The Germans front three weren’t backfiring, however, and substitute Oxlade-Chamberlain soon teed up Sadio Mane to double Liverpool’s lead. The Guinea international was a surprise inclusion after being stretchered off against Manchester United last week, and Jurgen Klopp’s gamble today appeared to backfire. The hosts were forced into an early substitution after just 19 minutes when Naby Keita was replaced by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. At the other end, Roberto Firmino scooped a glorious chance from inside the area wastefully over the crossbar. Yves Bissouma forced Alisson into another fine stop with a vital fingertips save that pushed the effort onto the post. Liverpool were dominating the possession stakes, but Graham Potter’s well-coached Seagulls were proving difficult to contain when afforded the chance to break forward. The in-form Egyptian teed up Jordan Henderson who whipped a fantastic strike into the top corner from the edge of the area. Moments later, Virgil van Dijk’s superb cross-field ball sent Mohamed Salah scampering free. Solly March sprung the offside trap to get in behind Liverpool’s defence, but Alisson Becker was equal to his rifled low strike.
Brighton roared back from two goals down and kept Mohamed Salah quiet to hold Liverpool to a 2-2 draw in a pulsating contest at Anfield.īoth sides made a lightning quick start at Anfield, but with chances coming at each end, it was the Liverpool who were more clinical.