Battered and bruised for 48 first-half minutes by Brighton, top of the Premier League after 96: Liverpool’s mentality monsters live on. A second-half transformation, another stupendous goal from the Mohamed Salah collection and their closest rivals losing conjured the perfect day for Arne Slot’s side out of a far from perfect performance.
Salah curled a trademark winner into the top corner of Bart Verbruggen’s net less than three minutes after Cody Gakpo had cancelled out Ferdi Kadioglu’s first-half opener, to move ahead of Robbie Fowler into eighth in the all-time Premier League goalscorer’s chart. Thierry Henry is next in his sights. More importantly, the 164th goal of Salah’s Premier League career moved Liverpool two points clear of Manchester City after their defeat at Bournemouth and a significant seven above Arsenal. No one who witnessed the first half will be getting carried away but the manner of Liverpool’s latest comeback, as Slot put it, “gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season”.
But the head coach cautioned: “We didn’t show up in any part of the game at all in the first half. We changed a few tactics at half-time but that had nothing to do with the second half. It was down to the players showing a different attitude and intensity. We fought our way back in the game again but, and I just told them, that 45 minutes in the first half will punish you somewhere.”
Brighton’s slender interval lead flattered Liverpool enormously. Fabian Hürzeler’s side were superior in every department. A two- or three-goal advantage would have been a more accurate reflection of their dominance. Slow, sloppy and far too casual, Liverpool’s first-half display played into the hands of a quality opponent. The Brighton central midfield of Jack Hinshelwood and Yasin Ayari outplayed their opposite numbers, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, as did the outstanding Kaoru Mitoma against Trent Alexander-Arnold. The defender gained the upper hand after the break, however.
Brighton’s breakthrough epitomised their slickness. Ayari threaded a pass to Kadioglu, who found Mitoma in space on the left. The Japan international rolled the ball into Danny Welbeck and, though his flick went behind Georginio Rutter, it fell perfectly for Kadioglu, who had continued his run into the box. The Brighton winger swept a first-time shot across Caoimhín Kelleher and in off the inside of the far post.
Rutter should have doubled the lead when played clean through by a superb pass from Ayari. The striker did well to hold off Virgil van Dijk but steered his effort straight at Kelleher. A routine yet crucial save. Kadioglu could have had his and Brighton’s second when found unmarked at the back post by Mitoma’s cross from the byline but sliced over on the volley.
Slot’s problems continued after the half-time whistle when Ibrahima Konaté left the field with his left arm in a sling. The central defender was replaced by Joe Gomez, who made a huge impact. It was not the only switch Liverpool made. The home side restarted as they had to – playing with more aggression, speed and purpose to transform the contest. Brighton, in almost total command before the break, were clinging on long before the dam burst.
Gomez had a great chance within seconds but headed a Kostas Tsimikas free-kick at Verbruggen. The Brighton keeper made two excellent saves as Liverpool went close to equalising three times in as many minutes, from Mac Allister and Salah either side of a glaring Van Dijk miss.
The Brighton goal was finally breached by an element of good fortune. Gakpo curled over an inswinging cross that just missed the head of the impressive Jan Paul van Hecke, and Darwin Núñez behind him, before nestling inside the far post. Slot had introduced Curtis Jones and Luis Díaz minutes earlier, switching to a diamond in midfield, and his substitutions were instrumental in blowing the roof off Anfield as Liverpool struck again.
Jones led a break from the edge of the Liverpool area and exchanged passes with Díaz before releasing Salah on the right. The Egyptian did what he does best, cutting inside his marker, in this case Pervis Estupiñán, and curling a stunning, unstoppable left-foot shot into the top corner. It was some way to go top.
Hürzeler said: “The performance was good enough to win the game easily, especially in the first half. In the second half we were not precise enough, we started to lose the duels and maybe we were affected by the atmosphere as well. It was loud, wild, but you have to stay calm. In the second half we couldn’t find solutions and the dominance of Liverpool grew bigger.”
