Liverpool played hosts to Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield with an opportunity to go top of the table after Manchester City were held to a 0-0 draw away at Wolves. The Reds started the match on the front foot and dictated play well but were denied by some solid Brighton defending. However, Jurgen Klopp’s ‘gegen pressing’ style of football paid dividends when James Milner managed to intercept the ball in the opposition half which the Liverpool attackers pounced on. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring with a smart finish which gave the home team a narrow 1-0 lead at half-time.
The Seagulls had a good game plan in the second half and got a few chances to score the equaliser. However, the Merseyside club defended valiantly to keep them at bay and secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory on the day.
Let’s take a look at how each Liverpool player fared during the match versus the Seagulls.
GK: Alisson Ramses Becker – 8/10
The Brazilian international oozes class in everything he does. He made a crucial save in the latter stages of the game to earn another clean sheet in the league.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 8.5/10
Another superb performance from the young right-back! He did his defensive duties well while also distributing the ball accurately in the opposition half.
CB: Joe Gomez – 8/10
A matured display at the heart of the Reds defence. Gomez is slowly proving his worth and has quietly done his job which was rewarded with another shut-out.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – 8.5/10
The Dutchman made some crucial clearances and was the only defender to stay calm under pressure and did well to oversee the three points for his team.
LB: Andrew Robertson – 9/10
A near flawless performance from the Scottish left-back. He worked tirelessly down the left flank and put in some beautiful crosses with his left foot. The Scottish full-back covered a lot of ground and was one of Liverpool’s best players on the pitch.
CM: James Milner – 9/10
The veteran midfielder made the vital interception which led to Salah’s goal in the first half. He kept the ball well under pressure and put in another outstanding display at the centre of the pitch. Milner won many 50-50 duels which is why he was declared as the man of the match.
CM: Georginio Wijnaldum – 7.5/10
The Dutchman retained the ball well for his team and did the dirty work in midfield. He is consistently keeping Jordan Henderson out of the Klopp’s first-team which is no easy feat.
CM: Naby Keita – 6/10
An unusually off-day for the Guinean international in midfield after his brilliant performance last weekend.
RM: Mohamed Salah – 8.5/10
The Egyptian found the back of the net when the opportunity fell to him. However, he was also guilty of missing a few other chances to kill the game off which will disappoint him.
ST: Roberto Firmino – 8/10
The Brazilian forward is slowly getting his sharpness back, and it was visible during the game as his layoffs, and clever touches were always finding its mark.
LM: Sadio Mané – 5/10
The Senegalese had a game to forget as he failed to make an impact in the opposition half. He looked a bit tired and was unable to link up play effectively in the final third.
Substitutes:
CM: Jordan Henderson – 7/10
The Liverpool captain came off the bench for the final quarter of the game and retained the ball efficiently to see out the win.
ST: Daniel Sturridge – 7/10
He came on for Mane and immediately provided a lot more going forward. The English striker ran the channels well in the dying embers of the game to keep the ball in the Brighton half.
CB: Joel Matip – N/A
He hardly had any time to make an impact in the match.
