Liverpool head to Brighton knowing this is exactly the kind of game that will show whether the Galatasaray performance was a turning point or simply another false dawn in an inconsistent season.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYWe were outstanding in midweek at Anfield, but the challenge now is to carry that level into the Premier League, where too often this campaign we’ve followed a strong display with another frustrating setback.Opta gives Liverpool only a slight edgeAccording to Opta Analyst, this is expected to be one of the tightest games of the weekend, with Liverpool only very narrowly backed to come out on top.“Liverpool are only slight favourites to win on the south coast according to the supercomputer, with a 37.2% chance of victory to Brighton’s 36.6%. There is a 26.2% chance of a draw.”That tells its own story about how difficult this fixture looks, especially with Brighton arriving in decent form and Liverpool still trying to prove we can produce strong performances consistently.Opta also pointed to one of the biggest concerns around Arne Slot’s side this season, namely our inability to see games out late on.“Liverpool have conceded eight goals in the 90th minute (including stoppage time) in the Premier League this season.“All eight of these goals against them have been decisive in them either drawing (three) or losing (five) the match.”Brighton test comes with familiar concernsThat sense of uncertainty has already been picked up elsewhere, with Chris Sutton backing Brighton to win 2-1 and questioning which version of Liverpool will turn up on the day.The task is made tougher by the absence of Mo Salah, with Slot confirming in his pre-match press conference that the Egyptian is “not available for tomorrow”, which removes one of our biggest match-winners from the equation.Even so, there are reasons for encouragement.Opta noted that we’ve already beaten Brighton twice at Anfield this season, while the confidence gained from the 4-0 win over Galatasaray should give the squad belief.Still, this won’t be easy, and Opta made that clear throughout their preview.“Brighton are in good form, too, winning three of their last four games (L1), while Liverpool have lost nine matches this season.”If we’re serious about making the Galatasaray display the new standard, this is the sort of away game we now have to find a way to win.The post Liverpool narrowly backed by Opta for difficult Brighton trip appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.