Brighton will enter the Premier League title race if they defeat Liverpool and Manchester City in their next two matches, Paul Merson has said.
The Seagulls are third in the table behind Manchester City and Arsenal, having won their last four league games. Their first test is a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool, followed by a meeting with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on October 31.
Brighton have not won at Anfield in their last six visits in all competitions, while Liverpool are still waiting for their first home league victory of the season.
“That is it in a nutshell: we’ll see where they are after the next two games,” Merson said.
“If they go and win their next two games, I don’t care how long has gone in the season, they are one million per cent title contenders. Then it’s a different game. Then they are going to places expecting to win.”
Brighton title race claim faces Liverpool and Manchester City test
Merson acknowledged that Liverpool had not been at their best, but said a Brighton victory would still represent a major result.
“Liverpool are not playing really well. They are not setting the world alight at the moment. But it will be headline news if they get beaten by Brighton,” he said.
He added: “And Brighton, at the moment, you would probably say are a better team than Liverpool. But it’s the big team mentality. The pressure’s different.”
Merson believes Brighton’s high-intensity approach makes them a difficult opponent for the leading sides. “They close you down, they play at a tempo, they suffocate you,” he said.
“They’ve got a lot of games coming up, but they’re good testers. If I’m Man City and Liverpool, I don’t really want to be playing Brighton.”
Jamie Carragher has also praised Fabian Hurzeler’s side, comparing their style with that of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
“Right now, they are the story of the season. I just love the way they play,” Carragher said. “They remind me a little bit of watching a Jurgen Klopp Liverpool team; really aggressive, really fast, really direct.”
However, Carragher stopped short of describing Brighton as title contenders. He said they should be targeting a place around fifth or sixth and added that they “should be disappointed if they don’t make the Champions League”, particularly if the competition ultimately extends to fifth place.
“It’s very early in the season, but watching them play this early, I think they should be disappointed if they don’t make the Champions League,” Carragher said.
“There are a lot of question marks about a lot of teams this season: Liverpool being one, Aston Villa another, Man Utd, Tottenham. Teams you would associate with being around the Champions League positions are not at their absolute best, so I think there’s a great opportunity for Brighton to get Champions League football.”
