Brighton 2-1 Liverpool: Welbeck strikes twice, Reds suffer 3-game PL winless run

Liverpool suffered a 10th league defeat and another significant blow to their Champions League qualification hopes as Brighton deservedly earned a 2-1 victory, in which Hugo Ekitike was forced off with an injury.

Match Report

Arne Slot praised his side on Wednesday for delivering their "best performance of the season" after hammering Galatasaray, but they were second best on the south coast as Danny Welbeck struck twice either side of Milos Kerkez's gifted equaliser.

The pressure is mounting on Slot with Liverpool not losing this many league matches in a season since 2016 and are winless in their last three, which has left them in fifth, two points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and one ahead of Chelsea, who can move above the Reds tonight with a result at Leeds, live on Sky Sports.

Slot was already without injured duo Mo Salah and Alisson at the Amex before Ekitike collided with former Reds midfielder James Milner inside the opening five minutes and couldn't continue although the Liverpool head coach believes it is "not something that's going to keep him out for three months".

Welbeck quickly added to their problems, capitalising on some slack defending from Ibrahim Konate and heading in at the back post after Diego Gomez had nodded the ball across the six-yard box.

Liverpool responded as Alexis Mac Allister's header was kept out by Bart Verbruggen before Lewis Dunk's backwards header to his goalkeeper was brilliantly anticipated by Kerkez, who finished expertly.

Brighton improved in the second half and the visitors were unable to match them. Minteh was superb on the left and it was his cross that was squared in the area by Jack Hinshelwood for Welbeck to tap in his second.

Giorgi Mamardashvili, standing in for Alisson, kept Liverpool in the game with saves from Gomez and Welbeck while Verbruggen denied Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo from levelling as the visitors slumped to another defeat.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

8' Ekitike down again, this time off the ball

14' GOAL! Danny Welbeck heads in! Brighton 1-0 Liverpool

21' Good save from Verbruggen to deny Mac Allister

30' GOAL! Kerkez equalises! Brighton 1-1 Liverpool

33' Curtis Jones replaces the injured Hugo Ekitike after 8 mins

34' Match Event for Brighton vs Liverpool

42' A dreadful error from Dunk

50' Yellow Card! Diego Gómez booked

52' Mamardashvili denies Kadioglu and then Wieffer heads the subsequent corner wide

56' GOAL! Welbeck again for Brighton! Brighton 2-1 Liverpool

62' Mamardashvili with a good save from Gomez's free-kick

64' Highlight from Brighton vs Liverpool

67' Big stop from Mamardashvili to deny Minteh

74' Brighton want a penalty, Welbeck down under weight of Konate, referee says no

77' Brighton almost score again

85' Highlight from Brighton vs Liverpool

Line-ups

Brighton XI: Milner, Welbeck, Gross, Dunk, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Mats Wieffer, Jan Paul van Hecke, Bart Verbruggen, Diego Gómez, Yankuba Minteh, Jack Hinshelwood

Subs: Steele, Veltman, Olivier Boscagli, Kaoru Mitoma, Georginio Rutter, Maxim De Cuyper, Yasin Ayari, Carlos Baleba, Charalampos Kostoulas

Liverpool XI: Van Dijk, Konate, Gakpo, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Gravenberch, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitiké, Milos Kerkez, Wirtz

Subs: Robertson, Freddie Woodman, Joe Gomez, Chiesa, Curtis Jones, Calvin Ramsay, Trey Nyoni, Kieran Morrison, Rio Ngumoha