Slot: 'Away at Brighton, a club like Liverpool should be able to get a result'

A despondent Arne Slot claimed "a club like Liverpool should be able to get a result away at Brighton" following the Reds' 2-1 loss at the Amex Stadium on Saturday. 

Danny Welbeck scored in either half to further dent Liverpool's hopes of securing a top-four finish, following their 1-1 draw with Tottenham last time out. 

Slot's side were dealt an early setback when Hugo Ekitike was forced off injured after just eight minutes, though Milos Kerkez restored parity on the half-hour mark after Welbeck's opener. 

Liverpool produced an underwhelming second-half display, however, as Welbeck struck again to seal victory for Brighton and leave Slot frustrated. 

"As much as I dislike us losing here today, Brighton away has always been a difficult one and will always be a difficult one as long as they keep bringing in so many good players," Slot said to TNT Sports. 

"But there are other games where we should have picked up more points, like last week against Tottenham.  

"That is far more unacceptable than this. But even away at Brighton, a club like Liverpool should be able to get a result. 

"There is always pressure at Liverpool. On me, on the players. That is completely normal. 

"We have qualified for the quarter finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League but in the league we need to make sure that in the end, we qualify for the Champions League." 

Liverpool's hopes of securing Champions League football took a big hit with this defeat, which was their 10th in the Premier League this season. 

It is the first time since 2015-16 that the Reds have lost 10 league matches, while it is also the seventh time the defending champions in a top-flight campaign have lost 10 or more games, and the first since Chelsea did so in 2017-18. 

Liverpool have also conceded 42 goals in the Premier League in 2025-26, already surpassing their totals from each of the last two campaigns (41 in both 2023-24 and 2024-25). They last conceded more in 2022-23 (47). 

When asked whether Liverpool are running out of time to secure Champions League football, Slot added: "That is what I meant before the game. What I thought was, 'you won't need 24 points to qualify', and hopefully I am right because we aren't able to get 24 points any more.  

"We kept trying. In the second half we were close but they were closer to scoring a third one than we were. Unfortunately it wasn't enough after a week like this. 

"It is clear that we have lost a lot of points after playing in Europe. I have tried to explain a lot of times already why this is, but today we also have to give credit to Brighton.

"The first half was equal but in the second half, Brighton were the better team on the pitch." 

Indeed, Liverpool have won just four of their 10 Premier League matches this season following a midweek Champions League fixture (D1 L5). 

Brighton, meanwhile, took a huge step in their own bid to secure European football for next season with this victory.  

The Seagulls have now won four of their last five Premier League games (L1), as many as they had managed in their previous 18 matches in the competition (D7 L7). 

"It was a great performance, especially in the second half. We played really good football," Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler told BBC Match of the Day. 

"I was pleased with the support from the crowd, incredible energy here at home. 

"That's what we want to create, we want to create a place where nobody wants to go. We want to build a place where we can build the togetherness and we are in a good way."