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Liverpool 2 – 1 Brighton – The PL Postmortem

This was a game that was always destined to be a tough match, regardless of the Merseyside setting. Given that a raft of players had only recently returned from their respective international commitments, realigning of the silverware hunting group would always mean that rhythm may be lost, however, the win was all that mattered and the quality of the hosts eventually shone through.

Below is how the team lined up, with match details following.

The Starting Eleven

GK – Caoimhin Kelleher

RB – Conor Bradley

RCB – Jarell Quansah

LCB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

LB – Joe Gomez

LCM – Alexis Mac Allister

CDM – Wataru Endō

RCM – Dominik Szoboszlai

RF – Mohamed Salah

CF – Darwin Núñez

LF – Luis Díaz

Subs

Harvey Elliott – Darwin Núñez (83 mins)

Ryan Gravenberch – Dominik Szoboszlai (89 mins)

Cody Gakpo – Luis Díaz (90+4 mins)

Goals

Liverpool 0 – 1 Brighton

Danny Welbeck – 2 mins

Liverpool 1 – 1 Brighton

Luis Díaz (Mohamed Salah) – 27 mins

Liverpool 2 – 1 Brighton

Mohamed Salah (Alexis Mac Allister) – 65 mins

Important Match Stats

Possession

Liverpool 55% – 45% Brighton

Total Shots

Liverpool 30 – 9 Brighton

Crosses

Liverpool 23 – 15 Brighton

Corner Kicks 

Liverpool 8 – 4 Brighton

Counter Attacks

Liverpool 5 – 4 Brighton

Goalkeeper Saves

Liverpool 2 – 6 Brighton

The First Half

The opening period of this game was reflective of many games earlier in the season, where a slow start resulted in the reds conceding the opening goal. Some lacklustre tracking and a poor attempted clearance by the Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk, allowed former Manchester United and Arsenal forward, Danny Welbeck, to fire beyond a helpless Caoimhin Kelleher and take Brighton into a second minute lead. Luckily for the Anfield support, this irritating predicament is all too common and the resurgence of Jürgen Klopp’s men was always forthcoming. As the eventual man of the match, Alexis Mac Allister, took control of the game state, pressure was steadily built as Roberto De Zerbi’s men looked to penetrate from wide positions. As for the men in red, opportunities arose before falling to poor decisions or missed attempts at the Brighton goal. In the 27th minute, a Liverpool corner finally created the equaliser, as a failed clearance was nodded towards goal by the Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, allowing Luis Díaz to thunder the ball beyond the advancing keeper. More opportunities arose to take the lead, before the half closed out with the result on a knife edge.

The Second Half

On resumption of the second half, no changes were made and the endeavour of the title chasers was clear with a stream of chances good chances. Mohamed Salah at this point was prolific with his shot count, though it would not be until the 65th minute that the winning goal would be struck. A clever through ball by the magnificent Alexis Mac Allister was controlled and clinically dispatched by the record-breaking goal getter, Mo Salah, thereby taking his team into a deserved 2-1 lead. Not long afterwards, Luis Díaz believed he had given day light to the Anfield giants, only for his close-range effort to be called off side by the lineman and VAR. More nervy moments arose as Klopp’s men failed to deliver the killer blow. In a moment of utter distress, the former Liverpool man, Adam Lallana, came agonisingly close to levying the score late on, only for his effort to travel beyond the far post. Substitutes were strangely late coming and the tense scoreline created a worried atmosphere that should have been averted.

The game ended 2-1 and the reds were once again top of the Premier League.

What Are My Final Thoughts…?

This was a game that could have been navigated with far more ease, yet this season feels like one that is destined to be defined by its drama and excitement. All that mattered was the three points and the two-point cushion it later gave them on Arsenal, whereas a three-point advantage over Manchester City was also created. Those two title contenders played out a 0-0 draw in the game afterwards, which made the Easter Sunday array of football a perfect one for Jürgen Klopp and his merry men.

https://twitter.com/lfc/status/1774454305132622011?s=46&t=rxgukmqdoXc4muVFLSx2EQ

Pre-game prediction;

Liverpool 3 – 1 Brighton

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