Liverpool 2-1 Brighton: Reds reach PL summit with comeback victory as rivals slip
Liverpool have gone to the top of the Premier League with a victory over Brighton, after Arsenal and Manchester City returned poor results in their respective games.
The Reds were shocked when they went behind the the Seagulls in the first half, with defender Ferdi Kadioglu getting the goal. They went into the break one goal down, but came back after it with intensity.
In the blink of an eye, Liverpool went from 1-0 down to 2-1 up, as Mohamed Salah put the Reds in the ascendancy three minutes after Cody Gakpo had levelled.
The Egyptian may not even be a Liverpool player anymore after this season, with his contract up at the end of the season.
But he is still giving his all for the Anfield outfit at the moment, and his importance is clear, given his goal – his seventh of the season in the league – put his side top of the Premier League, while also moving him up to eight on the all-time Premier League top-scorers list.
The Reds were to the summit of the league by a loss to Arsenal on Saturday morning, and Manchester City suffering a shock defeat to Bournemouth in the afternoon.
After the game, Liverpool boss Arne Slot suggested the style of the win pleases him more than the fact it sent his side top of the table.
“It’s more if you play against Arsenal in their stadium and you can get a draw away from home. Brighton are a very strong team as well, they have shown this season,” he said.
“If you face a team like this and are 1-0 down and can come back to a 2-1 win which in my opinion was deserved that gives me a lot of confidence. More than the position we are in.”
The Liverpool manager praised the effort of his side to get back into things.
“We needed another second-half performance but because we were outplayed in the first half. They were better on the ball, more aggressive without the ball. Then, everything changed in the second half because it was completely the opposite,” he said.
“Our attackers scored the goals but the main difference was we were better positioned and we had the ball a lot more. Without the ball they made problems for us but in the second half we just kept running.”