Jürgen Klopp’s side went top of the Premier League table, temporarily at least, with a comeback win at Anfield. Find all the Liverpool vs Brighton stats from Opta on this page.
Liverpool were made to work hard for it, but went top of the Premier League – for a few hours at least – with victory over Brighton at Anfield on Sunday.
Playing just hours before Manchester City and Arsenal faced off in the game of the day, the hosts earned what could prove to be a crucial three points, coming from behind – once again – to win.
Jürgen Klopp’s side came into the game knowing they had struggled against Brighton in recent times. Having won each of their first six Premier League games against them, Liverpool had won just one of their last seven against Brighton (four draws, two losses). Brighton had also avoided defeat on their last three visits to Anfield, winning once and drawing twice.
But even the visitors would have been surprised at quite how well they started this game. Simon Adingra would go on to cause the inexperienced Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley problems for much of the game, and it was the winger’s burst down the left that led to the opening goal.
Liverpool’s defenders failed to clear Adingra’s square ball inside, and it fell to Danny Welbeck, making his 100th appearance for Brighton in the Premier League, to slam into the net just 87 seconds into the game.
Arsenal and Manchester City fans up and down the country watched on hopefully, thinking their sides’ respective title chances might just be about to skyrocket.
But Liverpool have grown accustomed to finding their way back into matches after going behind. Coming into this game, they had won more points from losing positions (23) than any other team in the Premier League this season. Having conceded so early, on this occasion they had almost an entire 90 minutes to fight their way back into this one.
That early goal seemed to shock them slightly, but they eventually came to life, with Mo Salah leading the charge.
The Egyptian came into the game averaging a goal or assist every 76 minutes in the Premier League this season, the best rate of anyone to play at least 180 minutes in the competition, and he looked determined to add to his tally. After finally taking Liverpool’s first shot of the game after seven minutes and 38 seconds, Salah had had six shots – all without success – by the 19-minute mark as the home side piled forwards.
They did, however, find a route back into the game on 27 minutes as Salah very nearly turned provider. He headed a corner that Brighton had half-cleared back into the danger area – via a crucial deflection which took the assist away from him – for Luis Díaz to volley home. Salah was made to wait for his direct goal involvement of the day.
Liverpool were in the ascendency, and pushed hard for a second goal, but while they ended the half with 14 shots to Brighton’s three, the visitors still looked dangerous on the break. They had clearly set out to target Bradley and 21-year-old Jarrell Quansah on the right side of the Liverpool defence.
The game continued in much the same way in the second half, as Liverpool dominated territory and created plenty more chances, with Salah at the heart of everything they did in the final third.
In midfield, meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister was controlling proceedings for the hosts. Unshackled from some of his defensive duties by the presence of Wataru Endo in the deepest midfield position, the Argentine pulled the strings behind Liverpool’s front three.
And it was a beautifully-weighted, first-time through ball from Mac Allister that broke through the brave Brighton rearguard for Liverpool to find their crucial second goal midway through the second half.
By this point Salah had already had another two unsuccessful shots, but the chance that Mac Allister presented him with was the best of the lot. Free, eight yards from goal, Salah could not miss, scoring with his ninth shot of the game. It was his 15th goal involvement in Premier League games against Brighton.
Minutes later, Liverpool thought they had put the result beyond doubt, as Salah put Díaz through on goal and the Colombian beat Bart Verbruggen in the Brighton goal, only for the linesman’s flag to go up. Replays showed there were just inches in it.
With the margin kept at just the one goal, the game was set up for a nervous finish, and Brighton did their utmost to spoil the party for Liverpool.
There was to be no hiccup for the hosts, though, and they came closest to scoring the game’s fourth goal, with Verbruggen brilliantly denying Salah from his 11th shot of the game. Salah ended the day with 12 shots, the most the Liverpool forward had ever had in a Premier League game.
Liverpool held on, and moved three points clear at the top of the table. All eyes turned to Manchester.
Liverpool vs Brighton Stats Centre
Liverpool vs Brighton Stats: Post-Match Opta Facts
- Liverpool won a Premier League match which they had been behind in for a seventh time this season, now their most comeback victories in a single campaign in the competition.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 28 Premier League games at Anfield against opponents starting the day in the top half of the table (W17 D11), with their last such defeat coming against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea in March 2021 (0-1).
- Since the start of December, only Brentford (8) have lost more away games (6) than Brighton in the Premier League. Indeed, the Seagulls have won just five points on the road in this period (W1 D2 L6), with only Crystal Palace (4) and Brentford (3) picking up fewer.
- Since the start of last season, Brighton have scored the first goal of the game in all four of their Premier League meetings with Liverpool (W1 D2 L1). This is the joint-longest run by a team of opening the scoring against Jürgen Klopp’s side in the competition, with Arsenal also doing so home and away in the last two campaigns (W2 D2).
- Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 15 Premier League goals against Brighton (nine goals, six assists), his most versus a single opponent. Indeed, the only Liverpool player with more goals and assists against a side in the competition is Steven Gerrard v Newcastle (16 – eight goals, eight assists).
- Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah had 12 shots against Brighton today; his most in a single game in the Premier League (254th appearance). Overall, it was the most shots attempted by a player in a match in the competition since Zlatan Ibrahimovic in October 2016 v Burnley (12 for Manchester United).
- Alexis Mac Allister has assisted five goals for Liverpool in the Premier League (24 appearances), equalling his tally in the competition with former club Brighton (five in 98 appearances). Four of his five assists for the Reds have been for winning goals, with only teammate Mo Salah (5) setting up more winners in the competition this season.
- Danny Welbeck opened the scoring for Brighton after just 87 seconds in this match; the quickest a visiting side had gone 1-0 up at Anfield in the Premier League since Tottenham Hotspur in October 2019 (Harry Kane goal after 47 seconds).
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