BRIGHTON 2-1 LIVERPOOL
By Our Man at the Amex
ARNE SLOT’S Liverpool suffered another South Coast nightmare as Danny Welbeck’s double left the Reds’ Champions League dreams in tatters.
On a day where the rain lashed down at the Amex, it was Liverpool’s defending that looked most washed out. Despite a summer spend of £450 million, the visitors looked more like a “confused rabble” than title contenders, falling to their 10th league defeat of a bruising campaign.
The afternoon started poorly for Slot when star man Hugo Ekitike limped off after just five minutes following a heavy clash with former Red James Milner. Before Liverpool could even adjust, they were behind.
In the 14th minute, Diego Gomez rose highest to nod a deep cross back into the danger zone, and Danny Welbeck was there to steer a clinical header past stand-in keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Liverpool did find a lifeline on the half-hour mark. A rare moment of Brighton hesitation saw Lewis Dunk fluff a clearance, allowing Milos Kerkez to sneak in and produce a delicious lob over Bart Verbruggen.
But the Seagulls weren’t to be denied. In the 56th minute, Welbeck turned poacher again, tapping home after more slack work from Ibrahima Konate to send the home fans into delirium.
Slot threw on Federico Chiesa in a desperate search for an equaliser, but Brighton held firm, moving up to eighth while Liverpool remain stuck in fifth, two points adrift of the top four with the walls closing in.
