on the outcome against Brighton.