Liverpool are back in League Cup action and the defence of their title sees them travel to Brighton, who never got the better of the Reds on this exact day.
The Reds have met Brighton twice before on this date and Liverpool have yet to lose. In 1982, they recorded a 3-1 home victory and in 2021 the sides drew 2-2 at Anfield.
Another win against the Seagulls will see Liverpool reach the quarter-final of this competition for the 26th time.
Salah to equal Rush and Hunt?
Mo Salah is two short of recording 100 goals for Liverpool away from Anfield. He would become only the third Reds player to achieve the feat, after Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.
At the other end of the pitch, Liverpool have kept seven clean sheets in their 13 games so far this season. Last season it took them 22 matches to record their seventh.
In total, Slot’s men have conceded seven goals during this campaign. In the opening 13 fixtures of last season they shipped 12.
League Cup regulars
Caoimhin Kelleher and Joe Gomez are the most seasoned current League Cup players at the club, each with 16 appearances.
Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo have scored the most goals in this competition of the present squad (six). Curtis Jones is next with five.
If Liverpool lift the trophy later in the season Arne Slot will become the seventh different Liverpool manager to win the League Cup.
And if this match goes to a shootout, the Reds ought to be confident. They have been involved in 15 League Cup penalty shoot-outs, winning 11 and have won 20 of 27 in all competitions, including each of the last four.
A look at the opposition
Fabian Hurzeler is 31 years of age and was born in Houston, Texas. His appointment last summer saw him become the youngest manager in the history of the Premier League and was named Manager of the Month for August.
Last season he led St. Pauli to promotion to the Bundesliga.
Hurzeler is the first man born after the inception of the Premier League in 1992 to manage a club in the competition, and is younger than five of his current squad: James Milner, Danny Welbeck, Lewis Dunk, Jason Steele and Joel Veltman.
Man in the middle
Darren Bond is the referee for this cup clash. He has never refereed Liverpool before, while Brighton have lost only one of their eight games when Bond has taken charge.
Scorers this season
Brighton: Welbeck 6, Adingra 3, Baleba 2, Joao Pedro 2, Rutter 2, Ferguson 1, Hinshelwood 1, Kadioglu 1, Mitoma 1, Minteh 1, O’Mahony 1, Sarmiento 1, Webster 1
Liverpool: Salah 8, Diaz 5, Jota 4, Gakpo 2, Konate 2, Nunez 2, Van Dijk 2, Jones 1, Mac Allister 1, Szoboszlai 1
* Stats courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea (@ged0407).
