Brighton v Liverpool: Premier League
Update:
Date: 2025-05-19T18:00:35.000Z
Title: Preamble
Content: Liverpool may have taken the phrase 'on the beach' a little too literally in the last week – with manager Arne Slot pictured at Wayne Lineker's beach club in Ibiza alongside former EastEnders actor Dean Gaffney Dean Gaffney (no, really) and the rest of the squad in other cultural destinations like Dubai for Trent Alexander-Arnold's leaving do – but let's see what sort of shape they are in tonight.
Brighton (a) is a tough gig, even when the champions are firing on all cylinders and actually have something to play for, so this will likely be a tough test for Slot's brave boys. The Seagulls are still in with a shot of Europe: finishing eighth is still a viable (although not certain) route to the Conference League. There are two ways that the eighth-placed team can get a place in the Conference League:
1) Chelsea finish seventh and win the Conference League. Champions League: 1st to 5th, Man Utd or Spurs as Europa League winners. Europa League: 6th, Crystal Palace as FA Cup winners, Chelsea as Conference League winners (7th). Conference League: 8th
2) Chelsea finish sixth and win the Conference League, while Newcastle finish seventh. Champions League: 1st to 5th, Man Utd or Spurs as Europa League winners. Europa League: Newcastle (7th), Crystal Palace as FA Cup winners, Chelsea as Conference League winners (6th). Conference League: 8th
In either of these scenarios, the Premier League would have 10 teams – half of the Premier League – playing in Europe next season. Here is the current league table before kick-off. Brighton are ninth but only need a draw tonight to go into the final day in pole position to claim eighth.
So, quite the cherry for Brighton to play for, particularly as they have never won a major honour and would likely be the runaway favourites to win next season's Conference League if they qualify. There's a bigger question over whether the budgets of English teams in European's minor competitions (West Ham 2023, Spurs/Manchester United 2025, etc) renders the rest of said competitions rather predictable but this is just a humble preamble and we won't be answering those questions here!
Instead, let's look forward to a sun-drenched evening of football in Sussex, as the best team in England visit one of the nation's most exciting sides.
Kick-off: 8pm BST.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
15 minutes ago
- Metro
Leroy Sane sends message to Bayern Munich over Arsenal transfer
Leroy Sane has indicated he is 'very interested' in a move to Arsenal amid his contract dispute with Bayern Munich, according to reports in Germany. The 29-year-old winger will become a free agent in a matter of weeks after failing to reach an agreement with Bayern over a contract extension. Sane joined the Bundesliga giants from Manchester City in 2020 in a deal worth up to £55m. Making at least 40 appearances every season since arriving at the club, Sane has been a hugely influential member of the Bayern squad, playing a major role in four league title wins. Bayern Munich bosses are keen to keep hold of Sane and have already offered him a new three-year contract on reduced terms. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. But Sane rejected the offer as he is unwilling to take a pay-cut and has since been linked with a number of Premier League clubs. German outlet BILD say Sane is yet to make a final decision on his future despite the fact he is set to become a free agent on July 1. It is also claimed Sane is 'very interested' in joining Arsenal, with a move to London 'appealing' to him and his wife Candice. Sane has attracted interest from Arsenal's Premier League rivals Tottenham and Newcastle United but moves to those clubs does not appear to be a genuine possibility at this stage. Other options include a move to Saudi Arabia or Serie A champions Napoli but those are less attractive to Sane, according to BILD. 'I would love Leroy Sane to sign for Spurs; he's a world class player who has won everything. 'Why would you not want him at your football club? He might've picked up a few injuries in his career, but you can't tell me he wouldn't be a great signing for Spurs – even if he demands £250,000 a week!' Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O'Hara speaking to Grosvenor Sport Despite the intense transfer speculation, Sane is not expected to make a decision before the Club World Cup starts this weekend. Bayern are even considering offering Sane a short-term contract to ensure he features in the tournament, even if he could leave shortly after Bayern Munich return from the United States. Sane is also aware of interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, who are both ready to make lucrative offers to secure his signature. But a move to Arsenal would give Sane a reunion with Mikel Arteta, who he worked with at Manchester City while the current Gunners boss was assistant to Pep Guardiola. Arteta is keen to bolster his attacking options ahead of the 2025-26 campaign but Didi Hamann believes it would be a mistake to sign Sane. 'If you look at Arsenal, I think you need very good players to improve the team,' Hamann told Best Betting Sites. 'And obviously Saka plays on the right. More Trending 'Leroy Sane mainly plays on the right and he's a hugely talented player. He's been at Bayern for five years now. He just hasn't done it on a consistent basis. 'Now, why would he do it now for the next three years when he's 29? He's a hugely talented player, but we shouldn't talk about a player who's 29 about his talent – we should talk about the impact they have and the medals they've won. 'At that age, you're looking for guarantees from your performance level, and Sane just hasn't given me any assurance that he can deliver consistently. 'I don't think Arsenal should be looking at him and certainly not moving for him.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Arsenal interested in sensational £70m swoop for Man Utd star to rival Chelsea MORE: Why Benjamin Sesko isn't playing for Slovenia tonight after Arsenal transfer links MORE: PSG star Gianluigi Donnarumma responds to Man Utd and Man City transfer links
The Guardian
17 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Thomas Frank and the problem with daring to do too much at Tottenham
As the wait goes on for Thomas Frank to be announced as Tottenham Hotspur's new manager, Football Daily can't help but wonder what exactly is causing the delay. On Sunday it was reported that personal terms between the Dane and Daniel Levy had more or less been agreed, a compensatory fee in the region of £10m for Brentford was deemed to be adequate and all that was left to be decided was how many of Frank's coaching staff would be joining him. But while the Daily holds Keith Andrews – who has successfully muscled his way in to the pantheon of camera-hogging set-piece coaches with great hair in recent months – in the very highest of regard, we're going to go out on a limb and guess the former Ireland international's inclusion in any exit package almost certainly isn't a deal-breaker. What might be troubling Frank, at this potentially crucial juncture in his career, is that Spurs, not content with sacking managers for not winning trophies, have just got rid of the bloke who secured their first one in 17 years. Given the comparatively snakebelly low expectations he shoulders in his current role, Brentford's manager could be forgiven for wanting to know exactly what will be expected of him in N17 and more pertinently, if the Spurs hierarchy actually have any clear idea. Given that winning Bigger Vase and qualifying for next season's Bigger Cup was not deemed good enough for Ange Postecoglou to keep his job, the Tottenham board have ostensibly made it clear that finishing higher up the Premier League than 17th is quite literally all that concerns them. 'To dare is to do,' as the club motto says, just so long as you don't dare to do anything so audacious as win a cup and seat at European football's top table. Among a small handful of top-flight managers who are almost universally liked and admired, Frank has long been renowned as a very straight talker. So much so that in any interview scenario between him and a prospective new employer, it is not difficult to imagine the Dane asking the more probing questions while his headhunter squirms in the face of a barrage of interrogatory projectiles. The second-longest serving manager in the Premier League behind Pep Guardiola, Frank ticks a number of the apparently requisite boxes for Spurs in so far as he has never won anything, hasn't been relegated, doesn't wang on about knack all the time and doesn't say 'mate' in a passive-aggressive way when the world is conspiring against him. And while his slow starts at Brondby and Brentford, where he won two out of his first 18 matches combined, may perturb a fanbase who are not exactly famous for their patience, he seems as good a choice as any for a club that increasingly seems to have little or no idea what it wants or who it needs to help them achieve it. Join Rob Smyth at 7.45pm (BST) for red-hot friendly updates on England 0-0 Senegal. The level will increase immediately once we are playing against Portugal or Spain. We will rise to the occasion. This will come. It will bring out the very best in us' – Thomas Tuchel, there, wrapping up some words in a big white sheet with two eyeholes cut into it, and inviting them to come back and haunt him. Following last week's balanced piece in Football Daily on how Cristiano Ronaldo's ego continues to destroy Portugal's chances of success, readers will look forward to some acknowledgement of that side's Nations League victory. Perhaps focusing on how a 40-year-old Scotland captain, say, would be viewed if he had just led his country to a tournament final victory over England, scoring eight goals along the way including one in the final and the winner against Germany in the semi-final' – Brian Broderick. Re: transfer speculation concerning Granny Bellingham (yesterday's Football Daily – full email edition); I have it on good authority the next target in the family will be Lynda – I got it from a reliable sauce' – Andy Korman. If you do have any, please send letters to Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is … Rollover. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here. When it comes to Manchester City's succession planning, the question is always the same: how on earth do you replace Pep? Well, how about with another Pep. You see, the club have nipped in to appoint Pepijn Lijnders as Guardiola's No 2. It's a move that seemed highly unlikely a year ago, when Jürgen Klopp's wingman at Liverpool followed the German out of Anfield and took the top job at RB Salzburg. Unfortunately for the Dutchman, he bombed, and was sacked before Christmas. But if he now studies under Guardiola at City, having already absorbed the best of Kloppball, you'd imagine Ljinders could be one hell of a skilful coach in a few years' time. He's still only 42 and has plenty of time left to have a proper stab at a managerial position once again. We can already guess how Liverpool fans will feel about their one-time fist-pumping assistant bringing his intense methods to the Etihad. They'll be wishing him all the best won't they? And if it does all go wrong for Ljinders at City, he's always got his career as a writer to fall back on. Here's David Squires on … the buildup to Gianni Infantino's big, beautiful Club World Cup in the land of Trump. Hey Jobe, don't be afraid, go to Dortmund, just like your brother. The £32m midfielder may even face his sibling at the Club World Cup. Nottingham Forest have chucked their two pennorth into the Crystal Palace multi-club ownership wrangle, and have written to Uefa arguing that Palace are in breach of its MCO rules. Shy and retiring head-honcho Evangelos Marinakis, who also owns Olympiakos, put his own Forest shares into a blind trust before the end of the season. And the club that would take Palace's place should they be hoyed out of Bigger Vase? Why, Nottingham Forest of course. Dean Huijsen has checked in at the Bernabéu and his days at Bournemouth already seem like a lifetime ago. 'I've wanted to be here since day one,' sobbed the defender. 'Since Madrid called, I've had no other team in mind.' Chelsea could be looking elsewhere for another new keeper after failing to agree a fee with Milan for Mike Maignan. Meanwhile, the Blues have thrown in a fresh £42m bid for Dortmund's Jamie Gittens. In more transfer deadline day (part one) news: Kieran Tierney has left Arsenal to rejoin Celtic on a five-year deal. 'To be here with the strip on again just feels amazing,' trilled the full-back. Arsenal will play all their WSL home fixtures at the Emirates next season. 'Bringing every WSL match [here] is another step for more supporters to be part of this special journey,' cheered Gunners boss Renée Slegers. Though Wales were beaten 4-3 by Belgium in a thriller, Sorba Thomas knows who the real winners were. 'Even though we lost the game, I feel like we won it in our own heads,' he honked. It says here that Che Adams scored a hat-trick (subs, please check) as Scotland stormed the Rheinpark Stadium and dished out a 4-0 beatdown to Liechtenstein last night. And perhaps after reading yesterday's Football Daily, Claudio Ranieri has dilly-dinged and dilly-donged himself out of the running for the Italy job. There's an interview with Brighton's Tanzanian trailblazer Aisha Masaka in the latest edition of our sister email, which you can read right here. Chilled-out entertainer Bukayo Saka talks about feeling 'more balanced about football and life', writes Andy Hunter. 'I'd be a bit gutted if you ended up winning a Club World Cup competition and not being there.' Will Unwin talks to Manchester City and Chelsea fans ignoring the scepticism and apathy to travel to the Club World Cup. Jonathan Wilson is very much in the 'no' camp though, and warns that it's another step towards a global super league. Leander Schaerlaeckens on why another dose of sports dad drama is the last thing the USMNT needs. And which big clubs are poised to swoop for Bournemouth's Semenyo and Zabarnyi? The Rumour Mill sifts through today's tittle-tattle. Admittedly, we're struggling for context, but here's Fabio Capello getting into the spirit of things at the Circus Medrano for the Epiphany in June 2003.
BBC News
18 minutes ago
- BBC News
Defender Kesler-Hayden expected to leave Villa this summer
Defender Kaine Kesler-Hayden is likely to leave Aston Villa this summer after an impressive loan spell at Preston North 22-year-old is attracting interest from the Championship and abroad following a standout season at has come through Villa's academy - making four substitute appearances - and any cash will help the club comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).Kesler-Hayden, an England Under-20 international, won Preston's young player of the season and player of the season full-back made 51 appearances as North End finished 20th in the has previously spent time on loan at Swindon, MK Dons, Huddersfield and Plymouth.
