Liverpool had to fight hard for their win against Brighton at Anfield on Sunday, but after a few hours of play, they were the top team in the Premier League.
The hosts came from behind to win, which may prove to be a critical three points, only hours before Manchester City and Arsenal squared off in the match of the day.
The team managed by Jürgen Klopp knew going into the match that they have recently had difficulty against Brighton. Liverpool have only triumphed once in their previous seven Premier League encounters against Brighton (four draws, two defeats), after winning their first six games against them. Brighton had won once and drawn twice in their previous three trips to Anfield, all without losing.
However, they began this game so effectively that even the visitors would have been taken aback. For a significant portion of the match, Simon Adingra would pose a threat to Liverpool’s inexperienced right-back Conor Bradley. The winger’s breakaway down the left was responsible for the game’s first goal.
After Adingra’s square ball went through Liverpool’s defense, Danny Welbeck—making his 100th Premier League appearance for Brighton—was the one to thump the goal in with 87 seconds remaining in the match.
Supporters of Manchester City and Arsenal from all around the nation looked on with optimism, believing their teams’ prospects of winning the titles may soon take off.
However, Liverpool has become used to coming back into games after falling behind. They had more points from losing situations (23), going into this game, than any other Premier League club this year. This time, they had almost a whole ninety minutes to work their way back into the game after conceding so early.
They were a little taken aback by that early goal, but Mo Salah led the charge as they finally got going.
The Egyptian entered the match with the greatest goal or assist ratio of any player who has played at least 180 minutes in the Premier League this season—one per 76 minutes—and he seemed intent on adding to his total. Seven minutes and 38 seconds later, Salah finally had Liverpool’s first shot of the match. As the home team poured forward, he had six efforts by the 19-minute mark, all of them unsuccessful.
On minute 27, however, they managed to regain some momentum as Salah came dangerously close to becoming the game’s provider. After Brighton had partially cleared a corner, he headed it back into the danger zone, where Luis Díaz volleyed the ball in after a key deflection cost him the assist. Salah had to wait for his day’s first direct goal involvement.
Brighton only managed three shots at the half, but even with Liverpool’s 14 shots at the conclusion of the half, the visitors were still posing a threat when they broke. Liverpool was clearly in the lead. Bradley and 21-year-old Jarrell Quansah, who play on the right side of the Liverpool defense, were obviously their main targets.
With Salah at the center of everything Liverpool did in the last third of the pitch, the game progressed much as it had in the first half, with Liverpool controlling possession and creating plenty of opportunities.
Meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister was in charge of the home team’s midfield. Wataru Endo’s deep midfield position freed up the Argentine to take on more defensive responsibilities, and he used that freedom to manipulate Liverpool’s front three.
And halfway through the second half, Mac Allister’s expertly weighted first-time through pass allowed Liverpool to find their vital second goal, piercing the valiant Brighton defense.
Although Salah had previously tried twice more in vain at this time, the opportunity that Mac Allister gave him was the finest. Salah took a free kick eight yards from goal and scored with his game-winning ninth attempt. It was his fifteenth goal in matches with Brighton in the Premier League.
Soon after, Salah sent Díaz through on goal and the Colombian beat Bart Verbruggen in the Brighton goal, giving Liverpool the impression that they had sealed the win. However, the linesman’s flag was raised. Replays revealed that it was just a few inches deep.
Brighton made every effort to ruin Liverpool’s celebration, knowing that the game would come down to a nerve-wracking end with the gap maintained at just one goal.
The hosts, however, were not going to let up and went as near as they could to netting the fourth goal of the match when Verbruggen masterfully stopped Salah’s eleventh attempt of the contest. With 12 shots at the end of the day, Salah had the most ever for Liverpool in a Premier League match.
With a three-point lead at the top of the table, Liverpool managed to hold on. Manchester came into full view.
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