Liverpool vs Brighton 2-1: Premier League – as it happened
Liverpool beats Brighton for the first time in five matches between the football clubs.
This page is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the Liverpool vs Brighton Premier League football match on Sunday, March 31, 2024:
This page is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the Liverpool vs Brighton Premier League football match on Sunday, March 31, 2024:
- Liverpool beat Brighton 2-1 at Anfield.
- The Reds came from behind to beat Brighton, who scored in the second minute through Danny Welbeck.
- Goals by Luis Diaz (27th minute) and Mohamed Salah (65th minute) steadied the title ship for the Reds.
- Liverpool goes top of the Premier League (67 points) ahead of the Manchester City (63) vs Arsenal (64) clash.
- An Arsenal victory will regain the North London club the number-one spot on the ladder.
- Live updates
- Match stats
- Lineups
Goodbye for now
Liverpool have done all they can to keep their Premier League hopes alive.
They will now have to wait and see the outcome of Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad, which will be kicking off very shortly.
Make sure to tune into our live blog coverage of that potentially mouth-watering encounter.
We hope you enjoyed our coverage of today’s pulsating match between Liverpool and Brighton, and till the next time, this is Rohan Sharma signing off on behalf of Al Jazeera.
GET INNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/C0vCmPSqw5
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 31, 2024
300 up for Klopp
3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ wins as Reds boss for Jürgen 👏
A magnificent milestone ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Cw5sr6tG4Q
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 31, 2024
‘The mentality of the boys is amazing’
Mac Allister shared his views post match: “We didn’t start as we wanted, but it was an amazing game. They are an amazing team. It was a tough match, but in the end we won and we are very happy.”
“The mentality of the boys is amazing. That is what you need when you are one-nil down. That is what we showed today,” he said.
“He [Salah] has been asking for some passes and assists from me. We have tried to be connected. In the first half, he missed a couple but in the second half he showed his quality.”
Alexis Mac Allister vs Brighton
– 58/63 passes (92%)
– 5 chances created (1st)
– 1 assist
– 90 touches (2nd for LFC)
– 5 shots (2nd)
– 3/4 tackles
– 3 clearances (=1st for LFC)
– 1 interceptionHis form recently has been off the scale. £35m – absolute bargain 😂 pic.twitter.com/G4Ijbw2pQ2
— LFC Stats (@LFCData) March 31, 2024
Comeback kings
7 – Liverpool have won seven Premier League games in which they were behind this season, now their outright most ever in a single campaign in the competition. Magnificent. pic.twitter.com/PnYvEhodWb
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 31, 2024
Full-time
Liverpool hold on in what was a nervous last few minutes to keep their title ambitions alive.
Salah proves the difference maker this half as Liverpool go, temporarily, to the top of the table at 67 points.
They will now shift their attention to Manchester, where Manchester City and Arsenal will square off to see if Liverpool indeed can hold on to top spot.
Full-time: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Salah misses the mark
After Brighton give up the ball deep in their half, the ball eventually finds Salah.
He decides to have a go from the right side, aiming for the near post, but his shot ends up wayward.
90+6 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Liverpool make change
Ryan Gravenberch replaces Szoboszlai as we enter the final few minutes of stoppage time.
Gakpo is booked soon after to add to the extensive list of yellow cards doled out today.
90+4 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Welbeck lashes into side netting
Brighton are looking for a last-gasp equaliser.
Welbeck receives the ball on the right side and fires in a powerful shot at goal, but instead finds the side netting.
90+4 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Verbruggen makes huge stop!
Elliott is released on the right side thanks to Mac Allister.
He is able to weasel into the box before laying off a ball towards Salah.
Salah unleashes a strong strike towards the left post, but the big Dutch keeper is able to make a full dive to his right to stop it.
Meanwhile, we will have six additional minutes of stoppage time.
90+1 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Liverpool make substitution
Diaz trudges off as Cody Gakpo rushes on to try and produce one more bit of magic for the home side.
89 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Lallana shot goes wide
Liverpool are sloppy as Diaz gives up the ball.
The ball finds Lallana, who tries to squeak it by his marker and Kelleher to find the far post corner, but just misses the mark.
It would have been quite the moment if the ex-Liverpool player had landed that.
87 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Elliott header causes concern
Liverpool win a corner on the left side.
The cross finds Elliott, who steers it towards the far post.
The ball ends up at the feet of a Brighton defender, who is able to clear it away before any other Liverpool players can get to it.
83 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Both sides make changes
Harvey Elliott is brought on to replace Nunez, who has had a quiet outing by his standards.
Adringa and Moder are subbed off in favour of Evan Ferguson and Adam Lallana.
83 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Dunk header causes concerns
The Liverpool backline are holding strong for now though, as we get into the final 10 minutes of regulation play.
A free kick is taken from the right side. The ball is sent in, and Dunk is able to get a head on it, with Kelleher sent to his left to make a desperate diving stop.
Another Brighton header soon follows, with Kelleher this time making a near-post stop.
80 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Liverpool break fizzles out
After a Brighton corner, Liverpool are able to spring a quick counter.
Diaz sets off and then passes it to an advancing Salah.
Salah decides to go all on his own once he arrives inside the box, but the shot from the left side is easily handled by Verbruggen.
He could have looked to make another pass there to Diaz on his right, to make things a bit more interesting.
76 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
VAR confirms offside
After a few minutes, VAR confirms that Diaz was just offside when Salah made the pass.
Excellent spot from the linesman, considering the circumstances.
Meanwhile, another yellow is doled out to Van Hecke, making it six now in the match.
73 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Diaz goal ruled offside
A Welbeck slip allows Nunez to recover the ball.
He passes it off to Salah on the right.
Salah spots Diaz on his left and seems to have timed it just right as Diaz is able to squeeze it past Verbruggen.
The linesman calls it offside, but there is a VAR check to confirm the decision.
71 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Brighton make substitution
It is the end of Lamptey’s outing as he is replaced by Facundo Buonanotte.
70 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Baleba almost scores own goal
The Reds are desperate for a third goal as they win a corner on the left side.
Szoboszlai takes the chance, with the ball finding Baleba who, in an attempt to head it away, ends up heading it just over his own goal.
Brighton fans would have had some cause for consternation during that moment.
67 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
GOAL!
Salah proves the saviour for Anfield as he puts the home side ahead!
Szoboszlai starts the attack with a pass into Mac Allister from the right side.
The Argentinian soon spots an open Salah inside the box with a precise pass.
Salah receives the ball with his left foot and curls it past Verbruggen’s right to find the open goal.
65 mins: Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Szoboszlai strike goes wide
The Hungarian gears up for a fearsome strike from outside the box on the right side.
The ball manages to evade everyone but ends up continuing past the far post.
63 mins: Liverpool 1-1 Brighton
Brighton starting to impose themselves
It has been one-way traffic courtesy of Liverpool so far.
However, Brighton are now showing some signs of getting back into this contest.
60 mins: Liverpool 1-1 Brighton
Yellow card
For an egregious challenge on Lamptey, Gomez is duly shown the yellow.
He is the fifth player with a caution to his name, and we haven’t even reached the hour mark yet.
58 mins: Liverpool 1-1 Brighton
Salah opportunity goes begging
Diaz chips in from the left side of the box towards Salah at the far post.
However, the Egyptian international is unable to rise to it, as the ball continues out of bounds.
Salah goes down soon after in the box, but the referee waves play on.
55 mins: Liverpool 1-1 Brighton
Mac Allister header goes wide
Liverpool have been superb in the opening minutes of this second half.
Gomez whips in a cross from the left, with Mac Allister getting his head on it, but the ball continues harmlessly past the far post.
53 mins: Liverpool 1-1 Brighton