Liverpool FC suffered a setback in their push for Champions League qualification after a 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.
Despite coming into the match in high spirits
following a dominant midweek win over Galatasaray, Arne Slot’s side were undone
by a clinical performance from veteran striker Danny Welbeck.
The 35-year-old opened the scoring in the 14th minute,
heading home from close range to register his 11th Premier League goal of the
season and become the league’s top English scorer.
Liverpool, missing key players including Alisson
Becker and Mohamed Salah, were further hit by injury when Hugo Ekitike was
forced off early.
The visitors responded in the 30th minute through
Milos Kerkez, who capitalized on a defensive error from Lewis Dunk to chip the
ball past goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
However, Brighton regained control in the second half,
with Welbeck netting his second in the 56th minute after a well-worked move
involving Yankuba Minteh and Jack Hinshelwood.
Liverpool pushed for an equaliser, with manager Arne
Slot introducing fresh legs including Federico Chiesa and Andy Robertson, but
Brighton remained the more dangerous side.
The defeat leaves Liverpool fifth in the table, two
points behind Aston Villa and just one ahead of Chelsea, with the race for a
top-five finish intensifying.
While their Premier League title hopes have already
faded, Liverpool remain active in other competitions, including the Champions
League and the FA Cup.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Alisson has confirmed he will be
sidelined “for a while,” adding to the club’s growing injury concerns at a
crucial stage of the season.
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