Brighton do not have the greatest of records in the EFL Cup – and not many people outside of Sussex will be expecting an improvement after the fourth-round draw paired the Albion with current Premier League leaders Liverpool.
This is reflected in Brighton’s odds to lift the League Cup. Amongst the best online gambling sites listed on Gambling.com, the Albion are ninth favourites to win the competition.
Behind – deep breath – Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Spurs.
To have all the European Super League Elite Six plus Newcastle and Villa still in the EFL Cup going into the last 16 is unusual.
The biggest and richest tend to treat the competition with disdain, meaning one or two of them have normally been humbled by this stage.
Take the last time Brighton made the last 16. Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United were the only European Super League Elite Six left.
And City were drawn against Liverpool, meaning another heavyweight was guaranteed to depart before the quarter finals.
Newcastle were admittedly still in there. But even so, the Albion went into round four as third or fourth favourites.
Especially as their opponents were the lowest ranked team left in the competition, Charlton Athletic. A League One outfit who had lost their two previous home games to Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham Town. Ah…
Defeat on penalties that night at the Valley sums up Brighton’s relationship with the EFL Cup nicely. Only once have the Albion ever gone as far as the quarter finals, way back in the 1978-79 season.
It is not like getting to an EFL Cup final is impossible either. 21st century runners up include Bolton Wanderers, Wigan Athletic, Cardiff City, Bradford City, Sunderland and Southampton.
Middlesbrough, Birmingham City and Swansea City have all won the EFL Cup. And enjoyed the subsequent European tour which comes with it.
Over the same period, the Albion have been knocked out by Walsall, Newport County, Swindon Town, Northampton Town, Shrewsbury Town and Bristol Rovers. And Charlton. Nobody will ever forget Charlton.
Records though are made to be broken. And now looks the perfect time for Brighton to break their woeful record in the EFL Cup – even if they do host Liverpool in round four at the Amex.
Roberto De Zerbi wrote his name into Albion history by leading the Seagulls into Europe for the first time. For Fabian Hurzeler, his route to immortality can be by becoming the first Brighton manager to win a piece of major silverware for the club.
Brighton have shown under Hurzeler that they can take results off the best teams in England. Manchester United and Spurs have both been beaten at the Amex.
The Albion also sparked a magnificent meltdown amongst Arsenal supporters after having the nerve to draw 1-1 at the Emirates.
A full strength Brighton XI against a full strength Liverpool XI is a tough game to call. Something which recent history backs up.
The Albion have won three, drawn four and lost only two of the past nine matches between the clubs.
And whilst Liverpool might be the EFL Cup holders, Brighton have history here too. The Redmen arrived at the Amex in the fourth round of the FA Cup back in January 2023 as reigning champions.
Not that the trophy being in Liverpool’s possession mattered. De Zerbi masterminded a 2-1 win over Jurgen Klopp’s side and that was the end of Liverpool’s FA Cup defence.
The key to victory that day was De Zerbi taking the competition seriously. He named a full strength side through every round of the FA Cup, leading Brighton all the way to a cruel semi final defeat on penalties to Manchester United.
Hurzeler playing his best available Brighton XI against Liverpool in the EFL Cup at the Amex will give the Albion a huge chance of winning the tie. Even if Arne Slot follows suit and goes full strength too.
There remains the strong possibility the Liverpool boss will not do that. The Redmen’s current position as table toppers means they are very much in the Premier League title race.
Slot may also fancy his chances of repeating the feat of Rafa Benitez in bringing the Champions League trophy to Anfield in his first season in charge. Not to mention the FA Cup.
Of the four fronts Slot and Liverpool are fighting on, the EFL Cup is the least important. Contrast that to Brighton, for whom the competition offers a shot of immortality.
Nobody is ever going to forget the head coach and players who win the Albion’s first piece of major silverware.
In the same way the 2016-17 Championship promotion side, the 2010-11 League One title winners and the 2003-04 playoff winners names are etched into Brighton history forever.
That is the opportunity the EFL Cup offers Hurzeler, Lewis Dunk, Danny Welbeck, Kaoru Mitoma and the Brighton Class of 2024-25 – should they overcome Liverpool.
If the Albion do advance to the quarter finals, they will also find the competition opening up nicely.
Other fourth round ties include Spurs against Manchester City and Newcastle United against Chelsea, guaranteeing two more big guns are gone before the last eight.
Dunk lifting the EFL Cup aloft at Wembley on Sunday 16th March? Why not? Football is all about dreaming.
Even if the reality is more likely to be Brighton knocking out Liverpool and then losing to Sheffield Wednesday in the quarter finals.
