Liverpool faced off against Brighton and Hove Albion earlier today looking to stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League table. The Reds dominated the ball during the early stages of the game but couldn’t create anything meaningful going forward. It was a very mediocre and cagey first half from both teams and so there was nothing to split them at half-time.
The away side kept the pressure on in the second half and earned a penalty when Mohamed Salah was brought down inside the Brighton penalty box. The Egyptian stepped up to convert the penalty with a powerful strike to hand Liverpool a vital lead in the 50th minute. The Merseyside club controlled the game well to come away with a 1-0 victory from the Amex Stadium.
Let’s take a look at how each Liverpool player performed during the match against the Seagulls.
GK: Alisson Ramses Becker – 7/10
The Brazilian keeper was hardly tested by the Seagulls but he did make a few good saves during the game to earn a clean sheet on the day. He was also excellent with his distribution of the ball and never looked troubled once in the match.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7/10
The English right-back delivered some dangerous crosses into the Brighton box and largely spent his time on the pitch in the opposition half.
CB: Fabinho – 8/10
The Brazilian was deployed out of position as a makeshift centre-back but he never looked uncomfortable and managed to neutralise the threat of Glenn Murray with ease and grace. He made some important clearances during the match to earn another shut-out at the back.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – 8/10
The Dutch centre-back was a commanding presence in the Liverpool half and distributed the ball with accuracy. He remained calm under pressure and organised the Reds backline well to secure another clean sheet in the Premier League.
LB: Andrew Robertson – 9/10
The Scottish full-back was an excellent outlet for the Reds down the left flank. He worked his socks off and created some wonderful chances for his teammates in the attacking end of the pitch.
CM: Georginio Wijnaldum – 6.5/10
The Dutch talent showed some nice touches in the opposition half and was unlucky not to score with his powerful left-footed strike in the second half.
CM: Jordan Henderson – 6/10
The English midfielder hardly gave away the ball but was guilty of playing too many passes backwards without being inventive at the centre of the park.
RM: Xherdan Shaqiri – 6/10
The Swiss winger was always looking to get on the ball but lacked the cutting edge in the final third.
CAM: Roberto Firmino – 7.5/10
The Brazilian forward pressed the Brighton defenders well to win back possession quite frequently for his team. He was also brilliant on the ball and tested the Brighton keeper in the second half with a powerful attempt from outside the box.
LM: Sadio Mané – 7/10
The Senegalese speedster made some darting runs behind the Brighton defence but was not able to be productive in front of goal.
ST: Mohamed Salah – 7/10
The Egyptian sensation had a quiet first half but made the all-important breakthrough when he earned a penalty which he converted from the spot to give his team all three points from this encounter.
Substitutes:
CM: James Milner – 7/10
The English talent was full of energy and created some good chances after coming off the bench.
CM: Naby Keita – N/A
The former Bundesliga prospect did not have enough time to make an impact in the game.
ST: Divock Origi – N/A
The Belgian came on in injury time to run the clock down for the away side.
