Liverpool v Brighton in Doubt as Storm Boelo Batters UK

Liverpool's Premier League meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Sunday is in doubt after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for Merseyside as Storm Boelo follows Storm Austen across the country, with gusts of up to 80mph forecast and a safety decision still to be taken.

The game is scheduled for 2pm on Sunday, with Liverpool starting the weekend fifth and Brighton third, which makes it one of the most anticipated fixtures of the round. As things stand it is expected to go ahead, but Sports Mole reports that a fresh Met Office statement has put the fixture in doubt, and nobody at either club can guarantee it survives the weekend weather.

Met Office Warning Puts Sunday in the Balance

The Met Office warning runs from midday on Saturday until 9pm on Sunday and covers the whole of matchday. In its statement, the Met Office said strong winds will spread across northern parts of the UK during Saturday afternoon, combining with spells of heavy rain, and that very windy conditions will persist overnight and through much of Sunday before gradually easing.

Gusts of 55-65mph are likely widely, with some coastal and exposed areas potentially seeing 70-80mph or more. BBC Weather, cited by Sports Mole, forecasts winds between 53mph and 56mph in the two hours before kick-off at Anfield, with gusts in excess of 40mph continuing until 7pm. The warning also states that injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible, and that road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected.

Storm Austen arrived on Friday and events on Merseyside this weekend have already been cancelled in anticipation of the severe weather. Brighton are expected to travel north on Saturday, when winds are lower, but the journey home for their players and supporters is part of the calculation.

Safety, Not the Pitch, Will Decide It

Top-flight matches in England are rarely postponed because of the condition of the pitch. They are called off, when they are called off, for health and safety reasons around the stadium — and that is exactly the question here, as This Is Anfield explains.

Any decision will involve the local Safety Advisory Group, which includes officials from both clubs as well as representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council. The safety of travelling supporters, with road and rail networks likely to face disruption, will be the key concern — not whether the Anfield surface can take a game.

There is a recent precedent on Merseyside. In December 2024 the Merseyside derby was postponed around four hours before kick-off during Storm Darragh, when gusts reached up to 70mph, and the game was eventually played in February. Sunday's other North-West fixture looks safer: Manchester United against Bournemouth at Old Trafford appears likely to go ahead, with the only forecast of 40mph-plus gusts there coming between 10am and 11am.

So What Happens If It Is Called Off?

A postponement would create a scheduling headache as much as a footballing one. Liverpool, who are still looking for a first home league win of the season against a Brighton side that has scored 23 goals in seven games, do not have a free midweek or weekend until mid-December — and even those dates depend on League Cup progression, which also applies to Brighton.

It would also delay Liverpool's attempt to cope without key men. Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong have already been ruled out of this fixture and Victor Munoz is a doubt, so an extra week could, paradoxically, help the home side more than it helps the visitors. Brighton, flying in third, would rather play a depleted Liverpool now than a fuller-strength one in December.

Beyond the Final Whistle: a game being in doubt is not a game being off, and supporters should plan for Anfield on Sunday until the Safety Advisory Group says otherwise — but the Darragh precedent shows Merseyside will not hesitate to call it late if the gusts arrive as forecast. The honest position on Saturday morning is that the weather, not either manager, picks this weekend's biggest team news. Do you think the Premier League should make an early call on Sunday's game, or wait and give it every chance to go ahead? Let us know in the comments.